‘Big Society’ means public investment in community networks  

Last week I met around a dozen representatives from community groups (pictured above) from Brighton and Hove. We put the case to the Minister for Civil Society, Nick Hurd, that the government's public sector funding cuts could have a devastating impact on some of the most vulnerable groups in the city. I met the delegation at Westminster and we explained that community organisation is exactly what the Conservatives' ‘Big Society' should be about. We pointed out that the work of community organisations actually saves the state cash because it supports people before their situations become critical. The minister listened to the groups (and accepted an invitation to visit in Brighton in the future to see at first hand the work they do). He accepted that they faced hardship at the moment, but held out a vision of greater funding, from the private sector,...