Big Society and Big Local

David Cameron has now officially launched the ‘Big Society’ initiative with parts of Eden identified as a ‘vanguard’ area.

Generally speaking the Government wants to see more services delivered by local charities and for local people to have more control, with a range of barriers removed to help charities get on with looking after people. This change runs alongside the knowledge that we will see massive cuts in public sector funding.

I’d like to shine a light on some projects that hopefully exemplify how a small amount of money can help a lot of people and save money at the same time.

The first project is the Village Agents project run by Age UK South Lakeland (Age Concern to you and me). The scheme placed 9 coordinators in communities throughout the District with the aim of making sure older people had access to information and services to create village action groups and recruit new volunteers.

Working ten hours a week the agents plus the volunteers that have become involved have already helped nearly 850 people. By speaking with local people new activity clubs have been set up, people put in touch with local arthritis support groups, helped people claim over £60K in additional benefits, got involved in keep fit activities and accessed free loft insulation. One grateful lady sent her Village Agent a note saying ‘It made the long, hard winter more bearable knowing you were there’.

The Northern Fells Group which operates in and around Caldbeck and Hesket Newmarket set up a handy man and good neighbours scheme a few years ago to make sure that anyone who needed help with small tasks could get it. The scheme now has 18 volunteers operating over 200 square miles and serving 3,600 residents. Simple things like changing a light bulb can be hazardous if you’re unsteady on your feet and have to climb up onto a chair.

What schemes like this do is enable people to stay in their own homes, seek support when they need them and stay fitter, longer, reducing the risk of accidents and long stays in hospital. Funded by the Lottery the project is now looking for longer term funding. I hope that local GP’s, who will soon be involved in commissioning the health services we access look at schemes like this and take the wise decision to fund them.

Two areas of the county have been identified by the Big Lottery to receive £1m each in new funding over a 10 year period. Big Local is a new lottery funded scheme which has identified 50 communities including Barrow Island and Ewanrigg. Long term funding into two of the counties most disadvantaged communities is most welcome.