Big Society- How is it going to work?

My interpretation of Big Society is that phrase of JFK's about 'ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country'. In my book that means volunteering if you have time, donating to charity if you have cash and anything else you can think of that moves us on from being 'a bunch of individuals expecting things to come from on high' to 'a community that looks out for each other'.

So you're contributing, I contriubute and lots of other people do so as well. Personally, rather than taxing the heck out of the wealthy, I'd like to see 'Big Society' translate as getting the wealthy to (as they do in the US) sponsor charities, set up foundations and contribute practically in that way. The Lottery Fund takes money off people desperate to win a few quid and uses it to good effect. If we could get philanthropy back on the agenda - give bankers a chance to rehabilitate themselves through charitable projects, perhaps? - then I think we could move mountains.

BTW Others will be along to tell you that it's just a way of saying 'government will cut all public service funding and expect volunteers to fill in the gaps'... but I think that view is rather cynical and short-sighted. :)

People aren't going to volunteer because the government tells you it's 'the right thing to do'. I don't think they will rush to fill in the gaps where cuts have removed funding either.