Big Society
The Government's Big Society initiative aims to give more power
and responsibility to individuals and communities to help people to
improve their neighbourhoods and local services. It's about
transferring power from the Government to people so they can work
together to improve their own lives and build stronger
communities.
Greg Clark, the Minister for Decentralisation, has stated what
he thinks are three essential parts of the Big Society: "The first
is about what the state can do for us. The second is about what we
can do for ourselves. And the third is about what we can do for
others."
Carlisle Partnership
The Carlisle Partnership is an organisation that brings
together local authorities, the health service, police and other
public agencies, local businesses and the voluntary and community
sectors. The Partnership have been responsible for producing and
delivering a Community Plan which includes what members of the
local community have told us about your hopes and worries, for the
future of the places where you live, work study and enjoy your free
time. Please see the Carlisle partnership
web pages for more information.
Other partnerships we are involved in which work with the
community include:
Our rural communities section
provides access to information, publications and contacts which
might be useful to the rural communities of the Carlisle district
and organisations that work in rural Carlisle.
Funding for community projects
The Big Society initiative is still new and will continue to
develop and progress. Much of our work and projects as a local
authority fit in with the ideas of the Big Society and we will
provide more information in this section on how we are getting
involved as the initiative progresses.
Getting involved
The Big Society is about you and your community. Here are some
ways you can start to get involved:
- Consultations - have your say on the
work of your local councils, police and health service in
Cumbria.
- Volunteering at www.csv.org.uk. CSV are a UK wide
volunteering and training charity. Find opportunities for volunteer
work and help improve your area.
- Petitions - you can submit petitions
to us which can have a direct influence on the political process
and to raise concerns that are important to you.
- The BIG tidy up - a
Keep Britain Tidy campaign. The website provides lots of
information and advice on how to get a BIG tidy up event going in
your community.
Big Society in Eden
Our neighbouring district of Eden has been chosen as one of four
Big Society vanguard areas. As a vanguard area, they are coming up
with proposals to take forward projects which embrace Big Society
Principles. Eden are initially focusing on three areas within Eden
District. They will be working with these communities to help
enable them to deliver their community plans and to assist them to
address issues in their localities.
See Eden District
Council's Big Society pages for more information and latest
news.