SINCE the General Election there has been a lot of media coverage in relation to the Big Society.
While the details of what this will actually look like in practice are still emerging, it is clear that it raises real opportunities for community organisations to be more involved in shaping the future of local services and facilities.
A recent example of such community involvement was seen when individuals from the local village community of Hudswell got together to purchase the local pub, which had been forced to close. The pub now acts as a community hub providing a village shop and other key services.
However, balanced against the opportunities that the concept of the Big Society will introduce is the financial uncertainty faced by many organisations in a climate of public sector cuts.
It is clear that many third sector organisations will need to review how they are funded, how they operate and how they deliver services. The move from a culture of grant provision to contract delivery is already beginning to emerge.
In light of the cuts, more and more organisations are looking at ways to work with like minded organisations in order to develop service provision, reduce costs and expand .
While many third sector organisations have been working collaboratively for years, the concept of merging has become particularly popular as a way of improving efficiencies, and opening more funding and contracting opportunities.
Age Concern and Help the Aged recently merged to become Age UK with many of the regional Age Concern charities adopting the Age UK brand.
Similarly, ChildLine merged with NSPCC in 2010. Esther Rantzen, chair of ChildLine, commented in the press that much money could be saved by sharing “back office” functions, so that donations could be spent on the charities aims rather than on operational costs .
On a more regional level we are seeing the merger of a number of organisations.
While Big Society measures together with government spending cuts continue to reshape organisations and the sector as a whole, it will be interesting to see how the landscape of affected sectors evolves over the upcoming months.
:: Craig Swinhoe, partner, Muckle LLP
