Len Gale and Councillor Vaughan Owen at the Big Society event in Stratford
We spoke to Len Gale, of the Warwickshire Association of Local Councils, and Councillor Vaughan Owen at the Big Society event in Stratford on October 22nd. They discussed the role that parish councils have played and will continue to play in the future, the impact of the internet and social media on spreading messages throughout the community, and ways of bringing communities together to work towards mutual goals of improving quality of life in the local area.
Kelly Cranston of Vflex Walsall talks about encouraging youth volunteering
At the Big Society event in Stratford we spoke to Kelly Cranston from Vflex Walsall – part of the youth charity Rathbone – about her work with organisations which utilise youth volunteering in the community. You can hear the full interview with Kelly below.
Val Lewis talks about the Big Society agenda and community action
Val Lewis spoke to us about citizens initiating planning processes on behalf of the community. It’s a fascinating story about how groups can work together to achieve sizeable goals which help to improve the quality of life in the local area.
“What we realised from the very beginning was we couldn’t expect anyone else to do it for us, we had to invest our own time in it.”
We spoke to Randle Lewis, of the Coventry-based charity Minorities of Europe, at the Big Society event in Stratford. He talked about issues surrounding community cohesion and what can be done in the most deprived areas to ensure that the Big Society agenda is implemented.
“When you’re looking at severely deprived areas the issue is about how to motivate particularly young people to get more involved in volunteering to provide services to the community. First of all you have to break down the culture of benefit dependency.”
As part of the Big Society event at Stafford, Kiran Williams from Planning Aid gave a presentation about using the town planning system to achieve community goals and objectives in line with what the community wants, not people outside of the community.
You can view the slideshow of Kiran’s presentation above. Some of the key points are below. (more…)
At the Stratford Big Society event Carrie Weekes from Development Trust Association West Midlands talked about asset transfer and the effect it can have on communities, in giving them more of a say and more control in their local environment.
This covered how asset transfer can benefit communities and the kind of projects which are underway, as well as the projects which need to come next. You can see the presentation in full above. Some of the key points included: (more…)
Nick Booth from Podnosh delivered a presentation on social media and citizenship, exploring the ways in which people can use social media and digital technologies to make a difference in their community.
This included emphasising the concept of the internet as a conversation, which can be achieved by using social media tools, while Nick also raised the importance of social media in bringing about co-production, whereby people and government are working together towards common goals.
For more information about Social Media Surgeries – drop-in sessions where you can get bespoke advice to help you or your organisation use social media to achieve your own aims – visit the Social Media Surgeries website.
The next session in Warwickshire is on Thursday November 4th from 5.30pm, at Leamington Library – come along to find out more.
Julia Phillips, Chief Executive at Voluntary Action Stratford on Avon (VASA), delivered a presentation to open the Big Society event at Stratford on 22nd October. The presentation – which you can see above – outlined the Big Society agenda and provided talking points ahead of the discussion groups which came later on during the session.
You can read the key points of Julia’s presentation below, or view the slides above. (more…)
Delegates discuss key talking points at the Stratford Big Society event on 22nd October 2010
The three discussion groups gathered at this morning’s event all came up with a series of points which they explored in further detail – from those discussions, each group declared what they considered to be the most pertinent point to the rest of the delegates at the event. Here are what they felt were the most important talking points from those discussions:
Important to be able to influence decisions and participate via collaboration, allied with the need to demonstrate user involvement in communities
Encouraged to network and looking for cognitive benefit for us and clients, enriching the experience of moving forward
Partnership and collaboration is very important, along with finance and transparency – they always have been, but how do we do it now with less? Requires a culture change (you don’t change the culture unless you change the people)
Need to engage with the people who will give their time to help make the community better
There’s also a need for listening to every voice, not just the loudest one
What does community mean? Not easy to define. There are communities of interest as well as geographical communities. There is a need for representing marginalised or unpopular communities, there is a worry that these groups may be left out. This is an issue which needs addressing if we are to prioritise social cohesion over fragmentation
In-depth discussions at the Stratford Big Society event on 22nd October 2010
The latest Big Society event covered Coventry and Warwickshire, taking place at Voluntary Action Stratford upon Avon (VASA). A wide cross-section of people from the public sector, voluntary organisations and also some councillors attended the event, and after a selection of presentations the delegates attending the session split into groups to discuss the nature of the Big Society agenda.
One of the most striking things compared with previous events was the optimism and positive outlook in evidence. A round-up of some of the discussion points is below, and this will be followed by a post summarising the points which each group agreed on as the most pertinent issues.
One group was particularly vocal about bureaucracy, with the hope that the future presents opportunities for implementing projects more directly, although they also raised concerns about how the most marginalised sections of society will fare in an era of austerity.
Will there be a difference in quality of service if you’re replacing existing services with volunteer-led initiatives? You can’t do things for free – there has to be some funding
There is the danger that the number of volunteers in some of the more marginalised areas will not be enough – particularly in those populated by the poor and asylum seekers etc
How can we make better use of the digital environment for good in the community?
There is perhaps a safety issue here, particularly in relation to people from marginalised communities going online
Communities are powerful already – sometimes that power is held more by the decision makers though
Working around communities of common interest, rather than geographical area?
Every community has different problems and needs, which causes problems for organisations trying to manage and help with these issues – causes a need for changes in procedures, and raises the importance of adaptability
Identifying gaps in services and identifying who can fill these, and how
Putting organisations in touch with each other, or individuals with organisations, in order to stimulate other partnerships – especially where these groups can work together rather than duplicating projects and creating waste
Considering new potential funding streams which might be tapped into in the future to compensate for the limited resources available from central government
There should be differentiation between localities – there is nothing to say that the same project will be effective in a different area; it has to take into account the differences because projects cannot necessarily be implemented in the same way depending on the circumstances of the community involved
Cuts are a part of the Big Society agenda but we can’t focus too much on that – instead, a change in mindset is necessary to engage with this new way of thinking
There may be a conflict between personal politics and the professional responsibilities which need addressing
Another discussion group also addressed the issue of bureaucracy, as well as stressing the importance of communication – both between the public sector and communities, and between organisations themselves so that they are aware of what each other is doing – thereby increasing the possibilities for collaboration as well as limiting the likelihood of wastage via duplication of services.
The problems caused by bureaucracy, where project outcomes or durations are dictated from outside – especially where funding is involved
The need to be creative and open-minded – but also working with other organisations can sometimes distract from focusing on the projects in hand. There is still a need for sharing resources and working towards common goals
The difficulty of achieving the same outcomes with less money and fewer staff
Balancing different clients, different needs and different projects – sustainability is key
Getting young people involved in volunteering – the importance of realising that young people are pivotal in the attempt to increase volunteering in communities and the local area
Networks and associations of partners as a way of pooling ideas, experiences and resources
Can be daunting for people to know where to look for assistance – how do we get messages out to them? This is where online resources and presences can be helpful
There is a need to be aware of what other people are doing in the surrounding area – not only for the prospect of potential partnerships but also to limit the likelihood of duplication of services. It is useful to know what’s going on
The third discussion group talked about the role of social media in organising communities to reach common goals, as well as the shifts in culture or mindset which will be required if an increase in volunteerism is to take place and be effective in serving the local area.
Parish Councils discussed. How can parish councils work with their community to fill gaps as funding is withdrawn? With the small amounts of money that is available through Parish councils how can they make the money work harder? Are they able to help community groups as catalysts? Some projects are suitable for local council level not others – meals on wheels couldn’t be done because of food hygiene issues. But could residents feed their neighbour? What regulations could or should change to make that possible?
Working with the private sector – what does it mean? Some companies feel they have a moral obligation to be involved with the community and we should make it as easy as possible for people to do this
Big sums of money can be a problem…With New Deal for Communities report there was so much money that the politics of spending it bogged down the process. Officers said we would have been better off if we had no money or very little money
It is a myth that the unemployed will volunteer, according to experience from the 1980s. There were 90 or so organisations in our community, all running by working and motivated people
For communities with intense problems of unemployment they need resources to mobilise. Might there be more smaller grants? You need to start with community cohesion – people speaking to each other, using simple methods like collective clean ups for example. Sharing food is a great way to do that
We have a culture based on “the state will provide”. It may take generations to overcome – or perhaps a period of anarchy?
What do we – or I need to do to turn conflict into a positive. Neighbourhood Watch emerged from frustration with the authorities doing nothing about Anti Social Behaviour
Social media can help find alternative ways to organise
