Big Society's Big Mouth Powered by v

The Big Society is surely Camerons way of carrying on what his predecessors started in following a neo -liberal ideology. It is this theory of hollowing out the state. Where before public services were offered by a large public workforce, we now have private companies fulfilling public service tasks (e.g. PPI School building and management, PPI hospitals etc, public waste disposal by private companies). The idea in the Big Society, is to extend this 'hollowing out of the state' to the volunteer sector. It gives a role to NGOs - which I imagine would be able to bid for funding from the government to carry out certain tasks. Government has changed from 'big government' directing structures, to governance - that is, enabling socio –political interactions between government departments, the private sector - and now it is hoped, with NGOs too. Its a good idea, unfortunately Cameron and this government have failed to communicate the idea effectively and in simple terms to a public who do not study politics.  Read less

Hi All

Hope you are well.

Last night was our first official screening of our KIC FM Film/Documentary, created by young people about the successes of KIC from the past 13 years.

As promised, here is a link to the full film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtTGaBme5LY

Following the documentary, we welcomed 2 guest speakers, Paul Brighton, Head Of Media from the University of Wolverhampton, and Matt Ramsbottom, the Regional Managing Director of the Orion Media Group (Beacon, BRMB, Mercia) who acknolowedge the importance of KIC FM and young people.

Of course, we also invited our volunteers, past and present onto the stage to say a few words about KIC and how it has affected their lives. It brings me great pleasure to see volunteers from 10 years ago, attend the screening and valuing the experience KIC has given them. It was a very emotional evening.

After months of solid campaigning to #savekic and V Inspired, hundreds of concerned and passionate young people and education/media professionals attended to watch the KIC FM film.

BBC Midlands Today covered our story all day on Monday 21st March. From 6am, at every Midlands Today bulliten featured KIC FM and in the evening, the BBC broadcast live from the screening itself in Wolverhampton.

I've attached news programme to this post for you all to see.

Never in my life have I witnessed so much passion and anger within young people. I stand next to them on stage and hear them speak up, in front of hundreds of people. The emotions in their voices haunt me as I listen to how genuinely crushed these young people are due cuts to youth services.

I'd like to echo what Matt Baker's phrase to David Cameron - "How do you sleep at night?"

I am so proud of every single volunteer at KIC. You should also be proud of yourselves.

Kenny Mach
KIC FM Station Manager

www.twitter.com/kenny_mach
www.twitter.com/kicfm
#savekic

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I have been thinking lately, having seen the views raised on huge forums where people are complaining about the big society, complaining about the politicians saying they are rubbish. And generally slagging them of for what they do for our country!!! I love juxtaposing this image with the international problems faced in Libya, Egypt where people are fighting their rights which we basically take for granted, the right to speak, the right to vote. These are pure ideas that deserve political recognition, not whether the rubbish collection or uni fees! Come on! So what I would like a collective opinion on is whether you think we should be more confident in our big polititicans who sit on green leather seats, as they are professionals and not problem makers. What they do is for the very best of our future and society. So lets stand behind them and trust them for the decisions they make. !!?  Read less

Hello again,

We have also heard about the Notorious traveller site "Dale Farm" I think when we speak about big society and people sticking together for the common good this stands out, we have seen a community be told they will be evicted, they have residents that are ill and have nowhere but this place, the people who live there send kids to local schools and are settled.

The council (Tory) should be thinking about big society, no ? Half the site is legal and the other half is not (no planning permission) so it can be seen as quite wrong but lets look at the big picture, it is a site that homes people, a community that sticks together to protect their homes and livelihoods, they are doing what they can and what they feel is right to protect this land.

They are a community
They are looking out for each other
They are sufficient - they have built homes on the land
They are making a stand

the above sounds like a good concept for big society so why is this so much of a threat ?
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