Shropshire Big Society Event

 ’A journey of transfirmation’

Nearly eighty people attended the Shropshire Big Society Debate organised on behalf of the Shropshire Infrastructure Partnership by the Rural Services and the Preventative Care Team based at the Community Council of Shropshire (CCS) as part of its Capacitybuilders fundedVolunteer Management programme.

The event, held at the Shropshire Events and Conference Centre was kicked off by Steve Jones, Strategic Lead for Volunteering in Shropshire. Steve who is based at CCS set the scene, marking the day as the start of a debate involving all sectors.

Read Steve’s full opening address here.

Next, Stephen Kearney from Re:generate, the organisation which has won the contract to train the first batch of Community Organisers spoke of wanting to build on the work of others, that the Big Society should be used ‘to empower communities, not an excuse for cutting services’ and that ‘it can only be taken forward with the respect for our communities’.

Download Stephen’s presentation slides here.

Stephen kicked off the debate by asking delegates to consider:

  • What do you like about the big Society?
  • What are your concerns?
  • What is your vision for the future?
  • What is your project?

Stephen asked people to consider these questions with their neighbours in the room.

Next up was Val Lewis from RAWM. It was actually Val’s last day in her current role as RAWM is downsizing to just 3 part-time staff. Val spoke about:‘the trust behind the concept, the need for changing behaviour, taking back control and improving lives’. ‘You hear it often said that we have been doing Big Society for a long time’ said Val, ‘but we can still do more. Even in Shropshire there are vulnerably communities and areas of deprevation’.

This lead to a question from the floor: ‘How are we going to ensure that the socially excluded, the economically less well off, the ones with less time, are going to engage, be reached and included?’

Val warned that it would not be easy, that focus needs to shift from outputs to outcomes, now more than ever, that we need to look at partnership delivery more than ever.

Next Michael Hyatt, assistant chief executive of Shropshire Council was due to speak but Michael was unfortunately needed on another engagement.

The next short presentation was from Cllr Gwilym Butler. As a cabinet member for Shropshire Council representing Cleobury Mortimer, Cllr Butler commented that Shropshire is well placed as it already has a thriving voluntary sector. Cllr Butler specifically welcomed ‘the community power to plan’, ‘Why should Whitehall dictate how many houses to build in Cleobury Mortimer?’

Download Cllr Butlers presentation here.

Finally Chris Edwards, Shropshire Council’s Area Director for South Shropshire, and who will be taking up his post on the 1st April, outlined what this new role entailed, namely translating the Localism Bill and the Big Society agenda down to local level.

After a short coffee break, the delegates split off to 5 break-out sessions to debate specific issues and share information in small groups. Each delegate could take part in two sessions.

These facilitated and scribed sessions covered:

  • National Citizenship Service (NCS); these sessions were mainly fact finding sessions. It was established that NCS is only for young people who are 16 years of age,  that this year there is a place for 11K youngsters and next year for 36K. This year it will not be in Shropshire but organisations are urged to partner up and apply to make it happen in Shropshire next year. There is an opportunity here!

Download the notes from the NCS workshop here.

  • Neighbourhood Support Groups; main focus of these sessions was on the need to connect with the private sector, the need for better (or more effective) communication and a culture change to encourage people to get involved.

Download the notes from the Neighbourhood Support workshop here.

  • Community Organisers ; this group led by Stephen Kearney explored what a Community Organiser might look like. Their discussions focused mainly on information seeking, it was established that one size doesn’t fit all. The difference between a Community Leader and a Community Organiser was debated, a point picked up from Gwilym’s earlier session who warned of changing times for elected members to take on a proper Community Leader role.

Download the notes from the Community Organisers workshop here.

  • Senior Citizens Forum; these groups discussed how to encourage volunteering at a younger age and schemes to promote volunteering in schools such as intergenerational lunches. They also discussed community car schemes and employee volunteering.

Download the notes from the Senior Citizens workshop here.

  • Finally the sessions focusing on Disability concluded that there is a need for a framework and strategy for more engagement. There are over 70 disability groups in Shropshire but the politcalisation of the term Big Society can be a real barrier.

Download the notes from the Disability workshop here.

Steve Jones then wrapped up the day with a round up of the main points from each breakout session

 

 

 

 

 

 

Download the attendee list here.

So that’s my account of the day. In true Big Society fashion, rather than doing it all for you, why not send us a little write up on the day, an account of the discussions in your break out room, something you took away from the day….

Email info@shropshirevcs.org.uk and we will add your comments to this article. (please state your name and what organisation/group you represent)

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