Toby Blume, chief executive of Urban Forum, which supports communities to have a greater say over decisions affecting them, told delegates at Haymarket Media’s Big Society conference that the concept risks "exacerbating inequality".
"Communities that are affluent and have resources and aspirations will be able to take advantage of it," he said. "Those who lack power and other resources face a big challenge."
He added that ongoing cuts are making it difficult for those working in the voluntary sector to deliver the government’s ambitions. "[Cuts] are destroying much of the fabric and foundations of the big society," he said. "I think we have to be honest about that."
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