I have a sneaking suspicion that I’m in a small minority of those who are excited when it comes to Cameron’s Big Society policy. In part that’s because I think it’s vague description and undefined edges could lead to some real innovations.

And looking at those areas that were identified as ‘vanguard communities’ (Eden District council in Cumbria, Sutton, Windsor and Maidenhead and Liverpool) it seems even those supposedly at the forefront of the policy aren’t getting that excited.

A search on the relevant council websites reveals very little.

• Eden District Council only really seem to refer to the announcement that they have been chosen as one of the four pilot areas.
• Sutton are the same (although with the added benefit of not creating a linkable URL for the search results, but here’s the same results from Google)
• Liverpool are the worst. Despite being the host to the Prime Minister’s launch speech their website has no mention of the Big Society at all.

The only council of the four that returns anything worth reading is Windsor and Maidenhead.

It might well be that they are still thinking through the policy implications internally, but doesn’t it rather go against the spirit of the policy not to have some of that thinking done out loud so ‘society’ can participate?

[And before anyone points it out, I know Wandsworth is no better!]