The big society

[newwave]

Has anyone heard Dave mention the big society or we are all in this together lately? Then again he may have just influenced society to come together albeit they appear to be protesting against his policies and his rich "mates" greed.

One worry I have is that next summer the more "radical protesters" will be burning and looting shops in a High Street near you after all what need do you have to hold back if you are young with no future you have very little to lose. If I could I would suggest to them that if they must indulge in looting shops and burning homes then maybe Knightsbridge, Belgravia and Mayfair should be their destination of choice. Unlike Tottenham I doubt that the Police would sit back and let the rich burn. Better still give them a future, hope and jobs, then again we have a Tory government so that is unlikely as creating unemployment and hardship for those at the bottom is hardwired into their DNA.

I think the last announcement was the proposal for a Big Society Bank in September. FWIW I don't think we'll see a repeat of the looting this summer - Knightsbridge or anywhere else - mostly because of the stiff punishments handed down. I think there was a naive assumption on the part of the looters that robbing shops was a 'victimless crime' and that they either wouldn't be caught or let off with a caution. The reality was rather different and that'll be a deterrent for the future.

I haven't heard any recent mention of it but have seen evidence of 'volunteers' stepping in to take over from public sector workers and charities when jobs have been cut e.g. libraries.

Can't see any repeat of the rioting either but I think (and I hope) the wave of public anger about corporate greed and keeping the rich richer is increasing. Not sure how this will manifest itself though?

I haven't heard any recent mention of it but have seen evidence of 'volunteers' stepping in to take over from public sector workers and charities when jobs have been cut e.g. libraries.

Just a thought but I believe the "volunteers" you describe are otherwise know as "scabs" and are to be castigated for collaborating with the Tories destruction of public services.

As someone who volunteers in the community, I object to the word 'scab'. What do you do for your community newwave?

Yes, what do you do newwave? I'm a scab, too cogito.

You do know there were cuts planned and being put in place before The Evil Tories snatched took power, don't you?

Glad I'm not the only volunteer!!! I take the view that, rather than endlessly whining on internet message boards about 'Tory scum' or 'trust fund filth' or waiting for some new political movement to sweep in and magically make my life better and my neighbours' life better, I'd rather get off my arse and do something about my life and my community myself. A nation is made up of thousands of small communities. One person's influence on what happens to the nation may only extend to putting an X in the box on polling day, but we can all influence what happens in our own back yard... if we can be bothered. If everyone took newwave's cynical volunteer-bashing approach, we'd all sit at home doing nothing. What a crappy society that would be.

If that makes me a scab.... so be it.

Im a right scab too, rather than whining about stuff I prefer to get the Fuck on with finding a solution.

Next time you give a homeless person a sandwich will you consider yourself a scab?

Brilliant post cogito!!
newwave might want to remind herself that it is the filthy rich scum who fund the NHS, the education system and the welfare state.
God help the UK if they all do just fuck the fuck off!

Survingsummer - can you post a link about libraries using volunteers to replace paid staff?

I'm interested because our local libraries use volunteers, but they provide additional services such as hand delivering books to people's homes and organising coffee mornings.

Disputandum - my experience of this is our local library which along with others in the county is being staffed by volunteers alongside 1 member of paid staff.

I'm not sure how I feel about it really. I am absolutely against the cuts which seem only to be affecting the vulnerable e.g. the disabled, elderly and children, and the services which are good for this country e.g. libraries, careers services etc.

But until all this shit is sorted out (if ever???) I think I would rather have a library to visit than none at all

newwave, that's one of the choicest examples of twisted and destructive political thinking I've yet seen. Scabs volunteers/people who give a fuck about their community rather than just posturing can help keep the services going then fight for funding to be brought back in. But if no-one does volunteer once it's gone, it's gone.

Disputandum, I have a magazine article tucked away somewhere about this; and yes, I think that the local council having shut a library got back on board eventually once the local community proved it was still viable. I'll try & dig out & post where this happened...

Thanks bob. I've googled of course but can't find anything, so that'd be great.

Don't suppose you could tell us which county surviving summer?

'Just a thought but I believe the "volunteers" you describe are otherwise know as "scabs" and are to be castigated for collaborating with the Tories destruction of public services.'

Bugger that: I detest the Bog Society policies but have always volunteered and won't stop for teh sake of looking like a Tory.

It's just that I do it through choice, and rather resent that being extended to it being expected of me. A lot I do is invisible but it still happens and it's for me to know about not some community niceness regulator.

Mind, if the choice is between feeding an elderly neighbour when the SSD bods can;t staff the home visits or letting them starve I'm happy to get cooking: have yet to see any evidence of volunteers with my disabled kids though, just an upsurge in the number of people banging on my door asking for money for charities helping with disabled kids that I have never heard of

Indeed am exceedingly intrigued by the local version of a community bank that claims to be helping community members with their needs yet have made absolutely no appearance in our life whatsoever. They have however managed to purchase a fleet of swish vans, nice! The services they offer are what we need exactly- gardening, bit of help with DIY... suspect that we are not posh enbough to be counted as local community 9if you knew the village you would understand)

OTOH I do know about a recently married mortgaged up friend paying off £££££ in student finance who lost her library job then had a letter asking her to volunteer for the library- THAT took the piss!

'sorry your house is up for sale becuase youc an't cover the bills any more but hey come work for us FOR FREE (but you won't be able to get to sign on time as you will be working for FREE in a village miles away from job centre)

Like hell!

Peachy

Think about it, Helping at the local scout group or junior football team is one thing, you are not replacing someone who was made redundant because of the Tories if however you do the job a paid person was doing before being laid off at the local library then that is scabbing.

A lot of the work I do is stuff that should be covered by statutory bods- becuase of my post grad training in ASD I can pick some bits up

So I do

Because not having that happen is worse than the alternative picture

I don;t like what is happening but I am buggered if I will let vulnerable families ( I specialise in the peri-diagnostic period) go without because of some bad decisions at funding level

I won't street clean or anything like that because people can bloody well pick up after themselves if they don't like the alternatives but I am not throwing the people I help to the fire because of a political stance.

Oh and I think about things rather a lot ta all the same.

But newwave, you could argue that the scouting movement should be paid for by the State, with paid scout leaders, since it provides such a wonderful service for so many children, and someone should have been paid to rebuild your son's scout hut. Since that isn't the case, you don't appear to mind doing work for nothing. I don't think it's really fair to label people scabs when they are doing work that nobody is paying for and still wouldn't pay for even if the work wasn't done for free???

Oh and I think about things rather a lot ta all the same.

Well good for you, many on here respond with only knee jerk reactions.

Our local library is safe (for the moment) bit I know a great many people who use it and love it. If it faced cuts to the extent it was at risk then YES I would step up and offer my (untrained) services to keep it going for those who want and need it. Nor would I feel like a "scab" for doing so. I'm not a trained Librarian, would need loads of supervision but if it kept the place open as opposed to being shut down then it would be worth it.

Oh and I would tell anyone who'd listen that the library was only still running because volunteers stepped in when the crappy Tories made loads of its paid staff redundant. No way would I sit back and see a valuable resource lost.

So it's Ok to rebuild a scouthut and deprive a builder of paid employment. Or drive football team and deprive a driver of paid employment. But not work for free in a library.

Glad you volunteer. But stop calling me and others f*ing scabs.

Rabbit, no I don?t think the state should pay for the Scouts/Guides or my Sons football team for that matter, there is only so much the state can do however that is far different from "taking over" someone?s paid job.

BTW the state should not be supporting opera or ballet either after all many can no longer afford to attend football matches either but the state wont subsidise them unlike the (mostly, note the mostly before someone gets their knickers in a twist) rich persons entertainment.

So it's Ok to rebuild a scouthut and deprive a builder of paid employment. Or drive football team and deprive a driver of paid employment. But not work for free in a library.

Totally different and you know it, no one was sacked/made redundant unlike taking over a Library job.