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Our latest blogs, long-reads, videos and podcasts about all-things community power, local government, public services, and more.
Our latest blogs, long-reads, videos and podcasts about all-things community power, local government, public services, and more.
Community power is growing as idea and a movement. But what does it mean in practice? What are its implications for policy? And what's next for this new paradigm?...
28th June, 2022
How does a council rebrand its place, building a story and narrative that helps it to thrive? We explore how it was done in York and Hackney.
19th May, 2022
Council Voices • Innovation • Local government • Narrative building • Rebrand
In our latest How We Did It event, we spoke to Zoe Sharratt of Gateshead Council. They've passed around 45 buildings and spaces to communities.
18th May, 2022
Asset transfer • Council Voices • Event Write-up • How to guide
How can we measure long-term change in an area? Lily O’Flynn shares tools and advice for evaluating place-based change.
By Lily O’Flynn, Senior Project Manager for Place Based Evaluations, Renaisi
16th May, 2022
Monitoring and Evaluation • Place building • Public Services • Strategy and leadership
Our new polling finds widespread public support for the idea of community power - including to tackle the cost of living crisis.
9th May, 2022
Community Power • Cost of Living • Levelling Up • Politics • Polling
Meet the UK's first Community Heath Workers, local people attached to a GP's surgery who check-in on the health of the neighbours. And who are already showing a different...
25th April, 2022
Health and social care • Health care • NHS • NHS reforms • Public Health
The new Shared Properity Fund promised a lot - slashing bureaucracy, giving local control, creating wealth. So why does it so closely replicate dumped EU funding? Joe Sarling finds...
14th April, 2022
Central government • Finance • Levelling Up • Local government finance
A round-up of some of the most notable take-aways from New Local’s festival of community power.
13th April, 2022
Community Voices • Events • Politics • Strategy and leadership • Stronger Things
The NHS is embarking on the biggest reforms of a generation - creating an integrated system that should usher in joined-up care and improved outcomes for patients. As new...
By Donna Hall, New Local & Bolton NHS Trust
12th April, 2022
Structural reform can only go so far. Claire Kennedy looks at why effective population health management means accepting that we don’t know exactly what that means – and working...
By Claire Kennedy, Managing Partner, PPL & Vice Chair, New Local
11th April, 2022
Health and social care • Leadership • NHS • Public Health • Public Services
The full text of the speech delivered by Angela Rayner at New Local's Stronger Things 2022 at the Guildhall, London on 29 March.
By Angela Rayner
4th April, 2022
Adam Lent interviews Rokhsana Fiaz, Mayor of Newham, on how a community power approach shapes the council’s work and her politics.
28th March, 2022
Community engagement • Community Voices • Leadership • Local government • Stronger Things
5 lessons from 15 years of supporting better outcomes by developing effective place-based partnerships.
By Simon Morioka, PPL
25th March, 2022
Health and social care • Participation and co-production • Place building • Public Services • Stronger Things
We spoke to TPXimpact’s Claire Hazelgrove about the importance of giving everyone a voice in change and the practical tips to help the public sector embrace community power.
21st March, 2022
Community engagement • Community Voices • Democracy • Events • Stronger Things
CitizenLab share their top tips for community engagement and explain the value of a dedicated digital engagement team.
By Vanja Pantic, CitizenLab
17th March, 2022
Community Cohesion • Events • Local government • Participation and co-production • Public Services • Stronger Things
We spoke to some of the leaders speaking on the ‘Doing Community Power’ panel at our Stronger Things event about their big ideas, overcoming doubters, and what they wish...
1st March, 2022
Community Power • Community Voices • design • Stronger Things
Interview with Waltham Forest's Laura Butterworth on lessons learnt from hosting a citizens' assembly.
28th February, 2022
Citizens Assemblies • Council Voices • Crime and justice • Deliberation • Event Write-up • Local government
In this crisis-ridden era, Adam Lent argues that a bigger state is needed but it must be a fundamentally different, community powered state.
23rd February, 2022
Climate change • Community Power Campaign • Covid-19 • Politics
The government’s new health white paper sets out steps towards what ‘joined-up care’ will really mean, finally recognising the centrality of place. Claire Kennedy finds much to celebrate, as...
By Claire Kennedy, Managing Director and co-founder, PPL and Vice Chair, New Local
16th February, 2022
Governance • Health and social care • Health care • NHS • Public Health
A year on from our report about community responses to the first lockdown, some local authorities have made great progress at working with community groups but others still struggle...
10th February, 2022
Community Power • Covid-19 • Local government • Research Reports • Third sector and civil society
Have we been here before? Jessica Studdert on the Levelling Up white paper, and how laudable ambitions have amounted to a familiar dearth of real powers or policy coherence...
2nd February, 2022
Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation • Levelling Up • Local government • Politics
Charlotte Morgan gives a rapid response to the Government's Levelling Up white paper - and what it really says about devolution.
2nd February, 2022
Grace Pollard explores how organisations can ask themselves: How are we listening? Who are we listening to? And does our listening lead to action?
31st January, 2022
Community engagement • Community Power • Culture • Democracy • Local government
Take a moment to reflect and learn, recharge and connect, and reboot the way you work at the community power event of the year.
28th January, 2022
Today’s announcement on Universal Credit is one more example of welfare policy set to serve the interests of the politically powerful rather than the unemployed and the economy.
27th January, 2022
Devolution • Employment • Local government • Politics • Welfare
Chris Clarke of HOPE Not Hate introduces a new tool to help councils find and secure funds for community cohesion projects.
By Chris Clarke, Policy Researcher at HOPE Not hate
24th January, 2022
Charities • Community Cohesion • Local government • Local government finance
A new campaign seeks support for a route to decentralisation that is more meaningful and radical than the government’s, writes Adam Lent
17th January, 2022
Community engagement • Community Power • Community Power Campaign • Devolution
Sheffield University’s Dr Matthew Wood shares three tips for councils aspiring to bring communities into decision making.
By Dr Matthew Wood
5th January, 2022
Community engagement • Community Power • Council Voices • Deliberation
Following the leak of Gove’s devolution plans, Adam Lent explores the difference between a devolution designed to empower communities and places and one that is stuck in an outdated...
14th December, 2021
Central government • Community Power • Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation • Politics
Luca Tiratelli responds to the view that community power can be a way of cutting public services.
10th December, 2021
Community Power • Economy and business • Local government finance • Politics
The Relationship Project's David Robinson shares a framework for making relationships essential to public services, not a 'nice to have'.
By David Robinson
8th December, 2021
Health and social care • Leadership • Public Services • Strategy and leadership
Some elected representatives find community power objectionable. Adam Lent explains why their concerns say more about the failings of the current system than about a community powered alternative.
6th December, 2021
Following the launch of the We’re Right Here campaign, Adam Lent explains why we’ve joined the drive to enshrine the rights of communities in law.
30th November, 2021
Community Power • Community Power Campaign • Community Voices • Devolution • Politics
A new breed of libertarianism argues that more scientific and data expertise are the only solutions to our democracy’s woes. Adam Lent counters that Westminster’s troubles originate in a...
25th November, 2021
Vidhya Alakeson looks at how to create social, not just commercial town centre spaces.
By Vidhya Alakeson
25th November, 2021
Community Rights • Economy and business • Finance • public spaces
Listening to communities can unlock co-benefits.
22nd November, 2021
Climate change • Community Power • Housing • Housing and planning • Research Reports
More short-term fixes will only lead to further crisis. It's time for leadership to change the narrative.
18th November, 2021
Health • Health and social care • Health care • NHS • Politics
We're building under half of the new homes we need, while millions live in unsuitable and overcrowded accommodation. What if involving communities in planning could succeed where decades of...
17th November, 2021
James Arrowsmith of Browne Jacobson shares his insights on how to overcome the fear of risk in your organisation.
By James Arrowsmith
15th November, 2021
Local goverment • Local government reform • Strategy and leadership
Holding onto second jobs and central power - Westminster is unable to change itself from within.
12th November, 2021
Community Power Campaign • Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation • Political Systems • Politics
Bonnie Hewson explores how co-production can help rebuild trust between councils and communities.
By Bonnie Hewson, Power to Change
10th November, 2021
Community Cohesion • Community engagement • Council Voices • Local government • Local government reform
How do we blast through the inertia currently gripping British climate policy making?
8th November, 2021
Stories aren’t a distraction from action but rather a way to nurture and inspire it.
3rd November, 2021
Community Cohesion • Community engagement • Council Voices • Local government • Local government voices
Introducing our new project on the ‘how’ of community power and our initial findings.
2nd November, 2021
Community Power • Local government • Local government reform • Research Reports
Anna and Donna discuss why we need to move beyond debating funding to creating a people-centred system.
1st November, 2021
Health • Health and social care • Health care • Public Health • Social Care
Looking more closely at the detail beneath the positive Budget headlines.
28th October, 2021
Finance • Local government • Local government finance • Policy • Politics
Jessica Studdert explains how disadvantaged communities can play a part in the fight against climate change - if they are given the power they need.
26th October, 2021
Climate change • Devolution • Economy and business • Local government
Mark Green, from the award-winning Local Data Spaces project, looks at how to improve data sharing to increase impact in your area.
By Dr Mark Green
25th October, 2021
Data • Local government • Local government finance • Public Services
What can local battles against climate change teach us about what needs to happen on the national stage?
20th October, 2021
Local action can play a major role in our response to climate change.
20th October, 2021
Climate change • Community Power • Devolution and reorganisation • Research Reports