The Big Society

We have all heard of David Camerons Big Society. Most people think it's a load of rubbish. We I was at a conference in the City a few days ago attended by around 100 people.
The conference was all around Localism and Devolution with a big section on Community Asset Transfer. The main Speakers were Senior Council Officers who trust me could speak for hours with skill, dexterity and great enthusiasm and tell you absolutely NOTHING.
Our Government are trying to shove (sorry devolve )all sorts of services out to the community. That is out to volunteer groups. Most of these Volunteer groups have been helped out with a certain amount of funding from the council. The Government and of course our wonderful council are encouraging as many local volunteer groups as possible to take on more and more work. Of course when these incredibly adept and convincing council officers are asked how much money is coming. The very sharp answer is forget it.
Volunteer groups are being asked to run Librarys, Swimming Pools even work in local Police Stations Also using Community Asset Tranfer they want the Volunteers Groups to buy The Buildings.
So when these groups Buy a Swimming Pool and because of lack of funding the place has to close, The trustees take all the Flack and the place is closed.
After the place has closed there is no point local people moaning about it because the answer will be: If the local community cant run it, it must be because nobody wants it.
In short everyone knows that all sorts of funding has been stopped due to government actions. At the same time This Parasitic government is asking very enthusiatic local Volunteers to do more for less. End of story.
in my opinion its scary. Very Scary.
What is the point of these So Called Austerity measures when we are giving all of our wealth to European countries that cant run themselves.
I hope I have explained myself, I am raving about this one. SB
As I said most people think Camerons Big Society is a load of Rubbish, in my opinIon it Bloody Well Is.

Undoubtably you are right. But then this applies to virtually all fancy phrases invented by politicians. According to Harold Wilson, Britain was going to be forged with the "white hot heat of technology". Cameron said (while his son was alive anyway) "The NHS is safe in our hands". Hitler placed "Arbeit Macht Frei" (work will make you free) over his concentration camps. "Ein Volk,ein Reich, ein Fuhrer" (Hitler again). These are all phrases that are supposed to sound good and inspire people. Actually they are almost all meaningless crap to spouted to convince their followersto follow the mindless ramblings of whichever self-opinionated moron is speaking.
I did say almost all. There is one that i think is genuine . Unfortunately non-one uses that nowadays, as it would mean these self-satisfying parasites would have to do something. It was used by the suffragettes - "Deeds not Words"
Mike

Mike The Localism Act became Law in Noveember you may like to Google its 240 pages. The largest piece of legislation in years. Itrs bloody scary.

I have only one question to ask, how many Tory MP's are signing up for voluntary work, and quite what does David Cameron do toward this "Big Society" or is he too busy thinking up lame ideas?

Phil

They are only bringing out these new things to cover
up the mess they are making of our once proud country

He does go horseriding Phil. Presumably that is voluntary, though only Conservatives could call it voluntary work. He gives money to penniless police commisioners like John Yates. I'm sure there are a number of american health provider companies only too glad to confirm how much voluntary giving (of our money) he has been doing

If everyone was like me then the issue wouldn't arise.
I would never volunteer for anything.
Lack of interest is mainly the reason, coupled with the certain knowledge that any enthusiasm I may have for a project will dwindle over time.
The only community service I perform is clearing the litter from our bit of the street, this is because it is depressing to look at and the council guys never come down our bit.

Remember the old army saying, "NEVER VOLUNTEER FOR ANYTHING", end of story.

The volunteering isn't the issue, the Localism Act is now law as from Novemember, its the biggest piece of lesistlation to hit us ever, it will affect everyone more than you know and most people are ignorant of it. No John it isn't the end of the story by a long way.

It would be the end of the story if there were no volunteers to take advantage of.

Volty

The problem is that the fools who are easily conned are queueing up already.

Phil

Posted by Voltman

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It would be the end of the story if there were no volunteers to take advantage of.

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There will always be volunteers, there always has been. most of them dont even know about the the localism Act. Also if you are not a volunteer and think it won't affect you think again.

It won't affect me, because I won't let it. I'm just ignoring it, if that means I go without some services I will make other arrangements. I haven't read anything about it because I refuse to, but I can promise you one thing it will make no difference to my life at all. I have never done anything that I did not want to do and I'm not about to start now at my age.

Phil

Have you had a look at THE LOCALISM ACT. Just google it, it became law in November last year.240 pages of it as I have said before.
Volty mentions that people shouldn't volunteer. Schools can't operate without a body of Governors four instance, there are six and a half thousand School Governors in Birmingham the biggest volunteer force we have.

I don't want to read it, the time I have left in my life is too precious to start reading rubbish. Yes there always have been volunteers in this country and I have done my share in the past. As far as I understand it this moron Cameron wants us to start volunteering to do things that have always been under the pervue of local government and which they charge for when collecting the general rate. Are we to assume that if this big society is a roaring success that we will no longer have to pay rates.

It just worries me what is going to happen to all the local government workers who are displaced will they then be enrolled to volunteer to do the jobs they were previously paid for. Perhaps David Cameron and his ilk will volunteer to do their jobs gratis, but if this is the sort of rubbish they come up with then that will be too much

Phil