Our Society – A timeline There are a lot of networks, toolkits and people who want to help build a Big Society. Many have very specific objectives or advocate a particular means w ww.oursociety.org.uk of achieving community benefit. Our Society is different… We formed Our Society in July 2010, not to duplicate existing work, but to network the existing networks and signpost people to a wide range of tools, options, resources and support. We aim to maintain constructive relationships with all who are seeking to promote social action. We work to connect people and organisations, and help communities take real power over their lives. We are an independent, voluntary network, with members from a wide range of backgrounds and organisations across the UK and beyond. Our Society grew out of Big Society in the North. We wanted to acknowledge that, in our society, local social action is already taking place in communities of place, cause, identity and interest across the country. We wanted also to broaden the classification of ‘communities’ to include online or digital communities. We are a network for honest exchange of resources and ideas, grounded in and focused on real communities. We have acted as a critical friend (or friendly critic) to those involved in promoting the Big Society ideas, and provided a sounding board on much of the associated activity. We have also: •
Run five of our own events o ‘Big Society in the North’ in Sheffield on 27 July 2010, attended by 100 people o ‘21st Century Community Organisers’ on 21 September 2010, for 20 people in Sheffield o ‘Big Society: Equalities & Social Justice’ Manchester, 8 December 2010, attended by 40 people (in association with CDX) o ‘Co-design Our Society’ 20 January 2011 in Leeds, attended by 50 people o A Big Society Reality Check, held in London on 31 March for 40 people
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Set-up an on-line Big Society ideas forum which generated 51 ideas for developing our societies
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Established an open and inclusive Ning platform – www.oursociety.org.uk o With 467 members (as at 30/3/10) o 25 discussion groups o 85 forum topics o 48 blog posts o A calendar listing 143 local Big Society related events o A national map of projects and local maps of projects in Dudley
Social action. Honest exchange. Grounded learning.
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Spoken at numerous workshops and conferences @oursocietyuk on Twitter has 491 followers A presence on Facebook and media on YouTube and Flickr Produced a ‘book in eight minutes’ capturing the mood of the ‘Co-design our society’ event
w ww.oursociety.org.uk
For more information contact Our Society which is co-ordinated voluntarily by: Sophie Ballinger 07970 154 810 Emma Lees 0114 241 2760 Julian Dobson 07545 874556 John Popham 07802 781673 Tanwi r Rauf 07889 980554 Paul Webster 07876 743096 David Wilcox
07970 621696
sophie@bigsocietynorth.org.uk emma@bigsocietynorth.org.uk julian@bigsocietynorth.org.uk john.popham@johnpopham.com tanwir@bigsocietynorth.org.uk paulwebster43@gmail.com
@sospot @ladylowe @juliandobson @johnpopham
david@socialreporter.com
@davidwilcox
@watfordgap
Big Society: some milestones Over the last 12 months there have been a number of Big Society related events, announcements, launches and re-launches. Here are a few of the key dates and events: 2010 31 March 31 March April 9 June July 19 July 19 July 12 August 5 October 28 October 3 December 11 December 2011 3 February 16 February 19 February 25 March
Big Society launched by David Cameron as a flagship coalition policy Big Society Network launched by Paul Twivy, Nat Wei and David Cameron Trials begin on models of Participatory Budgeting Communities First fund launched, to ‘lead your charity through a time of change’ Big Society in the North launched Big Society bank announced, which will draw on dormant bank accounts Four vanguard communities are announced to trial Big Society Public Service Mutuals launched in 16 locations After three events Big Society Network calls off planned ‘town hall tour’ series The first 24 of the Local Enterprise Partnerships announced Big Society Network appoints Steve Moore as Director The Localism Bill is introduced in Parliament
Liverpool City Council pulls out of being a Big Society vanguard community National Citizenship Service announced to get 11,000 16yr olds volunteering Locality announced to lead the project to train 5000 Community Organisers Your Square Mile, led by Paul Twivy, launched in 16 local communities (after local workshops during February)
Social action. Honest exchange. Grounded learning.