Big Society

Submitted by savsadmin on Thu, 29/09/2011 - 14:51.

This paper aims to decipher what the Big Society means to the voluntary and community sector (VCS) in Southend. We review the political context and

highlight the commitments the Government is making to improve the prospects of the VCS.

We look at how the VCS can help Southend Borough Council and other public

sector bodies deliver the Big Society agenda and how we can help them

deliver more (or the same) for less funds as they deal with the impact of their

cuts.

What can the VCS offer? What opportunities are there for us? What do we

need to do to take advantage and ensure our survival and growth in the years

ahead? What does the public sector need to do to support the VCS and

make the best advantage of what we have to offer?

Volunteering is at the heart of the Big Society but has been under-funded for

many years. What can volunteering bring to Southend and how can we

sustain voluntary activity?

The VCS in Southend has really felt the impact of the recession and our

survey carried out in September 2010 gives us a flavour of what is happening

at the very local, grassroots level.

Finally, we highlight key facts with ten recommendations for both the

Voluntary and Community Sectors and the Public Sectors.

Attachment	Size
The Big Society and the VCS in Southend.pdf	132.44 KB