Women and the Big Society 2011: Blast from the Past or New Vision
June 28th 2011, Somerset House, The Strand, London

 

 

 

 

 

 

Louise Burfitt-Dons speech:

One of its aims of the RSA Women Speaker Network is to initiate more debate around issues of general interest to women. Today we ‘re discussing women’s role in the much spoken about Big Society.

As I’m responsible for it, let me explain the title. `Blast from the past or new vision?’
The Big Society is not without its critics, women included. There are those who believe women have been at the heart of community giving and volunteering since we lived in caves . And they’re still there , caring for others for no pay, certainly no status – if anything, reduced status. These people, quite rightly, find it a trifle patronising and condescending to be told `you have to volunteer more’…..

New vision? Is this—The Big Society—a great idea arriving at a timely moment in our social development for a number of reasons, may of which we will no doubt hear of this evening.

Society has changed dramatically over the last fifty years—as all societies do over a period of fifty years. Since I was a girl growing up in the UK, the number of charities and good causes has actually grown. People apparently give far more than they did back then. And the number of people giving time in lieu of money has maybe not increased, but has in proportional terms - stayed unchanged.

But what has changed since I was a girl is the attitude of people toward one another.
Personally - as someone who has done ample research in this area – as the founder of the UK Kindness Movement and co-founder of Kindness Day UK - I don’t think people are less kind than they ever were back then, but I do think there are more social hazards than when I was growing up. Increasing world population, the crush of people, growth of megacities, our quickening pace of life.

We’re a more privileged society but more contentious. When I was a child you weren’t anxious about getting a parking ticket on your shopping trip to town on Saturday because there were no parking meters in small country towns. You certainly wouldn’t expect to return from your three week honeymoon to find your car not just towed away and impounded but already crushed, as happens today. And I can vouch for that, being involved in a situation quite like this myself at the moment..

Back then, you could go to help someone in the street without fear of being sued or stabbed. And if you did decide to volunteer your services , say to a local school, it is quite likely that the reply would be `Thank you’ rather than `have you got a CRB?’ Someone said to me the other day, `your better off not knowing the people next door, let alone go round to help them’ referring to the unpopular and costly party wall agreements that pit one neighbour against another.

When society has problems, women and their children are the ones who suffer most. And hence anything that can be done— never mind the money aspect—to reduce any unnecessary anxiety and allow people to be naturally kind to one another because they wish to be—which is what the Big Society Network is promoting has to be well worth examining.