The Big Society has been back in the news in recent weeks –
following the publication of a report denouncing the project as
‘an initiative for the leafy suburbs’, and a vague initiative at
that. So what exactly does ‘Big Society’ entail? According to
the policy, launched in 2010 by David Cameron, it involves three
pillars; enabling people to shape their local area, opening up
public services provision to charities, and levels of ‘social
action’ such as volunteering. But this doesn’t tell us the whole
story. The recent independent audit found what it described as a
‘Big Society gap’ based on income, age and ethnicity. A recent
Guardian article noted, for example, that whilst 78% of people
in the most affluent communities believe their neighbourhood
pulls together, only 51% or people in the most deprived areas
agree. Similarly, only 55% of 16-24 year olds believe that their
neighbourhood pulls together, compared to 73% of over 65’s. The
report itself recommends “If the Big Society is to succeed, the
Government