Big Society

This report published by the Young Foundation in September 2010 sets out how it could be made more tangible and useful. The ten point plan draws on dozens of practical examples that the Young Foundation and others have developed in fields ranging from community organising to jobs, social enterprise to data management. The report warns of the gap between the ambition of the Big Society and the modest proposals currently associated with it, and of the risk that cuts will fall most heavily on innovative social enterprises and small grassroots organisations rather than big public or private ones.

This report was produced in July 2011 by Community Matters with support from the Institute for Voluntary Action Research (IVAR) marks the end of a two-year investigation by Community Matters into exactly what difference community organisations make to political participation in their neighbourhoods.

This is the link to a BBC Radio 4 programme on "Building the Big Society". The programme was broadcast on 7 March 2012 and is in two 30-min parts: the first one "Cooperating", focuses on mutuals while the second part "Organising", follows three trainee Community Organisers, one of whom is based in Thetford, Norfolk!

In their report published in December 2011, The Public Administration Select Commitee warns that the Big Society project is hampered by the lack of a clear implementation plan, leading to public confusion about the policy agenda.. The project by its very nature requires substantial change in Whitehall and to the nature of government.

This report written by Dr Helen Bowcock, a Trustee of the Surrey Community Foundation, and produced by the Hazelhurst Trust in April 2011 considers what some of the key concepts associated with the Big Society agenda may mean in a Surrey context. Some of the lessons drawn in the report may not sound unfamiliar to other areas belonging to counties which, like Surrey, are perceived “as an entirely wealthy county with very little local need”.  

The Community Organisers programme has its own website where you can find out more about the organisers, apply to become a host, ask questions and get in touch.

This report was published by NCVO in October 2011. It brings together thoughts and examples from across the sector in response to the riots. It is part of the voluntary and community sector’s contribution to the post-riots debate: it does not attempt to be an exhaustive account of the full range of causes nor the potential solutions.

This report was published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation in January 2012. It is 85 pages long however a 3-page executive summary can be found on pp 7-10.

This report explores how budget cuts will affect the capacity of local government to meet the needs of more deprived households and communities.There is real concern that more deprived groups will suffer the most. This report provides early, systematic evidence of the scale of the cuts and of how local councils are grappling with these issues.

Central Bedfordshire is one of the local authorities included in the research sample.

This report published by ippr in November 2010 asks how, in practical terms, citizens can act together to improve the way public services work for them. There is appetite from local people to get more involved in delivering public services, but there are some strong barriers to participation.

What does the ‘Big Society’ mean for struggling communities in need of regeneration? Can we learn lessons from places and communities that have come together and have trailblazed this approach?This report published by Demos in June 2010  attempts to answer those questions by looking at two estates, Balsall Heath and Castle Vale, which have engaged in an extraordinary renewal that has involved residents, the third sector and business. The stories of these estates are not without disappointments but they are crucial to understand what success communities can achieve on their own, what help may be needed and where there are barriers to real empowerment and change