The majority of young people have never heard of the Big Society, according to new research from youth volunteering charity v.

The charity quizzed 1,000 14-25 year olds on the Big Society and found only 25 per cent had heard of it, among this group over two thirds (67 per cent) did not know what the Big Society meant for them.

Further, almost half (46 per cent) of young people don’t trust the government to make the right cuts and when asked what was the best thing the coalition had done, the majority could not think of anything.

The survey has been released to coincide with v’s new national campaign Big Society’s Big Mouth which asks young people what role they want to play in society.

The initiative, which will be conducted online and via local community action events, will culminate with young people taking their proposals for change to government in April 2011.

v’s chief executive, Terry Ryall said:

“The Big Society is a concept that is moving rapidly from rhetoric to reality. Here at v, we believe it is vital that young people are given the opportunity to help define and refine what the Big Society means to them.  Many young people are already taking real action in their communities.   However policy makers currently run the risk of ignoring the views of a group without which building the Big Society will be impossible.

“Our mission with the Big Society’s Big Mouth campaign is to start a debate that will not only engage with thousands of young people, but that will also identify tangible solutions to the barriers that may be preventing them taking a more active role in their communities. We will then work with young people to take their proposals to government and ensure they influence the development of Big Society policy at both a national and local level.”