Fire Service Prince’s Trust Association South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service Thursday 13 th January 2011

The Big Society January 2011

What is the Big Society? Vision of a society where individuals and communities have more power and responsibility, and use it to create better neighbourhoods and local services.

What is the context for our client group? ➔ Rising long term unemployment ➔ Rises in VAT ➔ Rise in part time employment ➔ Potential rise in Youth Poverty ➔ Cuts to youth services e.g. Connexions ➔ Welfare reform ➔ Ministry of Justice reform ➔ Raising Participation Age to 19/ Apprenticeships

Philosophy of Big Society –Localism –Responsibility –Partnership –Payment by results –Value for money

How Empower Society to Achieve? ➔ Vanguard areas –Liverpool –Eden Valley (Cumbria) –Windsor and Maidenhead –London Borough of Sutton ➔ Barrier Busting Unit ➔ Partnerships – Compact ➔ Participatory budgeting

How Prince’s Trust involved? Youth Empowerment National Citizen Service Big Society Network Your Square Mile

Youth Empowerment ➔ Focus groups ➔ Case studies Toxteth ➔ Community Project at Mary Seacole, Granby Mental Health Centre for adults. The Team refurbished the kitchen and created a new arts room. ➔ Refurbishment of Fire Fighters Memorial at Toxteth Cemetery. ➔ Renovation and refurbishment of communal gardens at Beechwood Gardens, social housing complex part of Liverpool Mutual Homes housing portfolio.

Your Square Mile ➔ A “central nervous system for civic society.” ➔ A brilliant digital platform and book that enables the interchange of ideas, advice, support and benefits to citizens throughout the UK : an i-phone for everyone’s apps. ➔ A real-world presence in as many square miles of the UK as possible in the form of a Community Ideas and Activity Centre: a Big Society Marketplace. ➔ A ring of supporters for local groups & social enterprises. ➔ YSM will be a mutual, a “Union for Citizens.” ➔ Every citizen in the UK aged over 16 can become a member for a very affordable fee e.g. £5 a year. ➔ The aim is to increase the proportion of citizens engaged in social action/civil society by a factor of ten over five years. ➔ Over 15 million members by 2020.

Thoughts & Questions