Tories pledge army of 5,000 community organisers to fight poverty

An army of 5,000 trained community organisers was pledged by David Cameron today to galvanise action for the victims of poverty and social breakdown.

The Conservative leader used a speech in east London to outline policies designed to inspire and equip millions of caring citizens willing to rescue those failed by the State.

Millions of pounds in funding would also be unlocked for social action projects operating at street level to help the poor and vulnerable.

A new Big Society Bank, financed with cash left unclaimed in dormant bank accounts, would fund small community schemes and charities that are often frozen out from grants or ordinary banking finance.

In his speech, Mr Cameron praised the Evening Standard's "great campaign" exposing the plight of The Dispossessed, the thousands of Londoners who are still trapped in poverty despite the capital's wealth and record amounts spent on welfare handouts.

Pledging to inspire an unprecedented increase in volunteering, Mr Cameron put the healing of "a broken society" at the heart of his election campaign.

"The vision we have been setting out here is unashamedly optimistic," he said. "And unapologetically ambitious. But I didn't come into politics to do small things."

He recalled that US president Barack Obama began his public life as a community organiser in Chicago.

"I hope that in the years to come, a similar inspirational figure will emerge from community work in our inner cities — and go from the back streets of Bradford or Bolton or Birmingham all the way to Downing Street," he said.

The community leaders he promised would be employed by charities and local groups rather than by the State. But they would be trained to professional standards by the Government, using money diverted from current programmes deemed to be failing.

It would be similar to a successful system run in America by Saul Alinsky, which trained a generation of organisers, including President Obama.

There would also be a Big Society Day each year to celebrate the work of local community volunteers.

Mr Cameron's speech set out his core belief that governments cannot solve deep-seated social problems alone and that billions of pounds has been wasted in failed attempts.

He said many people had given up hope and come to conclusion that poverty was "here to stay".

"I despair at all these things too," he said. "But I don't accept them."

Hailing Britain as a nation of willing activists, he pointed to the work of 30,000 faith-based charities and said 400 groups had already expressed interest in setting up new schools under promised Tory policies, even before the election of a Conservative government to enable them.

"But building the big society is not just a question of the state handing over the reins of power and hoping that people will grab them," he said. "We've got to actively help and encourage people to play their part."

The Big Society Bank would use unclaimed assets to leverage private sector investment for neighbourhood groups, charities and social enterprises.

Tory officials said it would be worth "hundreds of millions of pounds" in finance to small groups that struggle to get funding.

Mr Cameron has written to every Tory candidate at the election urging them to set up a social enterprise, where local people gather together to provide a service to the community, such as drop-in centres and self-help groups.

Mr Cameron said: "The media can also play their part — just look at the Evening Standard's great campaign on poverty.

"This campaign has highlighted the huge challenges we face in the capital — and how much more needs to be done."