Category: Articles

At a time when debates are polarised, politics feels stale, and the country is looking for answers to big challenges, it is clearer than ever that we need to think differently about public services and policy development. No matter...

4th August, 2022

Community engagement • Community Power • Local government

Jessica Studdert on a new way of treating healthcare: one that puts communities – and therefore prevention – first.

12th July, 2022

Community engagement • Community Paradigm • Community Power • Health and social care

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? New Local Chief Executive Adam Lent tackles some of the...

28th June, 2022

Community engagement • Community Power • Explainer

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

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 • Events • 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.

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 • Levelling Up • Politics

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 possible future for primary care.

25th April, 2022

Health and social care • 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 a severe case of centralised civil service-ese.

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 guidance on local partnerships is published, Prof Donna Hall diagnoses...

12th April, 2022

Health and social care

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 together to create better outcomes.

11th April, 2022

Health and social care • Leadership • 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.

4th April, 2022

Community Power • Leadership • Local government • Politics

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.

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.

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 they knew earlier.

1st March, 2022

Community Power • Community Voices • Design • Stronger Things

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 well as big questions to be answered.

16th February, 2022

Governance • Health and social care • 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 to collaborate.

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 for […]

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

Community Power • Devolution • Levelling Up

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

Events • Health and social care • Stronger Things

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.

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.

5th January, 2022

Community engagement • Community Power • Council Voices

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 focus on growth and productivity.

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'.

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

Community Power • Devolution • Political Systems • Politics

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 crisis […]

25th November, 2021

Central government • Governance • Politics

Vidhya Alakeson looks at how to create social, not just commercial town centre spaces.

25th November, 2021

Economy and business • Finance • Place building

Listening to communities can unlock co-benefits.

22nd November, 2021

Climate change • Community Power • Housing • 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 and social care • 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 reforms have failed? Pawda Tjoa on how councils can construct...

17th November, 2021

Community Power • Housing • Ostrom