Big Society ‘at risk’ as charities feel the pinch

8 Sep 10
Charity leaders have questioned whether the government’s Big Society plan can work in practice, as spending cuts start to hit the organisations needed to make it happen.
By David Williams

9 September 2010

Charity leaders have questioned whether the government’s Big Society plan can work in practice, as spending cuts start to hit the organisations needed to make it happen.

Stephen Bubb, chief executive of the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations, told Public Finance he was ‘very concerned’ that departments were taking a ‘salami-slicing’ approach to spending cuts, which would harm the sector.

Bubb also slammed ‘Big Society romantics’ who believed spending cuts would result in a rise in volunteering.

He said departments were taking ‘a traditional approach, looking at what they can cut out’. He doubted that charities would be used to design more effective, efficient services, in spite of Big Society rhetoric to the contrary.

Rising third sector involvement in public services is central to the government’s Big Society plans, which were first outlined by the Conservative party in the run-up to this year’s general election.

Bubb’s comments came after a September 6 blog post in which he wrote: ‘It is probably too early to send flowers to the funeral of [the Big Society]. But the patient is ailing.

‘There are few signs that those involved in making cuts understand the importance of protecting our sector and its vital work in supporting communities.’

Ann Blackmore, head of campaigns and communications at the National Council of Voluntary Organisations, added: ‘If you are genuine about wanting to transform public services to achieve this Big Society, you need to make sure you don’t knock out the organisations that will help you deliver that.’

She feared charities could be seen as a ‘soft target’ by councils who might find it easier to cut a contract than an in-house programme.

An NCVO submission to the Comprehensive Spending Review last week emphasised that charities were the foundation of the Big Society, but noted that some had already stopped trading as public money dried up.

In a letter to Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander, the NCVO suggested that departments should ‘be mindful of the need to strengthen civil society and therefore to look at the impact of spending decisions on the sector as a whole’.

A Young Foundation report on September 7 also questioned the impact of government cuts. Investing in social growth: can the Big Society be more than a slogan? said: ‘These are moments when the easy thing for governments to do is cut what comes from the grassroots and concentrate resources on incumbents and powerful vested interests.’




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