‘We’re not delivering government’s agenda’: The Community Organisers Programme in England

Abstract

Community organising is expanding globally. One example is the Community Organisers Programme in England, initiated by the Cameron coalition government from 2011 to 2015. This qualitative study of the Community Organisers Programme juxtaposes critical theory regarding neoliberalism and state devolution with the experiences of fifteen subjects interviewed in 2014 and 2015. The three cohorts included (i) five recruited, salaried and trained community organisers, (ii) five administrative staff from key social service organisations and government and (iii) five external professionals including leading full-time community organisers and/or academic activists recognised in the overall field. The case study confirms expected outcomes regarding the existing theory on neoliberalism and state incorporation. Nevertheless, the interviews revealed both more nuance in relation to the existing theory and literature as well as some surprises in the Community Organisers Programme, which are potentially instructive for future community organising within and outside of social work. Two were (i) the relative absence of bureaucratic burden from the government and sense of autonomy felt by the community organisers and staff and (ii) the progressive potential of adding public funding of community organising to diversify and expand the funding mix in response to our extraordinarily challenging contemporary context.