This member-exclusive Innovation Explored explores community-powered methods to put residents at the heart of budgeting decisions and how to shift to more open dialogue about what stretched finances mean for services.

13th September, 2024


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 ingredients for effective collaboration? And how can you overcome barriers...

14th August, 2024


New Local worked with the newly formed Westmorland and Furness Council to develop a vision, strategic approach and delivery plan to put communities at the heart of its operating model.

12th August, 2024


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 talks life outside work, inspirational quotes, and why she's a...

22nd July, 2024


Tackling inequalities within communities is a vital issue for all local authorities. But often equalities strategies do not deliver for residents in a way that they expect or need. How can you centre equity in your Council’s work to...

22nd July, 2024


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 of public discourse? Five changemakers share their insights.

22nd July, 2024


Councils have long aspired to engage residents in hyper-local decisions and collaboration through local democratic structures like Area Forums. There are great examples out there, but amidst a huge trust gap between citizens and public institutions, many councils are...

18th July, 2024


Maximising and building a strong local economy is essential to help communities thrive. Councils can use economic levers and work with their communities, anchor institutions and businesses to help drive forward their local economy. At this session we will hear...

18th July, 2024


Real-time data is a powerful tool for councils. Throughout the life cycle of a project, data can show what works and what doesn’t, leading to better decision making and improved outcomes.

10th July, 2024


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


Our latest research project has focused on exploring Community powered regeneration. The project is in partnership with Browne Jacobson and Local Partnerships. We have been exploring how the current approach to development could create more opportunity for participation and...

11th June, 2024


Our latest research project has focused on exploring Community powered regeneration. The project is in partnership with Browne Jacobson and Local Partnerships. We have been exploring how the current approach to development could create more opportunity for participation and...

11th June, 2024


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


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


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

4th April, 2024


This member-exclusive Innovation Explored takes a look at how councils can develop their focus on community wellbeing.

4th April, 2024


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 (complete with a lion, a witch and a wardrobe).

27th March, 2024


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 government, why residents should stay in the driving seat and...

26th March, 2024


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 engagement.

20th March, 2024


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 far.

11th March, 2024


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 to find out what they like about their area and...

4th March, 2024



New Local's senior practice lead Catriona Maclay explains how Wealden District Council is charting its path to community power using transparent, collaborative self-evaluation.

6th February, 2024


Eleanor Brown shares three lessons from piloting designing thinking at Enfield Council, and makes the case for problem solving from the outside in.

1st February, 2024


A former secretary of state is calling for Total Place style pooled budgets as the best use of public spending when there is no financial quick fix for public services. Place-based budgets would allow services and communities to allocate...

31st January, 2024


North Central London Integrated Care Board (ICB) recognised that some communities face barriers to accessing health and care services which plays a significant factor in widening health inequalities. They wanted to listen to those communities, understand their barriers and...

14th December, 2023


Alongside the drive for growth, tapping into the wealth of insight, energy and tangible assets in communities will help us solve our most formidable challenges, writes Adam Lent.

13th December, 2023


Five brilliant examples of what communities can achieve when money and decision-making power are in their hands.

11th December, 2023


A vibrant community set around an ancient village on the edge of Darlington, Haughton and Springfield has its challenges. But a wealth of local pride and a strong voluntary network knits people together, say Darlington Borough Council’s Chris McEwan...

6th December, 2023


Measuring and feeding back as a continual cycle to projects, gives the opportunity to improve outcomes for communities.  A vital element of setting up any new project is how to measure impact and how to demonstrate the individual voice...

28th November, 2023


Helen Chicot from Rochdale Council introduces a three-year project which has used Good Help principles to tackle the council’s most pressing challenges, transforming the way the way it works and its relationships with residents.

24th November, 2023


Helen Chicot from Rochdale Council introduces a three-year project which has used Good Help principles to tackle the council’s most pressing challenges, transforming the way the way it works and its relationships with residents.

23rd November, 2023


Councils are often looking for new and innovative ways to engage and hear from people in their communities.   Designing spaces and conversations that ensure you create a comfortable and productive space for everyone is essential, especially if you want...

16th November, 2023


Mila Lukic from Bridges Outcomes Partnerships spells out the problem with centralisation and why we need to think about service design and delivery in a very different way.

16th November, 2023


Fife Council's Mike Enston tells us about the challenge of growing inequalities, the council’s ambitions to redistribute power to the community and why you can’t visit Fife without enjoying some award-winning fish and chips.

9th November, 2023


“We’re not going to get out of this situation with increased efficiency… The Community Appointment Days were a real shake up of the system.” In the face of the unrelenting demand crisis, radical innovation is required. This is what...

31st October, 2023


We worked with Stockport Council and its partners to inform future neighbourhood working arrangements, particularly in relation to local area working among communities, health and social care teams.

20th October, 2023


Lorinda Freint from Richmond and Wandsworth Councils and Bex Trevalyan from Platform Places introduce a new process to unlock town centre buildings and explain how they got started in Wandsworth Town.

17th October, 2023


Lorinda Freint from Richmond and Wandsworth Councils and Bex Trevalyan from Platform Places introduce Local Property Partnerships and explain how it’s helping tackle high street decline in Wandsworth Town.

17th October, 2023


TPXimpact's Charlotte Obijiaku shares highlights from our recent workshop showcasing six stories of community power, and makes the case for deeper collaboration.

6th October, 2023


Built on the power of relationships, this project brought together local residents with lived experience of poverty and key decision makers in the public, private and third sectors to identify solutions to poverty in Trafford.

13th September, 2023


Local government must look beyond conventional consultation approaches to drive forward the environmental agenda that Westminster is so easily abandoning, writes Adam Lent.

13th September, 2023


We worked with Stockport Council, Healthwatch Stockport and the People and Community Voice Sub-Group in Greater Manchester to shape proposals for how people and communities can be put at the core of the new ICS model and Locality Board...

12th September, 2023


There are signs that community power could be becoming a political reality. We speak to TPXimpact’s Claire Hazelgrove on the imperative of seizing the moment.

11th September, 2023


Xia Lin from Toynbee Hall introduces a research method designed to embed resident participation in local change-making.

6th September, 2023


Xia Lin from Toynbee Hall introduces a research method designed to embed resident participation in local change-making and explains how co-design principles can be used to level the power playing field.

6th September, 2023


Following the great discussion at Stronger Things 2023, TPXimpact bring you this interactive and instructional event to help you make Community Power tangible in your place. This online workshop is open to all whether you are a New Local...

10th July, 2023


Big Local is a Lottery funded programme that committed £1m each to 150 neighbourhoods across England. These communities were given 10-15 years to spend the funding, at their own pace and according to their own plans and priorities. The...

29th June, 2023


The Islington Inequality Taskforce was established to develop recommendations for how Islington Council could address inequality and poverty, taking account of residents’ hopes and aspirations.

16th June, 2023


Councils are constantly looking for new ways to engage their residents, from citizens’ assemblies to listening sofas. Critical to doing this well is to understand and to tell the story of the relationship between citizen and state. What should...

15th June, 2023