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Our latest blogs, long-reads, videos and podcasts about all-things community power, local government, public services, and more.
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An open Letter to Michael Gove from New Local
Give communities the power they need to level up
By New Local team
22nd September, 2021
Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation • Local government finance • Policy • Politics
How to unlock community power by strengthening working-class identities
New Local Network and Events Officer Stephanie Riches explains how the pandemic has changed how she views her own identity and illustrated the importance of taking pride in your...
16th September, 2021
Community Power • Community Voices • Culture • Inequality and fairness • Northern England
Creating the story of a place
The right narrative or story can make the difference in creating change. How can you develop them? Bonnie Hewson of Power to Change shares some inspiring examples from communities.
By Bonnie Hewson, Power to Change
9th September, 2021
Community engagement • Community Power • Community Voices • Place building
Join our Campaign for Community Power
We're looking for community leaders to develop and lead a major new campaign for community power.
18th August, 2021
How local participation blossomed during Covid
During lockdown, there was a surprising increase in local participation - demonstrating the positive role of community power in emergencies.
By Donna Hall
16th August, 2021
What I’d keep after Covid
For many in local government, the Covid-19 pandemic has been defined not only by huge hardship and challenges, but also by renewed purpose, new partnerships and rediscovered passion for...
4th August, 2021
Council Voices • Covid-19 • Local government • New Local Network
Circuses in suburbia: How we’re transforming Tolworth
Once described as the 'scrag-end' of Kingston-upon-Thames, Tolworth was less a destination, more a place to pass through or avoid completely. That was until a group of local residents...
29th July, 2021
Case study • Community Power • Community Voices • Interview • Podcast • Regeneration
4 maps that show why we need local approaches to achieve Net Zero
The causes and effects of climate change are different in every part of the UK. If we want to achieve ‘net zero’ carbon emissions, we need local solutions to...
28th July, 2021
Climate change • Environment • Leadership • Local environment and waste • Research Reports
Local Government Explained Part 3: How are councils funded?
Local government finance can be mystifying. Taxes, rates, grants; shifting parametres and endless micro reforms. And yet how councils get their money has inescapable consequences for our places and...
23rd July, 2021
Explainer • Local government • Local government finance • Local government reform • Long read
Why we’re researching local solutions to climate change
Thinking of climate change through a local lens can help us find practical solutions, and stop searching for silver bullets. Luca Tiratelli on our new research project in partnership...
15th July, 2021
Climate change • Community Power • Environment • Local environment and waste • Research Reports
The community cure? Why hospitals can’t heal health inequalities
In the UK, access to healthcare may be egalitarian in principle, but outcomes are becoming less and less equal. Spurred on by the experience of Covid, a growing movement...
8th July, 2021
Community Power • Health and social care • Health care • Inequality and fairness • Long read • NHS
Re-occupying Union Street: How we built back our neighbourhood
A quarter of the buildings on Plymouth’s Union Street were standing empty until local residents decided to do something about it. Now they’ve taken over four – bringing hope,...
By Hannah Sloggett interviewed by Katy Oglethorpe
2nd July, 2021
Case study • Community Power • Community Voices • Place building • Podcast
4 reasons why the NHS needs community power
Rising demand, poor outcomes, public expectations and the need to bring humanity to healthcare are why giving more power to communities is the change the NHS needs argues Luca...
1st July, 2021
Community Power • Health • Health and social care • Health care
“Pursuing a better future”: Why we joined New Local’s network
Last month, Camden Council became the 54th member of New Local’s network of councils. Director Nick Kimber explores how community power is helping to build a better borough, and...
By Nick Kimber, London Borough of Camden
28th June, 2021
Council Voices • Councils Respond • Members • Strategy and leadership
Forget integration: we need to disintegrate our public services
How can we make sure integrated care systems work for local people? Alex Fox argues we need to avoid just integrating bureaucracies, but take the opportunity to put patients'...
By Alex Fox, Shared Lives Plus
23rd June, 2021
Community Power • Health • Health and social care • Public Services • Social Care
Why the north needs devolution — on our own terms
Robyn Vinter on how people in the north of England are hungry for change in their area, and why it needs to be locally-led to succeed.
By Robyn Vinter
21st June, 2021
Community engagement • Devolution and reorganisation • Economy and business • Northern England • Strategy and leadership
How we are tackling violent crime by listening to other young people
Jessica Tunks, 18 years old, shares the story of Streetbase in Waltham Forest – a project to tackle violent crime that shows the value of young people’s voices. ...
By Jessica Tunks, Streetbase Waltham Forest
15th June, 2021
Community Power • Crime and justice • London • Young people • Youth
“We have a democratic deficit in healthcare” Raj Jain on rethinking the NHS
New Local board member Raj Jain on moving beyond an "ill-health service".
By Raj Jain
8th June, 2021
Community Power • Health and social care • Health care • Public Health • Strategy and leadership
5 Routes to Community Power
What are the practical ways to make community power an everyday practice, not just a long-term ambition?
3rd June, 2021
Local Government Explained Part 2: What do councils do?
Ever wondered what your council tax was spent on, or what goes on inside a town hall? Read this explainer to find out.
27th May, 2021
Devolution and reorganisation • Explainer • Local government
How can we build ‘strong communities’?
Steve Skinner explores the features of strong communities and how local authorities can support them - from the grassroots up.
By Steve Skinner
25th May, 2021
‘Becoming the dog, not the wagging tail’: Transforming a Bristol estate
Mark Pepper was born and bred in Lawrence Weston, an historically neglected estate on the outskirts of Bristol. After one of the area’s last public spaces was closed, Mark...
24th May, 2021
Case study • Community Power • Community Voices • Podcast • Regeneration
3 Graphs that show the NHS is under threat
The NHS as we know it is increasingly unsustainable. These graphs show why - and how we need to change the way the NHS works if we want to...
20th May, 2021
What does Covid-19 mean for the inclusive growth agenda?
What's the role of inclusive growth in recovering from crisis? It's easy to see as a 'nice-to-have', but can be at the centre of helping us build back better.
18th May, 2021
Economy and business • Inclusive Growth • Research Reports • Welfare
The Narrowing Political Sphere and the Need for Community Power
Luca Tiratelli on how the Queen's Speech defines politics as something only done in Westminster, and why we need a community-first way of understanding democracy.
17th May, 2021
Political Systems • Politics • Third sector and civil society
Can community power help save our NHS?
Demand on the NHS is rising. To protect the future, the health service needs more than internal reform - it needs to reach outwards.
13th May, 2021
Community Power • Health and social care • Public Health • Public Services
‘Folks have lost half their body weight by singing. ‘ The GP doing things differently
Why do we keep sending people back to the conditions that have made them ill in the first place? This question is at the core of GP Dr Mark...
13th May, 2021
Case study • Community Power • Community Voices • Health • Health and social care • Health care • Podcast • Public Health
Citizens Assemblies: fashionable focus groups or the great hopes of democracy?
All over the world, people are coming together to make decisions on some of the major issues we're facing today. But what is the potential for real consensus vs...
11th May, 2021
Citizens Assemblies • Community engagement • Community Power • Deliberation • Democracy • Feature • Local government • Long read
Local Government Explained Part 1: Types of councils
Local government can seem complicated, but it's where local democracy happens. We start our explainer series by looking at the different types of council in England and what they...
5th May, 2021
Democracy • Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation • Explainer • Local government
2021 Mayoral Elections – what are the parties saying about community power in England?
Voters across Great Britain will head to the polls on 6 May 2021 for important national and local elections. But what are the main contenders saying about community power?...
30th April, 2021
Devolution and reorganisation • Explainer • Political Systems • Politics
The human cost of centralisation
The pandemic has highlighted the gap between local communities and central government. Communities rose to the challenge and came together, central government scrambled to react and lost trust. Jane...
By Jane Dudman
29th April, 2021
2021 Holyrood Election – what are the parties saying about community power in Scotland?
Voters across Great Britain will head to the polls on 6 May 2021 for important national and local elections. But what are the parties saying about community power and...
28th April, 2021
Devolution and reorganisation • Explainer • Political Systems • Politics • Scotland
Beyond the Westminster Circus: Statecraft vs Politics
The latest sleaze scandal shines a light on the rot within national politics. But a more serious, community powered model of democracy is emerging at a local level, writes...
27th April, 2021
Central government • Community Power • Leadership • Political Systems • Politics • Sleaze scandal
2021 Senedd Election – what are the parties saying about community power in Wales?
Voters across Great Britain will head to the polls on 6 May 2021 for important national and local elections. But what are the parties saying about community power and...
23rd April, 2021
Devolution and reorganisation • Explainer • Political Systems • Politics
3 ways to move beyond a service provider mentality
Andy Galloway shares the 'culture hacks' that can help you put people first in your organisation, from the impact of job titles to changing what you measure.
By Andy Galloway, New Citizenship
21st April, 2021
How to guide • Strategy and leadership • Third sector and civil society
The Super League: a major loss for community-powered football
While capitalism and football have rubbed together for years, the new Super League threatens to sever football clubs from the communities that built and help sustain them, writes Luca...
19th April, 2021
Overcoming challenges to community power
FutureGov's Craig Morbey reflects on the most common challenges that councils face when trying to implement community power approaches and how to overcome them.
By Craig Morbey, FutureGov
12th April, 2021
Right to regenerate: defining success
Luca Tiratelli on why the way we define 'community' and 'underused land' will determine the success of the government's new Right to Regenerate.
8th April, 2021
Do what you can to make change happen
PPL's Claire Kennedy on why 'now' is always the best time for change, and how to get started.
By Claire Kennedy, PPL
7th April, 2021
Community spaces: central to our national renewal
The Community Ownership Fund announced in the budget is designed to help communities buy local assets. Power to Change’s Nick Plumb looks at the difference that community ownership can...
By Nick Plumb, Power to Change
23rd March, 2021
Community Power • Devolution and reorganisation • Economy and business • public spaces
Community – the strongest thing of all
We reflect on New Local's recent Stronger Things online event - a range of inspiring conversations about communities and local government making a difference.
19th March, 2021
Smart devolution is the key to Whitehall reform
Giving local government more power isn’t a zero-sum game for central government. It can help the civil service improve as well. How devolution could be the missing ingredient of...
By Dr Simon Kaye and Adam Hawksbee
17th March, 2021
Why the Treasury needs a Wellbeing Approach to Budgeting
Rishi Sunak's budget announcement raised familiar debates about how to best secure growth. But what if we were measuring the wrong kind of growth? Luca Tiratelli puts forward the...
8th March, 2021
Budgeting • Central government • Community Power • Economy and business • Wellbeing
Levelling Up? Not when the NHS gets 1%, while the City’s 1% prosper
Last week's budget has caused controversy with its low payrise for nurses. But what gained less attention was loosened rules around stock market trading - intending to bring more...
8th March, 2021
Central government • Economy and business • Finance • Financial Regulation • Levelling Up
Animation: What is Community Power?
To mark the two-year anniversary of The Community Paradigm, we’ve released a new animation explaining the big idea behind community power. And why it’s needed right now. We’ve also...
4th March, 2021
Podcast: Revisiting the Community Paradigm
In this podcast, Adam and Jess introduce a brand new preface for the Community Paradigm - reflecting on new context created by the Covid pandemic, and the increased urgency...
4th March, 2021
The Community Paradigm – Introducing a New Preface
To mark two years since the report's first publication - and to reflect the dramatic change in our national circumstances and outlook - Adam Lent and Jessica Studdert have...
4th March, 2021
Budget 2021 explained: the fund-amentals for communities
Our Budget 2021 explainer for local community funding - from the difference between the Community Renewal Fund and the Community Ownership Fund.
3rd March, 2021
Economy and business • Explainer • political economy • Strategy and leadership
Sparking the ‘alchemy’ of community power
Places are where the power of different communties can come together and come to life, write PPL's Claire Kenedy ahead of our Stronger Things 2021 event.
By Claire Kennedy, PPL
3rd March, 2021
Community Power • Devolution and reorganisation • Third sector and civil society
Why I’m Building a Youth-Powered School
Jaiden, 19, is a trustee at Rekindle School - the South Manchester-based supplementary school where everything - from the curriculum, to safeguarding, to funding, will be youth-led. Before speaking...
1st March, 2021
Community Power • Education and skills • Schools • Stronger Things • Video • Young people