the significance of local institutions

The strength of free peoples resides in the local community. Local institutions are to liberty what primary schools are to science; they put it within the people's reach; they teach people to appreciate its peaceful enjoyment and accustom them to make use of it. Without local institutions a nation may give itself a free government; but it has not got the spirit of liberty. Alex de Tocqueville  (1994) First published 1835.

Around 12 million women and men were involved in running 1.3 million bodies in the UK - and what is especially interesting here is that these were what we might describe as associations - 'small democracies' (Elsdon 1995: 39).