1. How might we want to support independent voluntary action in 2020..?

We have been in a time of immense change the last two years, and I think now we have some coherence around what the future holds. I think the long term changes can be simplified as:

×          changing working practices

×          demographic changes

×          new technology as a disruptor

×          a new role between citizen and state

Infrastructure has a long history and a social mission which could be summed up as ‘association for social progress’. Fundamentally we have two options; fight the changes or demonstrate how we could do it better. I think both of these options are worth pursuing.

So what else do we do about it? I believe there are significant opportunities to increase social welfare in a time of diminishing resources by organising differently.

1.    Leverage - using resources in new ways, and hijacking resources in the most unlikely of sources.

2.    New networks - the primary driver of change in the 21^st Century will not be organisational, it will be a network.

3.    Community Resilience– the concept how communities react to outside problems such as floods, but also welfare or social changes (see Communities Connected, Inclusion, Participation & Common Purpose)

4.    Self-organising – how can formal structure help the semi-structured such as social care support networks, carers forums, international solidarity networks.

5.    Diversify our thinking - working with those will disagree with will be an important part of how we turn social ideas into action. We won’t get a seat at the local enterprise partnership table, but that doesn’t mean we can’t do anything.

It’s not necessarily anyone's responsibility to lead the response to all this, but I think the conditions are right and the opportunity is there to try something. No one has the answer, but unless we strive for something better we’ll be left with a substandard version of what we had 10 years ago..