The Prime Minister attempted to rekindle enthusiasm for his project yesterday in an address to leaders of charities and voluntary organisations, many of whom are enthusiastic about the idea in principle but concerned about the impact of cuts in reality.

“What this is all about is giving people more power and control to improve their lives and their communities,” Mr Cameron told them.

He has repeatedly denied that the Big Society is a smokescreen for the Government’s tough spending cuts.

He told the BBC yesterday that even though the Government had a "duty" to bring the deficit under control, it should still have a vision to build a “stronger, bigger society where people look out for each other more, people make a bigger contribution, and we work together to make this country a better place”.

The Big Society is aimed at encouraging more people to contribute to the betterment of their local communities by coming together to provide useful or even vital services, such as keeping the local post office open through the support of volunteers.

Steve Chalke, of community-centred Christian charity Oasis, was one of the Christian leaders to give the initiative a cautious thumbs up when it was launched last year.

His charity has pioneered several highly successful academies designed to be community hubs as much as schools, and continues to run various community and youth projects, including housing projects for young homeless people.

Regardless of the course the Big Society takes, Chalke said the role of the church remained the same.

He said: “Social recovery begins at the heart of local communities. Every church has an enormous opportunity to deepen its understanding, increase its sensitivity and intensify its engagement and concern for individuals, families and whole communities who experience, first hand, the effects of a broken society.”