The Big Society - What It Means To Me, David Cameron

Yes, in an ideal world we should be doing more to help others and the locality around us. But you cannot have a PM preaching to us, saying what we should be doing. No one tells me what I should be doing and I am sure many others will be swearing or sticking up 2 fingers at being told what they should be doing.

I gave up much of my life when I was a councillor in the late 80's and the 90's and in my town. That was to the detriment of my work.

I appreciate I could be doing more now and when a bulky envelope came from Pembrokeshire County Council with pages of bumpf about their "Good Neighbour Scheme", I returned it with a letter saying I don't have the time for a scheme as they propose but if there was someone local, say an old dear that needed someone to stick their head around the door to have a chat, or do some chores like shopping or some gardening, I would be happy to help out someone on an ad hoc basis. I used to do that for my gran, after my grandad died in 1971.

To date, I have not heard back and I guess there must be many people who could do with someone needing some help, but fall outside the usual criteria for social care. Unfortunately today, families are split up as children move all over the UK for their work and its the elderly that get left behind.

I suppose the Council would fear all these suggestions as they think we are all guilty of a heinous crime and have an ulterior motive as to why we are coming forward. I am CRB'd on a regular basis for my work and have never had a criminal charge on my record, other than a couple of instances of speeding and other minor motoring fines for parking.

If thats the case, its the Council that are the loser, as well as someone locally, who could do with my offer of help.

I do not propose to fall into a Council organised scheme thats regimented into paperwork by the bucketload as a scheme could run very simply, if they knew who need some assistance and those who are volunteering.

We all have very busy lives and that is something that David Cameron doesn't seem to understand or comprehend. As he is a millionaire, several times over, he just doesn't get what its like to live an ordinary life and have to find the money to pay the bills or get a job.

Like him, I don't believe in a nanny state, but the way he keeps going on about it, he is dictating to us and no one tells me what I should be doing. I believe in the freedom of choice and I choose not to partake in a do gooders scheme from Pembrokeshire County Council, but I do want to help others, but in my way, in order to fit in with my life and time I have available.

Readers who submit articles must agree to our terms of use. The content is the sole responsibility of the contributor and is unmoderated. But we will react if anything that breaks the rules comes to our attention. If you wish to complain about this article, contact us here