In my constituency there are hundreds of 'Big Society' ideas and projects. This month I attended the grand reopening of Humshaugh Village Shop. Humshaugh Village Shop isn't just any village shop. When it faced closure last year, the community took on the shop and it is now run by local volunteers, selling everything from the morning papers to fresh fruit and vegetables. Had it not been for local people deciding to go that little bit further, to go that extra mile for their community, the shop would have closed. Instead the shop continues to be at the heart of the local community and it is a great success.
There are many more projects like this one, and the Prudhoe Allotments project that as an MP I’ve been lucky enough to see for myself. To me they are what the 'Big Society' is all about. Making life that bit easier for the people who decide they are going to try and make a positive difference to their community.
Take a look at
flickr to see all the photos from the opening of the Humshaugh Village Shop - a very special village shop...
