I believe that the idea of social responsibility and the Big Society is fundamental in creating a more cohesive community, that there is such a thing as society, and that we all have an important role to play. If we want to reverse the trend of bad behaviour that does so much to spoil our quality of life, we have to think bigger and more long-term. It’s not enough to only target specific instances of bad behaviour with specific interventions – this would just treat the symptoms, not the cause. We need a long term vision of a responsible society and then work towards that vision.
As parents, we must understand that it is our responsibility, not just the school’s responsibility, to bring our children up with the correct core values. As neighbours we must understand that it is our responsibility, not just the council’s responsibility, to look out for each other and to keep our community safe and in order. Business owners must understand that they have a responsibility to think about the social and environmental consequences of how they go about their daily business.
As neighbours, consumers, and most of all as parents, we all have the power to make our community a safer and more civilised place to live, work and visit. I believe that we all have a vital role to play in changing social behaviour, not just by trying to control it directly through regulation and law, but by encouraging people and organisations to behave responsibly and with respect and decency.
We need to think outside the box, not just focusing on responding to bad behaviour, but looking at the cause – and I believe that often the cause is a lack of personal and social responsibility. Working in partnership can change that. When people are directly involved in something, they feel a sense of ownership and responsibility. They take pride in themselves and what they can achieve. People need to have real control over what happens in their area, control over the way public services are delivered, the way planning decisions are made and how public money is spent.
I believe that Carterton Town Council is leading the way for the future of our town, and this is why I’m so inspired to offer my individual contribution. I am immensely proud of the work that our Neighbourhood Action Group continues to do on our behalf, engaging with members of the public, and drawing on its wealth of local knowledge to secure long term solutions to quality of life issues. I continue to be astounded at the work that is going on in schools to foster a sense of individual and social responsibility, through PSHE lessons, the “Wasted Nights” programme and the endless hard work that the respective school councils continue to do. Perhaps, most significantly, I am enormously proud of Carterton Youth Council, which has been up and running since the autumn of 2007.
