Minister stands by Big Society plans He added: "If you come up with positive long-term visions that are idealistic you will always get the knockers and the cynics some of whom are politically motivated." Opponents have attacked the Big Society, which hoped to engender a boom in volunteering and charitable giving, as being thin on substance and an excuse for public sector cuts. However, after two years in gestation, Mr Cameron will this week launch Big Society Capital, after it finally negotiated a number of regulatory hurdles. Harnessing money from long-dormant bank accounts and donations from banks, it will fund social projects, such as playgroups, credit unions and residents" groups trying to take control of their post office, local shop or library. Mr Hurd said the bank's launch is on time, but official documents and even sources close to Big Society Capital suggest that it hoped to be operational by April last year. Alongside the National Citizens Service (NCS), the launch of the bank is one of a select number of Big Society initiatives already up and running. The NCS - still in pilot form - last year set 8,000 16-year-olds to work in their communities on projects including tidying parks and building playgrounds It remains to be seen whether the projects planned will be enough to address ongoing scepticism about the Big Society agenda, even from within the charity sector. There has been no upsurge in charity giving or volunteering since the Prime Minister first launched the initiative two years ago.