Why you should be at Stronger Things 2022

Take a moment to reflect and learn, recharge and connect, and reboot the way you work at the community power event of the year.

2020 was a tough year. 2021 was a strange one. We all moved between ‘surviving during increased demand’ and ‘build back better’ throughout the year. But we made it through.

Local government and the NHS continued to deliver for residents and work to improve lives. Not to mention a vaccine – and booster – rollout. 

So what’s next? The place to find out is Stronger Things 2022. This is your opportunity to reconnect, recognise your resilience and face challenges together.

The movement for community power can shape the future of public services. You can be part of it.

You might be thinking ‘that all sounds great, but what does that actually mean?’ So let’s take a look at some things you can expect at Stronger Things 2022:

Political Leaders

We have a great panel on ‘Politics as Though People Mattered’ with Conservative MP Danny Kruger, Director of Onward think tank Will Tanner, Labour MP Jess Phillips, and the Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Babin to discuss changing how politics works.

We’ll also hear from more local and international political leaders, including Newham Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz and Taiwan’s innovative digital minister Audrey Tang.  

Catching up with colleagues

At New Local, we are very excited about our new addition for 2022 – The Town Square. We’ve all missed in-person events. In-person coffees. In-person conversations.

The Town Square is a space to meet and connect with new people and organisations interested in community power, and re-connect with colleagues from other parts of the country.

The Town Square will give you the chance to browse for new ideas from our partners, get excited at fringe events, and catch up and celebrate with the friends you haven’t seen in ages.   

And there’s no better place to do it then at London’s magnificent Guildhall – a stunning venue with a bit more wow factor than your average Zoom call.

Ideas and inspiration for your everyday

At its heart, Stronger Things is about helping you in your job. We are huge believers in the value of peer-learning and the importance of inspiration.

So make sure to mark in your diaries our panel on ‘Doing Community Power’. How can you get started on your community power journey? How can you support community powered groups in their work? We’re looking at these questions with Nick Sinclair, Hazel Stuteley, and Cormac Russell.

But if you learn best in smaller groups and away from the main stage, there will be lots of bespoke breakouts available in-person and online to take a deep dive on practical issues.

And if you’re working within or with the NHS, we’ll be focusing on the potential of community power to transform the health system with the always inspirational Donna Hall.

If you’re looking for more inspiration – you won’t find a more inspiring group than the community leaders behind the We’re Right Here campaign.

There will be more inspiration in our ‘lightning talks’ – short speeches from the people making community power happen.

Amazing Impact

But the best argument for not missing out on Stronger Things comes from the people who were there last year.

We asked them ‘What would you say to someone thinking of attending Stronger Thing 2022?’ Here’s some of the answers we got:

• “Stronger Things reinvigorates you… it gives you belief… it sparks your imagination.” – Paul, Centre4
• “This event will inspire you, challenge your ways of thinking and make you a believer in community power!” – John, Rochdale Borough Council
• “Simply Go! Take the opportunity to have your thinking stretched and gain learning of how to deploy solutions.” – Lisa, Monmouthshire County Council
• “A great opportunity to ‘look up from your desk’ and get insights into challenges and opportunities of citizen centred approaches.” – James, Browne Jackson
• “Just go – you will come back re-energised, full of new ideas and be able to make contact with people who have similar aims.” – Marian, London Borough of Sutton
• “It is truly an inspirational experience, bringing together a unique mix of people with a genuine desire to empower communities and create change.” – Laura, London Borough of Hounslow 
• “The 2021 conference was the best event I attended in the whole of 2021.” – Linda, Alternative Futures Group
• “This event will make you feel reenergised and challenge you, and your organisations, thinking to ensure how you operate improves the lives of communities.” – Mary, Nottingham City Council
• “You’ll be surrounded by brilliant people who you can learn from and connect with. You’ll come away even more inspired to do your job, with a strong evidence base of why this work matters.” – Craig, TPX Impact
• “If you care about communities, want to learn about best practice and be inspired then be there in 2022!” – Kushal, Warwickshire County Council

How to join us

Stronger Things 2022 is at the London Guildhall and online March 29-30. See the full agenda and register now.

Join our mailing list