Research shows that almost two-thirds (62%) of people in the UK said they would be unlikely to volunteer to help community organisations provide local services. The main reasons cited were work commitments and having other things to do in their spare time. Almost a quarter (24%) of the 1,000 people canvassed said they had no interest in how local council services work, as long as they were doing their job. Read More
Will the Public Services white paper be good news for social enterprises?
The Open Public Services white paper is expected to confirm the government’s preference of outsourcing to mutuals and charities rather than to the private sector. While the proposals to have more of our public services delivered by groups of employees and community organisations offer great opportunities, there are significant threats involved argues Tom Levitt read more
‘Big Society’: Social action and the role of public space
The ‘Big Society’ is a vision for greater personal, professional and civic responsibility where social problems are solved by the communities they affect and social action is prioritised over state intervention. Key to creating more sustainable places, is the reform of
relationships between the public and the state. This publication, draws on our wide experience of working with Groundwork since 2003, to examine how public space provides a site of engagement in which social action can be fostered and Big Society nurtured.
