Guess who’s ended up embodying the Big Society

At the beginning of his first term as Prime Minister, faced with limited resources and growing needs across the nation, David Cameron proposed the idea of the “Big Society” – communities coming together to help and support those people most in need within them.

At the beginning of his second term, Cinnamon Network published research showing that some people at least had risen to this challenge: faith groups.

The Cinnamon Faith Action Audits, published last week at an event in central London, revealed that across the UK faith-based social action projects involve a staggering 1.9m volunteers, serving 47.8m beneficiaries. The economic replacement value of this work totals over £3bn – and that is before you add in the value of the buildings that are often used free of charge, the donations and gifts in kind, and the saving to the public purse.

Catholics are heavily involved ecumenically. According to our audit, Catholic-run projects account for around 4.5 per cent of the projects recorded, and around a quarter of projects are multi-denominational initiatives in which Catholics serve their communities as volunteers or paid staff members.

The picture is clear – Catholics and other faith groups are the ones putting David Cameron's “Big Society” idea into practice. And our work is far from finished!

Despite the fact that our economy is slowly recovering, a report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies in January 2015 showed that to meet plans announced in the 2014 Autumn Statement, departmental spending cuts of £51.4bn are needed in the new parliament. For those people who struggle in our communities, the worst is yet to come.

The Cinnamon Faith Action Audits provide the statistical evidence needed to give churches confidence in approaching local authorities, police and other agencies and building partnerships with them to help bridge the funding gap. We are seeing an unprecedented opportunity for the Church to be all that God intends her to be for those people who are most at need in our communities. The opportunities are plentiful; we need only to take action.

Cinnamon Network exists to help local churches do just that. It began at the end of 2010 in response to growing social need, public sector reform, increasing recognition of the role of voluntary organisations and the economic cuts. It works with projects such as Christians Against Poverty, which runs debt counselling, Trussell Trust Foodbanks, and Street Pastors.

The Big Society is not just a political slogan or a pipe dream; it is an idea that is working, thanks to Christians of all denominations in villages, towns and cities across the UK. I’m continually inspired by the stories I’m hearing of the difference people are making to those most in need around them. Our task is great, but our God is greater – let’s get to work and make the dream a reality.

Matt Bird is the founder of Cinnamon Network

Above: Many volunteers are Christians, though not all are archbishops