Big Society- How is it going to work?

[seekinginspiration]

I'm really confused. I do a bit of volunteering (two hours a week - but only when it fits in with other demands). I have to put paid work and family first so I need to earn some money. I think most mums and even some grannies are in this situation. How is it going to work?

Libraries have been closing over the last few years, anyway. What the 'Big Society' initiative does is open up opportunities for local groups to take ownership of the library and run it for themselves.

I understood that the Surestart Centres under threat were those which don't reach the lower income target groups. (could be wrong).

My dc's were just too old for me to experience Surestart - but I don't feel I missed anything. I had a good health visitor, made a network of mum friends and joined a volunteer organised mother and toddler group. Its not clear to me how Surestart is essential for mums like me (though maybe nice to have).

I don't agree that local volunteers can run libraries but it's true that they need to adapt and host more community groups. The most successful have children's story-telling activities, local history, book groups, lectures, IT access, etc. as well as e-books, DVDs, a good foreign language and reference section. It still takes time, costs money and requires expertise to organise and is not about checking books in and out.

I agree muminlondon, as a trained ibrarian with a degree in the subject it's pretty galling when people assume it's that simple a job.

librarian

Batteryhuman - Very well put: 'The Big Society is the privatisation of public services without a mandate. It has little to do with volunteering as illustrated by the fact that amongt the first victims of the cuts are the charities that provide the essential support to said volunteers eg Homestart and CAB'.

That's the main issue: mass privatisation of services, which will mean that eg that US/global companies could provide our libraries or Health Services - for profit, obviously. That means profit before people's needs. It also means little or no accountability because there won't be anyone to complain to if it all goes pear-shaped, (except a government minister), as the service providers will all be self-regulated.

I'm assuming the 'local group' would employ librarians or outsource the whole thing.

As to whether it'll work - I've no idea. Time will tell.

We already have foreign gas companies screwing us to the wall, now we'll have US library companies cashing in and big companies making profits from health and social care, I think I'm in the wrong business.

Note to self set up drug and alcohol drop in and counselling centre with a needle exchange, I've got a few bits of paper, a few hrs training and Dave will give me some money from the Big society Bank. Fab, anyone care to join me in offering second rate services and making a nice little profit!

I can forsee many a poorly stocked, badly run library with very out of date, tatty books and CDs and ropey old computers working on a local level, with no connections to other libraries or sharing of expertise. These will then close after a year or so. Or, how about an enormous organisation stepping in and funding a chain of libraries as part of their "community work?" - eg McDonalds... could have an interesting health section in those libraries... and a lovely smell of the takeaway food on sale in the entrance foyers.
They might attract people to them that have never entered libraries before, though... if only to smear melted cheese all over the furniture.

The Big Society is a pile of bollocks. I am in the process of being made redundant - from my job as a volunteer superviser fgs. Just who does David Cameron think is going to run theBig Society?

Sorry to hear you're going to be made redundant - the 'big society' does seem to contain a few contradictions doesn't it - not least the fact that half of our laws are made in Brussels anyway - so what power is the government actually handing over to local communities? - they've hardly got any power themselves ...

Will be interesting to see what happens in the next 12 months

Big Society- How is it going to work?

Simple answer, it isnt

The only volunteering I'm prepared to do at the moment is to give my time for free to opposing the cuts being imposed by this cabinet of millionaires and to highlight the billions of pounds worth of tax dodging of Barclays, Boots, Phillip Green etc that the government doesn't seem to have any problem with. Big society is alive and well and biting back.

WOW ..... I have been working for the last week ... none voluntary - all paid. During term time i can volunteer but come the school holidays it is definitely a case of "all hands to the pumps". Wow because ...... you are interested enough to comment, motivated enough to have an opinion and more than 250 of you have voiced an opinion. I agree with some of you on both sides of the argument .... and mostly just good to get an understanding of how people feel, think, care. NEXT week look out for a post from me about libraries....... yes, that is the paid job. But as my 72 year old mother in law (with severe osteoporosis) is talking about volunteering to RUN a library near her which is threatened with closure/run by volunteers only ?? I feel the need to check out with a more wide demographic the general opinion

I like your post, swallowthree!

I think it's great when people volunteer to do things - but the operative word is 'volunteer'. Not as in the army sense - ' I want three volunteers; you, you and you.'

Why anyone on the minimum wage should consider doing additional work for nothing, beats me. But people do. And if David Cameron seriously believes that minimum wage workers ought to put more into society than they already do... well, what that tells me is that he thinks they are a sort of serf class to be exploited at will.

26th March - join the protest against the cuts (although I think the privatisation of our public services is most definitely worth protesting over).
This shower of gobshites need to know that we will not be exploited in this way and that our public services are too valuable to too many people to be sold off for profit to Dave and George's friends. I just can't understand how they can even have the mindset that they do, the evil bastards.
When are the Lib Dems who are propping this up going to step up and say enough is enough. This is total destruction and has to be stopped.

Oh I love some of the expressions people use. 'Shower of gobshites' - very Father Ted. Must start using it. 26th March - yes.

and I love the implied superiority of some people.
Cheap shot.

Unless I've read that wrongly in which case [embarassed]. Shame how it's difficult to translate text, because I couldn't agree more with your other posts.

[embarrassed] obviously - must check spellings. And must fly out the door to my very at risk public sector job. And before my timekeeping is questioned, I work part time to accommodate my autistic child.

Arrgghhh! should be

So libraries will be run by volunteers or close. The reason I'm confused is quite simple. Our new leader talks about "happiness? and wanting the British people to reexamine their own values, volunteer more and create a Big Society.

He wishes us back to the 1950s and 1960s when communities looked after their neighbours. But this is a dream world; the only people with time to volunteer are the people already over 60 and retired. Many of them are still working and have deferred their pensions ? lucky them. The richest people I know are all over 60: they have three overseas holidays a year and they don?t want to do more than an hour a week or month volunteering. They?ll talk about valuing their local library but it comes to it I don?t think many will survive. Libraries would be a brilliant place for young unemployed people to train and gain skills. However, you need qualified and experienced staff to be in the building to train the people. Ironically branch libraries have been the catalyst for all the things DC values. At the library you will see all the posters looking for volunteers for every charity you care to name. You will find the adult education brochures and the book that changes or even saves someones life. How will closing these make people happier?

Yes you misunderstood me LaydeeC. Never mind. Friends again? :)

The guy the government appointed to kick-start big society has to cut back his volunteering hours because he doesn't have time.
www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/feb/01/big-society-lord-wei-volunteering

Cameron used to be a professional spin-doctor. He's trying to cut funding and make it seem like an altruistic move of socialism. When you look after your neighbour's kids so they can go out for a change or feed their cat when they go on hols THAT is big society it's already everywhere. In a recession the first thing people cut back on is charity, not necessities. There are less jobs than people and they want us to work for free. What a joke.

This is how big society works: you pay your taxes, your taxes go into a Tory millionaires pocket, or perhaps to Philip Green's wife. Volunteers (like you when you lose your real job) do the jobs that need doing unpaid.

Yes Limbo, I tend to agree with you.

Dave needs to start again and call it the Big Propriety. And inject a dose of
non-Tory Fairness. He seems to be clobbering people who he suspects never vote Tory. You cannot lose a vote you never had.