The Minister for Civil Society was a position within the

Department for Culture, Media and Sport , type = Department , logo = Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport logo.svg , logo_width = , logo_caption = , seal = , seal_width = , seal_caption = , picture = Gove ...

in the Government of the United Kingdom. It concerned and directly supported charities,

volunteering Volunteering is a voluntary act of an individual or group freely giving time and labor for community service. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Others serve ...

and

social enterprise A social enterprise is an organization that applies commercial strategies to maximize improvements in financial, social and environmental well-being. This may include maximizing social impact alongside profits for co-owners. Social enterprises ca ...

. The office was established during the

third Blair ministry The third Blair ministry lasted from May 2005 to June 2007. The election on 5 May 2005 saw Labour win a historic third successive term in power, though their majority now stood at 66 seats – compared to 167 four years earlier – and they faile ...

as Minister for the Third Sector. The office was renamed to support the Big Society manifesto-committed agenda of the

first First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...

and second Cameron ministries. Before the new commitments and Cabinet reshuffle on formation of the May Ministry in 2016 the Office for Civil Society supporting the Minister was part of the

Cabinet Office The Cabinet Office is a department of His Majesty's Government responsible for supporting the prime minister and Cabinet. It is composed of various units that support Cabinet committees and which co-ordinate the delivery of government objecti ...

. Some responsibilities were moved to the office of

Minister for Sport and Civil Society The Minister for Sport and Civil Society was a junior minister in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport of the United Kingdom government, with responsibility for sport and Civil Society in England. In 2020, the role merged with tha ...

after the 2017 general election.

List of ministers

Shadow Ministers for Civil Society

References

{{Department for Culture, Media and Sport Politics of the United Kingdom Cabinet Office (United Kingdom) Civil society in the United Kingdom

Civil Society Civil society can be understood as the "third sector" of society, distinct from government and business, and including the family and the private sphere.