Are you ready for The Big Society?

Tuesday saw the first Open Night for Big Society Network, the organisation which appears to have evolved out of David Cameron’s “Big Society” vision (although the organisers claim that it pre-dates the election).

In a very hot room at the bottom of the Communities and Local Government Department building in Victoria, about 150 people met to talk about, and start to define, the Big Society.  The event brought together community groups, Government Departments, social enterprises and a number of civil society and new governance organisations such as the Democratic Society and FutureGov. It was a self-selected group, partly because of the short notice.

So what’s it all about? According to chief executive Paul Twivy, the Big Society is a society in which individuals feel engaged. At the moment, only 4 out of 10 of people believe that they can influence local decisions. Only 1 in 33 attend public meetings. Only a minority of people volunteer. Moreover, people feel “anger and frustration at the recent behaviour of both the City and Westminster and relatively powerless to change them”.

The Big Society Network is an organisation being set up as a partner to Government to help people achieve change in their local area. “It aims to create a new relationship between citizens and Government in which both are genuine partners in getting things done: real democracy using all the human and technological tools we now have available. This partnership will also add a third and fourth leg to its sturdy chair by involving business and the voluntary sector.

As well as helping you get things done as an individual, we also want to help you meet up with other people in your area with the aim of discussing what you want to share and change together in order to make your neighbourhood stronger, safer and more enjoyable.”

Some of the Big Society values are already being translated into Government policy, for example – parents being able to set up own schools and the 5000 expert volunteers programme.

However, The Big Society Network is proposing to go further and create the largest co-operative or mutual in Britain in which every citizen can be a shareholder  (for a nominal yearly fee) and as such will be able to contribute, receive help and rewards.

The Big Society’s Network first big idea is “Your Square Mile” which is about enabling people to make changes in the square mile where they live and/or work.

Paul Twivy expects people’s initial reactions to range from sceptical to hostile and acknowledges  the concern that The Big Society Network could be seen as a mask for coalition cuts on public spending but called on everyone to work together to make the idea work.

Talking to some of the people who went to the event, it is clear that the Open Night raised as many questions as it answered. There was a great deal of enthusiasm for positive social change but at the same time concern about how The Big Society Network would fit with existing structures and projects, whether people could actually be encouraged to volunteer more in their local communities  and above all, how it would be funded.  

What do you think?

For more information including speaker’s videos , visit David Wilcox’s excellent blog http://socialreporter.com/?p=951