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6 February 2011
Last updated at 23:32 ET
The government is "destroying" the UK's volunteer army and undermining its vision of the "big society" with its huge cuts programme, the outgoing head of Community Service Volunteers says.
Dame Elisabeth Hoodless said she had been excited by the "big society" idea but said there was no "strategic plan".
The "massive" council cuts would make it more difficult for people to do more in their communities, she added.
In a Times interview she asked if "one hand knows what the other is doing".
Her comments follow a decision last week by Liverpool to abandon a "big society" pilot project because the Labour council claimed cuts were undermining the voluntary groups supposed to take over some of the services.
Dame Elisabeth, who has been director of the Community Service Volunteers charity for 36 years, said ministers had misunderstood the level of responsibility volunteers were willing to take on.
David Cameron's "big society" initiative has been one of the overarching themes of the coalition government, said BBC political correspondent Jo Coburn.
Continue reading the main story “Start Quote
The government has said it will be investing £470m over the next four years in funding for charities and voluntary groups to give them independence from state money.
But Dame Elisabeth told the Times the government had failed to provide opportunities for people to do more in their communities and in some cases spending cuts imposed on councils had actually taken them away.
She said: "Does one hand know what the other hand is doing? We know we need to save money, but there are other ways of saving money without destroying the volunteer army.
"Once you close a library there is nowhere for a volunteer to help.
"Few people want to be responsible for the library. Most people want to feel there's an expert on the premises. They are quite happy to issue and re-shelve the books, but taking the final responsibility is a bit more than most people want to do."
She said volunteering should be introduced as part of national curriculum projects in schools and backed a US idea tying funding handed to public bodies with the number of volunteers they involved in their activities.
Dame Elisabeth, 69, was due to outline her proposals during her retirement speech in Westminster today.
'People power' Criticism has been building over Mr Cameron's "big society" initiative.
In December a leading charity figure - Community Links co-founder David Robinson - warned that the pace of cuts could "kill off" the groups Mr Cameron needed to fulfil the policy.
His comments were later echoed by Citizens Advice Bureau chief executive Gillian Guy.
Last week the leader of Liverpool City Council wrote to the prime minister withdrawing its involvement from the plans.
The city was one of four pilot areas for the scheme, but council leader Joe Anderson said government cuts had "cut the lifeline to hundreds of these vital and worthwhile groups".
Immigration minister Damian Green said the council's decision was a "political gesture".
When he announced the "big society" in Liverpool last July, Mr Cameron said community groups should be able to run post offices, libraries, transport services and shape housing projects.
The concept would be a "big advance for people power", he said.
While reducing the budget deficit was his "duty", the prime minister said giving individuals and communities more control over their destinies was what excited him and was something that had underpinned his philosophy since he became Conservative leader in 2005.
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Dame Elisabeth Hoodless said she had been excited by the "big society" idea but said there was no "strategic plan".
The "massive" council cuts would make it more difficult for people to do more in their communities, she added.
In a Times interview she asked if "one hand knows what the other is doing".
Her comments follow a decision last week by Liverpool to abandon a "big society" pilot project because the Labour council claimed cuts were undermining the voluntary groups supposed to take over some of the services.
Dame Elisabeth, who has been director of the Community Service Volunteers charity for 36 years, said ministers had misunderstood the level of responsibility volunteers were willing to take on.
David Cameron's "big society" initiative has been one of the overarching themes of the coalition government, said BBC political correspondent Jo Coburn.
Continue reading the main story “Start Quote
Once you close a library there is nowhere for a volunteer to help”
End Quote
Dame Elisabeth Hoodless
Outgoing CSV director
The government has said it will be investing £470m over the next four years in funding for charities and voluntary groups to give them independence from state money.
But Dame Elisabeth told the Times the government had failed to provide opportunities for people to do more in their communities and in some cases spending cuts imposed on councils had actually taken them away.
She said: "Does one hand know what the other hand is doing? We know we need to save money, but there are other ways of saving money without destroying the volunteer army.
"Once you close a library there is nowhere for a volunteer to help.
"Few people want to be responsible for the library. Most people want to feel there's an expert on the premises. They are quite happy to issue and re-shelve the books, but taking the final responsibility is a bit more than most people want to do."
She said volunteering should be introduced as part of national curriculum projects in schools and backed a US idea tying funding handed to public bodies with the number of volunteers they involved in their activities.
Dame Elisabeth, 69, was due to outline her proposals during her retirement speech in Westminster today.
'People power' Criticism has been building over Mr Cameron's "big society" initiative.
In December a leading charity figure - Community Links co-founder David Robinson - warned that the pace of cuts could "kill off" the groups Mr Cameron needed to fulfil the policy.
His comments were later echoed by Citizens Advice Bureau chief executive Gillian Guy.
Last week the leader of Liverpool City Council wrote to the prime minister withdrawing its involvement from the plans.
The city was one of four pilot areas for the scheme, but council leader Joe Anderson said government cuts had "cut the lifeline to hundreds of these vital and worthwhile groups".
Immigration minister Damian Green said the council's decision was a "political gesture".
When he announced the "big society" in Liverpool last July, Mr Cameron said community groups should be able to run post offices, libraries, transport services and shape housing projects.
The concept would be a "big advance for people power", he said.
While reducing the budget deficit was his "duty", the prime minister said giving individuals and communities more control over their destinies was what excited him and was something that had underpinned his philosophy since he became Conservative leader in 2005.
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