Acevo has launched a Commission on Big Society that aims to “define and analyse the Big Society concept from the point of view of civil society”.

Chaired by Lord Rennard, former chief executive of the Liberal Democrats, the Commission will also include, among others, Dame Clare Tickell, CEO of Action for Children; Matt Hyde, chief executive of the National Union of Students; Jane Slowey, CEO of the Foyer Federation and Srabani Sen, CEO of Contact a Family.

Other members include the Bishop of London and chair of Demos Philip Collins;  Nick Boles MP; Paul Boateng, former chief secretary to the Treasury; Victims Commissioner Louise Casey and Michael Quicke, chief executive of CCLA.

Acevo chief Stephen Bubb said: “The Commission on Big Society launched today is being formed by Acevo in order to articulate a civil society vision for what charity leaders want to achieve through the Big Society agenda, and to recommend practical steps that government, third sector organisations and others need to take to make that vision a reality.”

He added: “I think it is time we started defining Big Society rather than listening to government ministers telling us what it is, or isn’t. We should take ownership of this idea and give it clarity and definition; we can then tell government the steps needed to promote the country’s civil society and work with them to achieve it.”

The Commission will hold its first meeting in January and intends to organise a series of meetings with civil society representative around the country to gather evidence of the impact of government policies on their work.

Bubb added that the Commission would be supported by NCVO head of research Karl Wilding.