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Saturday, July 24, 2010

Caveats in Christian welcome for the Big Society

by Ed Thornton


Vision of a Big Society: David Cameron at a pre-election event in May

Christian groups responded en­thu­siastically to the Prime Minister’s speech on the Government’s Big Society programme this week, which laid out a larger place for voluntary groups in serving local communities.

Speaking in Liverpool on Monday, David Cameron said that the Govern­ment planned “the biggest, most dramatic redistribution of power from élites in Whitehall to the man and woman on the street”. It would “foster and support a new culture of voluntarism and philan­thropy”.

The Evangelical Alliance said the Big Society was “an immense oppor­tunity for community service which Christians should not pass up”. The organisation’s dir­ector, Steve Clifford, said: “We are delighted that the Prime Minister has recognised the in­credible work community groups are already doing, and want to en­thusiastically encourage churches to accept his invitation to get stuck in.”

The Interim director of Livability, a Christian charity that works with disabled people, Adam Bonner, said: “This new emphasis on community work could prove a great way to highlight and develop the existing long term work that many churches and Christian projects are already doing and present further oppor­tunities for involvement.” It re­mained to be seen, however, “whether there will be enough funding and support offered to implement this Big Society initiative”.

Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, the former Bishop of Rochester, speaking on behalf of Christian Concern for Our Nation, offered a more cautious welcome to Mr Cameron’s speech. While he welcomed “a freer society where people are enabled to work for their local communities”, it was important, he said that the “beliefs and conscience” of Chris­tian volun­teers were respected.

The Archbishop of Canterbury hosted a discussion on the Big So­ciety last week, with the Chief Rabbi, Lord Sacks, the RC Arch­bishop of Westminster, the Most Revd Vincent Nichols, and leaders of other faiths. They were joined by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Govern­ment, Eric Pickles, and the Minister for Decentral­isation, Greg Clark.

Mr Pickles said that central gov­ern­ment had not sufficiently recog­nised the “huge difference” faith communities had been making “day-in and day-out, to every single neigh­bourhood in the country”.

“Some see religion as a problem that needs to be solved. The new Gov­ernment sees it as part of the solution,” he said. “I want to send an important signal that we value the role of religion and faith in public life. The days of the state trying to suppress Christianity and other faiths are over.”

Faith Action Audit 2010, a report published this week by the diocese of Bath & Wells, found that in Bath and north-east Somerset, 5300 volun­teers were contributing 5600 hours of community work, which was estim­ated to be worth £3.6 million a year. The report cited evidence that people’s faith was “a strong motivator for their volunteering activities”.

Last month, bishops in the House of Lords warned the Government that voluntary work “does not come on the cheap” (News, 25 June). The Bishop of Leicester, the Rt Revd Tim Stevens, said that, as the state contracted, “civil society does not automatically expand to take up the slack.” The Bishop of London, the Rt Revd Richard Chartres, suggested making places of worship “more serviceable as community hubs to assist with the Big Society pro­gramme.

The Archbishop of Canterbury will respond to the Prime Minister’s latest ideas about the Big Society at a speech at the Oasis Centre in London this evening.


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1 comment:

  1. Less than a mile from where The Archbishop of Canterbury gave 'Two and a half cheers' for the Big Society is our local community.

    It is a living example of the Big Society that for 40 years has maintained All Hallows Copperfield Street Community Garden in SE1. Unfortunately it is the Church that is trying to destroy it. See www.saveallhallows.com for further information.

    For the third time Colin Slee, the Dean of Southwark Cathedral, will be submitting plans to redevelop All Hallows Church and Community Garden with private flats that will box in our estate and reduce our light and privacy.

    The proposal could also ruin and end access to our award-winning walled community garden that was created from a WW2 bombsite by local residents and maintained by us for nearly 40 years.

    Once again the Cathedral has ignored the voices of local people by refusing to consult before submitting their new plan even though we submitted an alternative proposal to help them find a solution.

    Dr Rowan’s support for local communities is undermined by Colin Slee ,who has demonstrated once again that he has no vision of society – let alone a big one!

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