Live Q&A: How community groups can achieve their aims despite the cuts - Tuesday 19 July, 1-3pm

Big society raised hopes of empowered communities whose work would be recognised and supported. But it has also raised fears. Just as voluntary organisations are expected to fill the deficit left by a shrinking public sector, cuts to funding and support infrastructure have put pressure on the third sector at a critical time. As policies around big society and localism are being developed, many questions still need to be answered. This live discussion follows Beyond the Radar , a recent event held by Third Sector Research Centre . The aim of the event was to bring together the people, ideas and research that can work toward maximising the impact of community activity. In our live Q&A this week, we will consider: • What community organisations and activists need to have a greater impact • What action is required from government and what is needed from communities • How new policies can help the disempowered gain a voice • How issues of accountability and equality will be addressed This Q&A is an opportunity to pose questions to a panel of experts from the community, research and government sectors. It is also a chance to influence formative policy and research agendas. Do get in touch if you'd like to be a panellist – email Kate Hodge for more details. Leave your questions in the comments section below, and remember to come back to join the discussion from 1 to 3pm on Tuesday 19 July. Expert panel Angus McCabe - senior research fellow, Third Sector Research Centre Angus leads TSRC's beyond the radar research, exploring the experiences of small community-based organisations, BME and refugee/migrant groups. Angus has a background in community development work, both in inner city and settings on peripheral estates. He is an associate of the Federation for Community Development Learning and has been involved in training and development work with non-governmental organisations in Eastern Europe. Between 2000 and 2001 he was seconded as a policy adviser to the active community unit (Home Office), working on the learning and development strategy for neighbourhood renewal. Toby Blume - chief executive, Urban Forum Urban Forum works with community organisations to help them influence government policy. Toby has served on a number of government advisory groups on LSPs, empowerment and sustainable development and was recently appointed to Communities and Local Government's Third Sector Partnership Board. Toby was runner-up in the 2008 Most Admired Charity Chief Executive awards. He previously set up Groundswell, a charity helping homeless people to run community projects throughout the UK. Toby chairs a charitable trust that provides grants to Gypsies and Travellers and is currently obsessed with banking reform. Twitter: @tobyblume / @urbanforum Hülya Mustafa - deputy director, big society strategy at Communities and Local Government Hülya ensures that the CLG's overarching contribution to big society is ambitious and forward-looking. She has specific responsibility for the department's VCS Partnership Board, and for cross-cutting policy issues such as urban green spaces and neighbourhoods. Hülya previously worked on the transparency agenda, with a particular interest in how the public could make use of information to challenge authority and how the government could use the internet or social media to better engage with the public in more open and transparent policy-making. Dan Sumners - senior policy and information officer, Volunteering England Dan has worked on policy and communications with not-for-profit organisations since 2004. His responsibilities include: managing the campaign to reduce bureaucratic barriers to volunteering, engaging with the big society agenda, and working with Jobcentre Plus and the DWP on the link between volunteering and state benefits. Twitter: @dansumners / @volengpolicy Roxanne Persaud - Leadership 20:20 commissioner, NCVO Roxanne specialises in networked governance, digital engagement and enterprise incubation for third sector organisations and social purpose groups. She is also a social start-up coach and director of the Glory of Failure campaign aimed at improving learning and resilience through better understanding of failure. Twitter: @commutiny Cath Lee - chief executive, Small Charities Coalition Cath has worked in the voluntary sector for 21 years, mostly for national charities including RNIB, Crisis and Shelter. She has volunteered for large and small charities throughout her life. Cath developed Crisis's Open Christmas and was with the charity for 10 years in regional management roles. Cath then joined the Small Charities Coalition in 2008 as operations director and became chief executive in 2009. The Small Charities Coalition recently merged with Charity Trustee Network and has a membership of 1300 small charities and over 4600 individual trustees. This content is brought to you by Guardian Professional. To join the voluntary sector network , click here .