In Practice: Building community power skills in Westmorland and Furness
About the Project
We worked with Westmorland and Furness Council as a strategic partner to help shape a shared vision, strategic approach, and delivery plan for Community Power. As part of this, we co-designed and delivered a training package to build understanding and organisational readiness across the Council. Through close collaboration with HR, organisational development teams, and staff and member representatives, we developed tailored content exploring the what, why and how of community-powered ways of working. This formed the foundation for a longer-term cultural shift aligned with the Council’s renewed Strategic Vision.
Who we worked with
Westmorland and Furness Council
How we did it
- Worked in strategic partnership with the Council to co-develop a shared vision, approach and delivery plan for Community Power
- Convened a co-design group including HR, organisational development colleagues, staff, and elected members to shape the training offer
- Designed a bespoke training package focused on the principles, benefits, and practical application of community-powered ways of working
- Considered a range of delivery formats—online and in-person, single sessions and extended programmes—to meet diverse learning needs
- Integrated communications tools and accessible materials to support wider awareness and cultural change across the organisation
- Produced and tested all training materials in draft form with key stakeholders to ensure alignment with organisational priorities and readiness levels
What was achieved
- Designed and delivered a learning programme for officers, members and those participating in collaborative projects across Westmorland and Furness
- Capability building across teams to both facilitate and deliver training modules, ensuring learning is continued and more people are exposed to the ideas of the programme
“New Local worked with us to develop our training and learning programme for officers and Member’s as well as offering Kickstarter support for some projects in our area. They have been incredibly responsive, supportive and their expertise has really helped us to shape the future delivery of our training and learning programme. They are full of ideas and energy, and it’s been invaluable to work in partnership with an organisation leading on Community Power.”
Jade Gibson, Community Power Project Officer, Westmorland and Furness Council”
Image credit: Photo by Niklas Weiss on Unsplash
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