The Big Society

How the Big Society agenda affects the voluntary sector, key milestones in its evolution, and reaction from sector experts. Plus, people working in voluntary organisations and local government give their views on the big society in a survey commissioned by Third Sector and Local Government Chronicle.

Comment & Interviews

The life and strange death of the big society charity

Wednesday, 28 Jan 2015

Editorial: The big society projects that went pear-shaped

By Stephen Cook, Friday, 12 Sep 2014

Editorial: We need more details on the funding of unsuccessful big society projects

By Stephen Cook, Friday, 25 Jul 2014

Interview: Graham Benfield

Tuesday, 13 May 2014

Wally Harbert: An open letter to Nick Hurd

By Wally Harbert, Wednesday, 23 Apr 2014

Wally Harbert: Why the major players in the sector resent the big society

Wednesday, 27 Feb 2013

Editorial: Is this bye-bye to the big society?

Tuesday, 11 Oct 2011

Interview: Paul Boissier

Monday, 03 Oct 2011

Interview: John Mohan

Tuesday, 02 Aug 2011

Sign up to our newsletters

Get the latest news sent straight to your inbox

Free trial

Sign up to get full access to Third Sector for a trial period

The Evolution Of The Big Society

Civil Exchange says the big society has left the voluntary sector weakened

By Sam Burne James, Tuesday, 20 Jan 2015

Forget about the big society - we want a free society, says Acevo election manifesto

By Sam Burne James, Thursday, 20 Nov 2014

National Audit Office opens new investigation into grants awarded to Big Society Network

By Andy Ricketts, Wednesday, 15 Oct 2014

Charity Commission report dismisses concerns about the Society Network Foundation

By Andy Ricketts, Friday, 17 Oct 2014

Big society concept a necessary accompaniment to spending cuts, says Francis Maude

By Sam Burne James, Wednesday, 01 Oct 2014

Society Network Foundation winding-up application put on hold by Companies House

By Andy Ricketts, Thursday, 04 Sep 2014

Big Society Network charity applies to Companies House to be wound up

By Andy Ricketts, Thursday, 21 Aug 2014

Charity that owns Big Society Network says it does not have to pay money back to Cabinet Office

By Andy Ricketts, Friday, 12 Sep 2014

Big Society Network made exaggerated claims in project funding application, newspaper claims

By Andy Ricketts, Wednesday, 20 Aug 2014

Magna Carta foundation involving Big Society Network director Steve Moore seeks to become a charity

By Ian Griggs, Thursday, 07 Aug 2014

Society Network Foundation denies using political influence to secure £2m of funding

By Andy Ricketts, Friday, 01 Aug 2014

Big Society Capital launches £10m fund to help charities issue their own bonds

By Sam Burne James, Monday, 28 Jul 2014

Lisa Nandy tables questions in parliament over Big Society Network grants

By Andy Ricketts, Friday, 25 Jul 2014

National Audit Office criticises procedure for £2m grants to Big Society Network

By Andy Ricketts, Monday, 21 Jul 2014

Sector leaders praise former civil society minister Nick Hurd

By Andy Ricketts, Tuesday, 15 Jul 2014

Voluntary sector 'enslaved' by public services contracts, says report by NCIA's Andy Benson

By Sam Burne James, Tuesday, 01 Jul 2014

State of the Sector 2014: charities are disillusioned with politics and politicians

Friday, 27 Jun 2014

Big Society Capital puts £1m into share underwriting scheme

By Sam Burne James, Tuesday, 24 Jun 2014

Growth of sector will come at its fringes, Karl Wilding tells NCVO conference

By Sam Burne James, Tuesday, 17 Jun 2014

Labour Party asks the sector for views on Charity Commission priorities

By Sam Burne James, Friday, 20 Jun 2014

Nick Hurd indicates government has abandoned pledge for annual big society day

By Andy Ricketts, Wednesday, 26 Mar 2014

Nick Hurd affirms government's commitment to 'big society vision'

By Andy Ricketts, Wednesday, 12 Oct 2011

Sector 'views big society with distrust, but also as an opportunity to engage government'

By David Ainsworth, Tuesday, 29 Jan 2013

We are proud of what we've achieved in two years, says Minister for Civil Society

By Andy Ricketts, Wednesday, 09 Jan 2013

Big society is 'effectively dead', Sir Stephen Bubb tells PM

By Kate Youde, Monday, 07 Jan 2013

Interview: Nick Hurd

Tuesday, 27 Sep 2011

Analysis: Big society adviser decides to move on

By Kaye Wiggins, Tuesday, 31 May 2011

Cameron renews big society vows

By Sophie Hudson, Monday, 23 May 2011

Banks missed 'historic opportunity' to support voluntary sector

By Kaye Wiggins, Monday, 16 May 2011

Most think the big society will not be achieved, poll suggests

By Sophie Hudson, Thursday, 14 Apr 2011

Liverpool City Council quits big society vanguard

By Kate Youde, Thursday, 03 Feb 2011

Analysis: Big society under pressure

By Kaye Wiggins, Monday, 31 Jan 2011

Big society idea 'divides the Cabinet and is loathed by the public'

By Kaye Wiggins, Tuesday, 25 Jan 2011

Great and the good line up to keep tabs on big society

By Kaye Wiggins, Tuesday, 07 Dec 2010

Big society will be broken by spending cuts, says think tank report

By John Plummer, Wednesday, 03 Nov 2010

Analysis: Big society is the hot topic at the Conservative Party conference

By Kaye Wiggins, Monday, 11 Oct 2010

Poll shows less than half of charities have faith in Cameron's big society

By David Ainsworth, Wednesday, 29 Sep 2010

Building the big society will be 'arduous and filled with setbacks', warns Lord Wei

By Kate Youde, Thursday, 17 Jun 2010

Coalition outlines plans for big society programme

By Kaye Wiggins, Tuesday, 18 May 2010

Charities will run state services under Tories, says Cameron

By Paul Jump, Wednesday, 11 Nov 2009

The Big Society Survey

All you need to know about...

Fundraising in crisis
Kids Company closure
Change at the Charity Commission
The lobbying act
The collapse of BeatBullying
Islamic Charities
The Big Society
Chief Executive Pay
Follow us on:
RSS Feed

Third Sector Insight

Sponsored webcasts, surveys and expert reports from Third Sector partners

RSS Feed

Latest From The Blogs