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The role of faith-based organisations in the Big Society: opportunities and challenges

The ‘Big Society’ is a key policy driver for the new UK Government. It is an agenda which purports to re-establish the relationship between the state and civil society, raising important questions for social policy. Driving this agenda is a focus on a reduced role for government, based on the notion that local communities and organisations are best placed to identify and respond to local needs. The voluntary and community sector (VCS) is posited as having a key role to play in this and the article looks at the particular case of faith-based organisations (FBOs), drawing on empirical work in Oxfordshire. Reflecting research findings, the article identifies opportunities for FBOs framed in the overarching promise of the Big Society to harness and support the potential of local responses to community needs. At the same time, key challenges are identified in relation to how the policy agenda will be implemented in reality. Specifically, policy makers face a dilemma in relation to, on the one hand maintaining standards of delivery and promoting social justice, and on the other protecting the characteristics which enable VCS organisations generally, and FBOs in particular, to meet the needs of their local community effectively in ways they feel are appropriate.