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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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How We Did It: Using outcomes focused relational working to reduce demand on statutory services

Graham Beamish and Marie Pye explain how Suffolk and Norfolk County Councils have saved 1000 years’ worth of care days for children and young people.

17th February, 2025

Social Care Solutions: Leading Essex’s Commission for Change

Cllr Beverley Egan is a councillor for Thundersley in south-east Essex. In 2023, she was appointed to chair of Essex Council’s Caring Communities Commission, an ambitious two-year look at...

5th February, 2025

What is the ‘new local’? Power, prevention and place

As the Government’s agenda for local government, devolution and public services takes shape, a ‘new local’ is emerging, built on the principles of power, prevention and place.

27th January, 2025

New Local response: English Devolution White Paper

New Local response to the English Devolution White Paper

16th December, 2024

The roots of a more radical shift

The government needs an overarching strategy for public service reform that dispenses with traditional Whitehall ‘business as usual’ assumptions, writes Jessica Studdert.

13th December, 2024

Platform for change: Hosting the biggest ever conversation about the NHS

As the NHS grapples with significant challenges, a new approach to public consultation is giving citizens and healthcare staff the power to shape its future. In the largest-ever conversation...

4th December, 2024

Where We’re At: Vale of Glamorgan Edition

Rob Thomas, Chief Executive of Vale of Glamorgan Council, tells us about the council’s deepening partnership approach, why there’s no ‘one size fits all’ approach to delivering vital local...


By Rob Thomas, Chief Executive, Vale of Glamorgan Council

26th November, 2024

New Local Appoints Jessica Studdert as Chief Executive

New Local has appointed local government and public service reform expert Jessica Studdert as its new Chief Executive

19th November, 2024

How We Did It: Community Wealth Building – using council power for communities

Caroline Wilson, Director of Inclusive Economy and Jobs at Islington Borough Council, explains how the council’s approach to community wealth building has emerged and deepened, how it’s helping to...

11th November, 2024

Addressing the structural weakness at Whitehall’s heart

The new Government has an opportunity to shift the institutions at SW1 to actively seek insight beyond its small postcode, says Jessica Studdert.

11th November, 2024

Cradle to Career: How place-based collaboration is transforming North Birkenhead

In North Birkenhead a unique programme is joining up services and putting community priorities at the heart of decision making, creating impact that could be a model for national...

7th November, 2024

What does local government need from the Autumn Budget?

Jessica Studdert identifies three shifts local government needs from the first fiscal event of the new Parliament.

23rd October, 2024

How We Did It: Using our equalities strategy to address power imbalances between council and communities

We put Hal Khanom in our ‘How We Did It’ hot seat to hear how the London Borough of Barnet has developed its equalities strategy, A Fairer Barnet.

17th October, 2024

Embedding meaningful participation through devolution

Devolution should move beyond technocratic functionality and embed meaningful participation and dialogue in decision-making, says Jessica Studdert.

14th October, 2024

Three spending shifts: How the Government can propel person-centred funding

The traditional siloed model of public services is ineffective for complex societal problems. But three public spending shifts can change this.


By Grace Duffy, Bridges Outcomes Partnerships

20th September, 2024

Where We’re At: Wealden Edition

Matthew China, Policy, Insight and Communications Manager at Wealden District Council tells us about Wealden’s ambition to become a community-powered council, how it’s building on strong foundations to take...


By Matthew China, Policy, Insight and Communications Manager at Wealden District Council

10th September, 2024

Total Place ‘Pilots Plus’ could help break the public service doom loop

With the Autumn Budget in sight, Former Secretary of State John Denham and New Local’s Jessica Studdert make the case for Total Place 2.0.


By John Denham

9th September, 2024

10 leadership practices which empower communities

Enfield Council’s Grace Murray shares ten pointers for community-powered leadership.


By Grace Murray, Volunteer and Involvement Lead at Enfield Community Hubs

5th September, 2024

How can services and communities collaborate to improve wellbeing? Lessons from Wales

By listening to and valuing the insights of communities, the public sector can build better services, improve outcomes and use limited resources more wisely. But what are the essential...


By Charlotte Morgan, Wales Centre for Public Policy

14th August, 2024

Labour’s way forward? More lightning

After a bold start, the Government has an opportunity to pursue a test and learn approach to place-based service reform, says Jessica Studdert.

12th August, 2024

New Local statement on racist and Islamophobic violence

We at New Local condemn the racist and Islamophobic violence that black, Asian and migrant communities have been subjected to over recent days.

8th August, 2024

How Local Authorities Are Thinking Differently Under Unprecedented Financial Pressures

Councils are facing reduced funding, rising demand and increasing costs. New Local and IPPO's research project explores how local authorities are responding and what we can learn.


By Urte Macikene, Kezia Pugh and Jessica Studdert

31st July, 2024

“When people believe they have power, magic starts to happen”: Katie Kelly on Radical Leadership

New Local Chair Katie Kelly talks to Shaheen Warren from our practice team ahead of our brand-new Radical Leaders event in September. Expect topics from leadership icons to Damascene...

29th July, 2024

Leadership Lucky Draw: Kath O’Dwyer, St Helens

Kath O'Dwyer has spent the last 40 years making her mark in public service, most lately as the chief executive of St Helens Council. Picking questions at random, she...

22nd July, 2024

Community Power in an Age of Division

Sometimes even the most well-meaning idea can be turned into a source of polarisation and anger. How can deliberative and consensus-building approaches be used to take the heat out...


By Steph Draper, Misbah Malik, Samuel Augustine, Eve Holt

22nd July, 2024

Nine things national government can learn from local government

New MPs have arrived for their first day on the job, the Cabinet is in post, and the wheels of government are turning once more. Catriona Maclay puts forward...

11th July, 2024

How We Did It: Measuring the impact of community-led approaches

Lydia Hutchings and Beth Kilheeney explain how the Greater Manchester Better Outcomes Partnership works with young people to prevent homelessness and how the project is being evaluated.

11th July, 2024

Democratic Dreaming: How to Shake the Dust off Area Forums 

For many councils, area forums are at the heart of democratic engagement. But despite nobel intentions, some have drifted away from their purpose. How do we reimagine them?

1st July, 2024

How can you build resilience locally? Three principles from the Resilient Communities Fund

Imran Hashmi outlines three principles for local authorities to strengthen their support for community businesses.

17th June, 2024

Stronger Things heeds the call for powerful communities

Local Trust’s CEO Matt Leach shares three key takeaways from Stronger Things 2024.


By Matt Leach, CEO, Local Trust

17th June, 2024

Stronger Things is strengthening us all

Reflections on Stronger Things 2024 by Brendan Martin, Public World.


By Brendan Martin, Public World

7th June, 2024

Why you should be at Stronger Things 2024

Five reasons why we think Stronger Things might just be the most valuable eight hours of your year.

20th May, 2024

Leadership Lucky Draw: Kathy O’Leary, Stroud DC

Kathy O'Leary is the Chief Executive of Stroud in Gloucestershire. We dig into Kathy's leadership secrets as she picks questions at random from our lucky draw - from how...

15th May, 2024

Three local government priorities for the next Parliament 

As she steps into an interim CEO role, Jessica Studdert puts forward three proposals for the next government, at a critical time for councils.

13th May, 2024

If I was dictator for a day, this is how I would transform local government…

In his last week as chief executive of New Local, Adam Lent ditches sensible moderation and describes the change we really need: radical integration, radical devolution and radical community...

2nd May, 2024

More than bins and potholes: celebrating local councils this election day

On local election day we're celebrating some of the many ways councils are transforming their places with the help of community power.

2nd May, 2024

Solution to Labour’s public services dilemma is just a train ride away

Labour lacks a strategy for a public sector under unprecedented pressure. The solution can be found on the frontline, says Adam Lent.

8th April, 2024

Community power: top questions answered

Adam Lent tackles some of the most common questions about community power in the public sector, from its benefits, to real-life examples, to its why its time has come...

8th April, 2024

Radical Leadership Lessons: Community as well as Institutions

Adam Lent reflects on New Local’s fourth Radical Leadership session with local government leaders.

4th April, 2024

Where We’re At: Reigate and Banstead Edition

Mari Roberts-Wood, Managing Director at Reigate and Banstead Council tells us about what makes the council unique and what you can expect to find along Banstead’s majestic Narnia Trail...


By Mari Roberts-Wood, Managing Director at Reigate and Banstead Council

27th March, 2024

“This is our street”: How community-powered play creates health, happiness and connection

Summer Simpson speaks to Lucy Colbeck, programme manager at Playing Out, about the benefits of street play for local communities, growing support for the movement in local and central...

26th March, 2024

“Everything we do is driven by our communities”: Inside Test Valley’s ground-breaking approach to community engagement

From giving residents a blank sheet to determine the council’s priorities, to making statutory consultation processes interactive and fun, Test Valley Borough Council is pushing the envelope on community...

20th March, 2024

A weaker local government means a weaker Britain

The suffocation of local government leaves Britain profoundly weaker just as the world becomes more hostile, says Adam Lent.

14th March, 2024

Leadership Lucky Draw: Katie Kelly

As Depute Chief Executive of Scotland's East Aryshire council, Katie Kelly was a leading part of some of the most radical power sharing done by any UK council. Now...

14th March, 2024

Making community power business as usual: How to learn by doing

New Local’s senior practice lead Catriona Maclay explains how Barnet Council is supporting staff to embed community power across the borough and shares six lessons from the journey so...

11th March, 2024

Leadership Lucky Draw: Tony Clements, Ealing

The chief executive of Ealing council takes a chance on our Leadership Lucky Draw, exploring topics from how to get things done, to why Ealing is taking a positive...

7th March, 2024

How We Did It: Building intentionally inclusive community conversations

Jo Fitzpatrick and Jim Leyland explain how Wakefield Council had a Big Conversation with residents, training 100 ‘conversationalists’ to have over 1,300 face-to-face conversations with people across the district...

4th March, 2024

Leadership Lucky Draw: Anthony Okereke, Greenwich

Anthony Okereke is the Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich. He took on New Local's leadership lucky draw.

29th February, 2024

Leadership Lucky Draw: Bev Craig, Manchester

The leader of Manchester City Council takes on our Leadership Lucky Draw, answering questions ranging from dream dinner party guests to how her upbringing shaped her.

22nd February, 2024

Brendan Martin and Cormac Russell respond: Public service leadership at a time of ‘permacrisis’

Social entrepreneurs Brendan Martin and Cormac Russell share their take on Adam Lent’s recent blog about radical public service leadership developed with key figures in our network.


By Brendan Martin, founder and MD of Public World, and Cormac Russell, founder and CEO of Nurture Development

20th February, 2024

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