John Coster considers why every citizen should have the chance to be a Community Reporter

The Big Society appears to be in the headlines on a daily basis while the Government wrestles with trying to do more with less.

It's a sad fact that many people, especially in the so-called third sector, are still struggling to accept this. Organisations are putting themselves up as the possible solution to society's many ills, in the hope that they will "XFactor- style", be chosen as the winner to lead us forward. As with all the issues that face society, we seem compelled to find quick fixes rather than dealing with the root causes.

Since starting the community news agency called Citizens' Eye nearly three years ago, I've been able to meet many inspirational community-minded people who care passionately about where they live. This has been one of the driving forces behind the success of the website with people realising that the power to tell others about their good work lies in their hands.

Through community media training workshops, we have started to create a group of 2,012 Community Reporters to shout about their communities. A link with the London 2012 Games simply serves as a motivational end goal. Train people to capture community experiences around the Olympics while giving the opportunities to start doing it now, on a daily or weekly basis through Citizens' Eye and the Mercury.

In my experience, by talking to local people you tend to find realistic and workable solutions to the issues that affect their area. To help in this matter, we have started workshops for people interested in being Community Ward Reporters. The weekly walkabouts with city wardens have already started in some areas and the city councillors at Ward meetings will start to see local people furiously scribbling notes to write up the proceedings for the website and the newspaper.

The mood for change in the country has left us with a new kind of politics.

Our leaders are now looking to create an optimistic groundswell of localism to make us all responsible for our neighbourhoods. Will Citizens' Eye be touting itself as a possible solution? No. That's not in our plan.

But if you feel the need to start a local campaign to help your community get things going and you need to shout about it – make sure you put Citizens' Eye and the Mercury at the top of your media list. At the heart of all things local – we do what it says on the side of the building!

Visit the Citizens' Eye website.