The Big Society packs a punch at lads club!
9:30am Saturday 16th July 2011 in News
GOVERNMENT minister Nick Hurd saw the Big Society alive and kicking in Bolton and declared this is only the beginning.
Mr Hurd, the Civil Society Minister, paid a visit to Bolton Lads and Girls Club to meet youngsters taking part in the National Citizenship Service (NCS), one of 12 pilot projects across the country.
NCS is seen as a central plank of Prime Minister David Cameron’s Big Society.
Mr Hurd said: “This is the Big Society in action but the Prime Minister has always said it is not about us re-inventing something that has always been there.
“Here in Bolton, and at the Lads and Girls Club, there has been a lot of this kind of work going on for some time.
“Speaking to the young people, this is something they are enjoying and it is giving them the chance to get the skills to make a real difference in their communities.”
BBC One’s The One Show was also on hand to film the visit as part of a report they are putting together on the BLGC’s NCS programme.
Karen Edwards, chief executive of the club, said: “We were really delighted the minister said he wanted to come up and see what we are doing. It is good exposure for the club and for the people of Bolton.
“The NCS programme helps us to build on the work we have been doing for some time.
“We have a base of more than 400 volunteers already working with us so this is not a new concept.”
The visit came in the same week as the Government launched its Open Services White Paper which aims to give communities control over local services, effectively allowing charities, the private sector and John Lewisstyle mutuals to take over the running of parks, parking, libraries and pub licences.
Mr Hurd said: “This whole agenda is about giving communities the power to do things for themselves and not rely on Government.”
