Proposed by Councillor Peter Kearney

Seconded by Councillor Jeff Green

(1)  Council believes that Wirral’s voluntary, community and faith-based organisations are invaluable partners in the delivery of services, support for the most vulnerable and engaging with communities.

(2)  Council believes that the innovation and enthusiasm of civil society is essential in tackling the social, economic and political challenges that Wirral faces.

(3)  Council will take action to support and encourage social responsibility, volunteering and philanthropy, and make it easier for people to come together to improve their communities and help one another.

(4)  Council welcomes ‘Big Society’ projects such as the Oxton Gateway project by Wirral Christian Centre and the new community centre being constructed at Christ Church, Kings Road in Bebington.

(5)  Council notes the creation of a Big Society Unit within the Authority to build relations with Wirral’s many community, voluntary and faith organisations and, specifically:

(a)  Bring together and coordinate the available support for voluntary, community and faith groups to make their access to this support easy and quick

(b)  To improve the promotion of such support to ensure that current and new groups are informed about the available support

(c)  Review and create innovative new ways to engage volunteers, community groups and faith based organisations in the service delivery of this Council.

Amendment submitted in accordance with Standing Order 7(2).

Proposed by Councillor Jean Stapleton

Seconded by Councillor Denise Roberts 

Delete all after paragraph 1 and insert:

(2)  Council believes that the development of the much trumpeted “Big Society” is being seriously undermined by the dramatic cuts in local authority funding across the country and the impact this is having on Voluntary Groups who are dependent on local authority funding for a high proportion of their activities.

(3)  Council notes the comments of Dame Elizabeth Hoodless, the outgoing head of Community Service Volunteers, who said that “massive cuts” were leading to a slump in volunteering opportunities.

(4)  Council notes that the Government’s Big Society Tsar, Lord Wei, has promoted the idea of Council staff working fewer hours and volunteering instead, at a time when huge additional pressures are being placed on Council staff as a result of massive cuts in staffing.

(5)  Council further notes that Lord Wei has just announced that he is to work fewer hours as the Big Society Tsar because, without a private income, he cannot afford to give high levels of time to unpaid work, ironically summing up one of the main contradictions in the idea of the Big Society, which appears, without proper funding, to depend on the good will of unpaid volunteers.

(6)  Council recognises that Liverpool has now withdrawn from its position as one of the four authorities running a Big Society pilot, because the impact of local government cuts on the voluntary sector is making it impossible to deliver.

(7)  Council also notes that the leadership on Wirral is resorting to re-badging ongoing projects, like the community centre at Christchurch, Bebington, in order to bolster the concept of the Big Society.

(8)  Council believes that the extension until June of Voluntary Sector contracts on Wirral, pending a review of the commissioning of services from the Voluntary Sector, with no further guarantees, is a cynical manoeuvre to postpone the impact of cuts until after the May elections.

(9)  Council therefore believes that setting up a Big Society Unit to increase access and support for voluntary, community and faith groups, at a time when the funds available are dramatically diminishing, is a cynical exercise, promoting the Big Society to disguise the impact on services of cuts in local government funding, at the very point when the voluntary sector is most exposed and at risk.

The amendment was put and lost (22:41).

Amendment submitted in accordance with Standing Order 7(2).

Proposed by Councillor Simon Holbrook

Seconded by Councillor Stuart Kelly

Add to the end of paragraph (5):

(d)  Work being overseen by the Interim Director of Corporate Services to support the development, capacity and business planning skills of social and community enterprises.

The amendment was put and carried (41:22).

The motion as amended was put and carried (41:22).

Resolved (41:22) –

(1)  Council believes that Wirral’s voluntary, community and faith-based organisations are invaluable partners in the delivery of services, support for the most vulnerable and engaging with communities.

(2)  Council believes that the innovation and enthusiasm of civil society is essential in tackling the social, economic and political challenges that Wirral faces.

(3)  Council will take action to support and encourage social responsibility, volunteering and philanthropy, and make it easier for people to come together to improve their communities and help one another.

(4)  Council welcomes ‘Big Society’ projects such as the Oxton Gateway project by Wirral Christian Centre and the new community centre being constructed at Christ Church, Kings Road in Bebington.

(5)  Council notes the creation of a Big Society Unit within the Authority to build relations with Wirral’s many community, voluntary and faith organisations and, specifically:

(a)  Bring together and coordinate the available support for voluntary, community and faith groups to make their access to this support easy and quick

(b)  To improve the promotion of such support to ensure that current and new groups are informed about the available support

(c)  Review and create innovative new ways to engage volunteers, community groups and faith based organisations in the service delivery of this Council.

(d)  Work being overseen by the Interim Director of Corporate Services to support the development, capacity and business planning skills of social and community enterprises.