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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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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.
28th January, 2022
We should rip welfare policy out of the hands of a failing Westminster
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
Funding Cohesion with the Hopeful Towns Bid-Builder
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
Why councils should back the new call for a community power act
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
Avoiding the pitfalls of community power – 3 tips for councils
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
Dear Michael Gove, here’s what real devolution looks like
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explores the difference between a devolution designed to empower communities and places and one that is stuck in an outdated...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
Why the left should back community power
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
How to design relationship-centred services
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
MPs and Councillors have nothing to fear from Community Power
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
Political reset: Why it’s high time for a Community Power Act
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
No Kate Bingham, science won’t solve our government’s problems
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
4 steps for building a community-led high street
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
How community power helps us find common ground on climate change and housing
Listening to communities can unlock co-benefits.
22nd November, 2021
Climate change • Community Power • Housing • Housing and planning • Research Reports
The current NHS crisis is the result of repeated failures to overturn a broken model of healthcare
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
Building better: Three principles for community-powered housing
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
How to take more risks – 9 practical tips
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
This week shows only ground-up pressure will change an inert and dysfunctional Westminster
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
How can councils help shape stories of place?
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
Climate Change: Why the local is the missing piece of our response
How do we blast through the inertia currently gripping British climate policy making?
8th November, 2021
6 principles for developing a story of council and place
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
How to become more community powered – 3 starting points
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
“Genuine reform is needed now”: Prof Donna Hall and Anna Severwright on fixing our broken social care
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
5 reasons the Spending Review wasn’t good news for local government
Looking more closely at the detail beneath the positive Budget headlines.
28th October, 2021
Finance • Local government • Local government finance • Policy • Politics
Out of COP and into communities: why the Government needs to make room for local climate action
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
Can better data lead to better decisions for local councils?
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
Three lessons from local fights against climate change
What can local battles against climate change teach us about what needs to happen on the national stage?
20th October, 2021
How local actions can tackle climate change
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
A community powered economy: 3 principles
As the world reels from an accelerating environmental crisis, Adam Lent details a vision of a sustainable economy that has local communities rather than big business at its heart....
12th October, 2021
Behavourial economics • Community Power • Economy and business • Long read
Community-powered Conservatism: 3 ideas set to sweep government
Community power hit the political mainstream on Sunday, as Michael Gove used one of his first platforms as Secretary of State to endorse the idea of putting people in...
6th October, 2021
Community Power • Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation • Politics
New Tory MPs: We need to put power into hands of communities to level up the country
In a paper published by New Local, ten Conservative MPs elected in 2019 have said its time for their party to ‘trust the people’ and caution that money alone...
2nd October, 2021
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