Working with

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Working with below the radar (BTR) groups -
do they have anything to offer the Big Society?

• Pauline Whitehead PILCM
• Clerk to Cranleigh Parish Council
• Student Number S0612060

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Cranleigh, Surrey
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What is a BTR group?

• those groups or activities that are
  unregulated, semi-formal associations. These
  activities or organisations do not appear in
  databases held by the Charities Commission,
  Companies House, the Registrar of Community
  Interest Companies or Guidestar.
• MacGillivray et al. (2001)

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Resources.

• FUNDING and RESOURCES
• play a part in defining BTRs.

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Why study BTR groups?
Photographs Whitehead
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BTR groups constitute 95 of community based
organisations
5 community groups with incomes above 2,000 and
registered
95 groups with annual income of under 2,000 and
unregistered. BTR Groups
Breakdown of community groups in the UK
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Big Society

• Will be created by community groups, social
  entrepreneurs and practitioners who will help
  make it a reality on the ground
• DCLG (Online 2011)

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How did I research BTR groups in Cranleigh?

• Existing lists, websites, local publications, by
  looking on local notice boards and visiting
  community meeting places.
• Sending out a structured questionnaire.
• Interviewing local people.

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How many community groups are there in Cranleigh?

• 101 initially identified
• 200 and counting!!!!!

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How many are BTR?

• 46 of the respondents to the questionnaires were
  unregistered.
• 54 were registered.

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BTR groups offer.

• Practical skills
• Cranleigh Angling Society look after two areas of
  local water for the benefit of the community and
  those who would like to fish.
• Young people learn skills for the future.
• Picture Cranleigh Angling Society
• PictureCranleigh Angling.

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Access to resources

• Community groups have the ability to raise
  funds for local charities. PictureCranleigh
  website

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Local knowledge and advice
Community groups are able to identify where there
are local issues and act on them.
PictureCranleigh pictures
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Membership of BTR community groups in Cranleigh
BTR groups have membership numbers ranging from 4
to 200.
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Are BTR groups transient?
Some groups in Cranleigh have been established
over 100 years. Others are brought together
specifically for one project and then move on.
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Social needs

• People like to do fun things in their spare
  time. 60 of Cranleighs BTR groups are
  associated with culture, leisure and sport.

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Drivers

• People join things to make a difference.
• They are often motivated by issues which anger
  them and often join groups which can influence
  outcomes (Leach 2006)

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Trust

• Do community groups provide a valuable service or
  are they just filling in the gaps caused by
  spending cuts?

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Social equality

• Affluent areas may have more skills and more
  volunteers. Less wealthy areas could be at a
  disadvantage (McCabe et al 2010)

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Conclusion

• Cranleigh has over 200 identified community
  groups and potentially around half of these are
  BTR.
• Community groups are well patronised, can offer a
  variety of skill sets, can access resources and
  have local knowledge.

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And..
..some BTR groups in Cranleigh are already
working collaboratively with the Parish Council
for the benefit of the community.
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Any comments or questions?
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