A poll of over 1,000 members of civil society has found that 42 per cent believed that Big Society is “politically rebranding existing community action”.

The Big Society poll conducted by social action network i-volunteer asked respondents to select from a list of options their opinion of the Big Society. The results showed that 63 per cent held a negative view on the coalition government’s Big Society agenda. On top of the 42 per cent believing it was simply a rebrand, a further 21 per cent saw the Big Society as a "cover for cuts".

Jamie Ward-Smith, CEO of Red Foundation which runs i-volunteer, said it is important to the sector to remain positive about the initiative: “Scepticism is understandable within the current funding climate but I hope in time this will shift as more charities get to embrace the opportunities that such a high-profile initiative will no doubt bring, and that volunteers will feel more valued as we see a greater range of of challenging and stimulating roles become available," he said.

The poll also found that 22 per cent believed the Big Society would provide an opportunity to encourage more people to volunteer and 15 per cent believed the Big Society provided "an opportunity to highlight the value and impact that volunteers have on local communities".