Big Society - Big Success

Big Society - Big Success

The final of three Big Society Conferences being held in Pendle has been hailed a big success.

The conference, organised by Pendle Partnership, brought together over 70 people from the local community on Saturday 29 January.

These included voluntary organisations, charities and Neighbourhood Action Groups.

Councillor Mike Blomeley, Leader of Pendle Council and Chair of the Pendle Partnership said:

"2011 will be a time of great change across the country and in Pendle. 

"This event was designed to bring dedicated people together and it really worked.

"I'm confident that despite cut backs and challenging times, we can work together to make a real difference for Pendle, with local people playing a bigger part."

Paul Hussey who leads Pendle Council's Policy Unit said:

"In Pendle we are getting to grips with the new Big Society agenda and this is the third of a series of public conferences about the issue.

"Around 80% of areas in the UK have not got started on this new approach to working in closer collaboration with residents and local organisations for the benefit of our community.

"I'm proud to say that in Pendle we are among the 20% of areas in the country which are making a positive start."

Local resident Julie Dickinson of the Southfield Area Residents' Association said: 

"We really enjoyed it and found it very useful as representatives from a very new residents association in the area.

"We found out about other projects and programmes happening in Pendle and  met up with other people from the area."

Pendle Council's Angela Ansell who helped to organise the conference explained:

"Big Society will involve a new way of working together for the community.

"We've been working with people who run government funded projects via the Council.

"We've been looking at other means of support, because a number of funding streams are coming to an end.
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"But at the conference we celebrated over twenty funded projects including ones run by Building Bridges, Pendle Community Credit Union and Pendle Community Network.

"We also looked at ways in which worthwhile projects and organisations like these can continue to make a difference for Pendle people through Big Society," she added.