Cameron's 'neighbourhood army' plan to help poor

David Cameron announced plans to recruit a "neighbourhood army" of 5,000 community organisers in a British version of the scheme which saw US President Barack Obama begin his career working with some of the poorest communities of Chicago.

The Tory leader said the professional organisers would work in communities across Britain, supporting active citizens to work together to improve their areas and "banging heads together" to make officials help them. The network would form part of a drive to create a "Big Society" to "restore hope in our future" and solve the problems of what Conservatives term "broken Britain", like crime, drug and alcohol abuse, poverty, incivility and family breakdown. A wide-ranging programme to revive individual citizens' involvement in social action. He aims to devolve decision-making powers from official agencies to voluntary organisations, private companies, citizens and communities.

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