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A presentation on the challenges brought about first by the recession and then by the public spending cuts, with questions for how voluntary and community organisations can help to build the big society
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Surviving or thriving in the Big Society?The Voluntary and Community Sector in 2010 and ahead
Karl Wilding, Head of Research National Council for Voluntary Organisations
Contact: [email protected] or www.twitter.com/karlwilding Evidence|Resources|Policy|Opinion|Signposting: www.ncvo-vol.org.uk
I would like to start a discussion on…
• Where are we now and how we survived the recession
• A new challenge? Building the Big Society
• How CSOs might contribute to a renewal of our society and build a better, ‘good society’
1. Where are we now and how we survived the recession
The estimates in this slide pack refer to the voluntary sector only – based on the general charities definition
How to grow by £10bn: donors + delivery£
billi
ons
Reserves
Free reserves
1.4
4.1
4.5
4.6
4.8
5.0
6.3
6.5
6.7
6.8
8.0
8.0
9.2
9.5
18.2
19.9
44.3
74.7
0.0 20.0 40.0 60.0 80.0
Playgroups and nurseries
Umbrella bodies
Employment and training
International
Law and advocacy
Parent Teacher Associations
Culture and recreation
Village Halls
Development
Scout groups and youth clubs
Social Services
Health
Education
Environment
Religion
Housing
Grant-making foundations
Research
Months
2. A new challenge? Building the Big Society
What is The Big Society?In short, it’s a vision (not yet an ideology?) with 5 themes:
1. Give communities more powers2. Encourage people to take an active role in their communities3. Transfer power from central to local government4. Support co-ops, mutuals, charities and social enterprises5. Publish government data
Many of these themes have little or no underlying detail.
Charitable giving dipped by 11% in 2008/09…
£29
£33£31
£10 £11 £10
£0
£5
£10
£15
£20
£25
£30
£35
2006/7 2007/8 2008/9
£/m
onth
Mean Median
Total £10.3bn
Total £11.2bn Total
£9.9bn
Philanthropy dipped in 2007/08:
£ million+ donations fell in
value from £1.6bn to £1.4bn (13%)
Source: CAF/NCVO
Volunteering has remained relatively static
Cuts…
Statutory funding of the VCS, 2001/01- 2007/08 (£billions). Source: NCVO
Spending back to here?
• Cuts in expenditure effectively take us back to 2004/05 (LD/Lab) or 2003/04 (Tories), i.e. back to pre-Change Up levels• Cuts imply loss in income to the sector of £3.1-£3.2 billions, but this assumes a) no tax increases, b) VCS funded only by unprotected depts, c) political indifference to the sector
3. How VCOs might contribute to a renewal of our society
The Big Society and Civil Society
• The Big Society is not the same as civil society…
• …or a big voluntary sector.• The goal must not be simply
a bigger society – but a better, fairer society
We support it.
NCVO believes The Big Society is a good idea.
But we have some questions…
Some questions for debate
1. Does more localism just mean more power for town halls? Or communities of place?
2. Does Big Government really 'crowd out' Big Society?3. How do we address the issue of scaling-up voluntary
action? Big charities?4. Can we cut public spending and maintain capacity to
grow the Big Society?5. Can the Big Society engage all parts of the community,
not just those who shout loudest?6. Are we prepared to stay with this for the long-term?7. What do we – civil society - want the Big Society to be?
