Tag: Community Power

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

Ideas and reflections on the challenges of: Developing a simple narrative that is owned by partners and communities, not just the council, and reflects the diversity of voices and experiences in the place; Making the narrative meaningful in practice and...

19th May, 2022

Community engagement • Community Power • Community Voices • Narrative building • Place building • Strategy and leadership

We’re calling for a Community Power Act, a major piece of legislation which would fundamentally change where power lies in this country. The Act would: Create three new community rights over spaces, services and spending Introduce Community Covenants Establish...

13th May, 2022

Central government • Community Power • Community Power Campaign • Policy

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

Two thirds of people do not trust national politicians to address the mounting cost of living crisis.

8th May, 2022

Community Power • Community Power Campaign • Devolution • Leadership • Local government • Politics

Came to Stronger Things and want to hear more? This follow up event, held with our headline partner TPXimpact, will explore in more depth the practical steps for organisations to achieve their community power ambitions to a high standard.

8th April, 2022

Community Power • Events • Stronger Things

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

Ideas and reflections on embedding a more autonomous and permissive working culture; building greater resilience within the workforce; and creating a culture of co-production with local partners and communities.

2nd March, 2022

Commissioning and Procurement • Community Power • Culture • Participation and co-production • Partnerships

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

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

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

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 • Deliberation

Meet others who are working on the same stuff as you in these subject-specific deep-dive sessions.

5th January, 2022

Community Power • Councils Respond • Culture

Councils that seriously engage their residents build deep relationships of trust that enable them to transform a place together. This kind of shared agenda saves you money, time and aggro down the road because the whole community is bought...

4th January, 2022

Community Cohesion • Community engagement • Community Power

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

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

Listening to communities can unlock co-benefits.

22nd November, 2021

Climate change • Community Power • Housing • Housing and planning • Research Reports

Giving councils and communities more power to drive new development will finally start to solve a housing crisis made worse by decades of government reform, finds new research. Housing Beyond Markets and State, by think tank New Local argues...

17th November, 2021

Community Power • Housing • Housing and planning

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 • Housing and planning • Ostrom

Ideas and reflections centred around three main challenges: Engaging the whole community on climate change. Telling an external story connecting local and global environmental issues. Ensuring climate change is a priority across the council.

8th November, 2021

Climate change • Community engagement • Community Power • Members • Mobilisation • Strategy and leadership

How do we blast through the inertia currently gripping British climate policy making?

8th November, 2021

Climate change • Community Power • Environment • Politics

How can we make community power real? To help councils who want to adopt a community powered approach across their organisation, we are developing a practical resource full of insights and learning from the people pioneering new approaches. The...

2nd November, 2021

Community Power • Local government • Local government reform

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

What can local battles against climate change teach us about what needs to happen on the national stage?

20th October, 2021

Case study • Climate change • Community Power

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

Local action is the ‘missing piece’ of plans to fight climate change.

20th October, 2021

Climate change • Community Power • Devolution • Research Reports

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. Contrary to popular opinion, big business and big government share...

12th October, 2021

Behavourial economics • Community Power • Economy and business • Long read

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 charge of local services and social infrastructure.

6th October, 2021

Community Power • Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation • Politics

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 will solve the problems facing the country.

2nd October, 2021

Community Power • Conservatives • Levelling Up • Politics

New Local and the New Social Covenant Unit are pleased to co-publish this report by 10 Conservative MPs.

2nd October, 2021

Community Power • Devolution • Politics

Watch videos from the New Local event.

30th September, 2021

Community Power • Community Voices • Council Voices

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 area – wherever you are from. Before the pandemic...

16th September, 2021

Community Power • Community Voices • Culture • Inequality and fairness • Northern England

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.

9th September, 2021

Community engagement • Community Power • Community Voices • Place building

Ideas and reflections centred around three main challenges: building trust with communities; creating an organisational culture that values and enables community deliberation; and ensuring that councils are engaging with and hearing from all their communities.

1st September, 2021

Community engagement • Community Power • Culture • Democracy

We're looking for community leaders to develop and lead a major new campaign for community power.

18th August, 2021

Community Power • Community Power Campaign • Politics

During lockdown, there was a surprising increase in local participation - demonstrating the positive role of community power in emergencies.

16th August, 2021

Community Power • Councils Respond • Democracy • Mutual Aid

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 decided to add a bit of colour, playfulness and plastic...

29th July, 2021

Case study • Community Power • Community Voices • Interview • Podcast • Regeneration

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 with Groundwork and Grosvenor.

15th July, 2021

Climate change • Community Power • Environment • Local environment and waste • Research Reports

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 is building solutions - not within hospitals or GP surgeries,...

8th July, 2021

Community Power • Health and social care • Health care • Inequality and fairness • Long read • NHS

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, jobs, money and fun to an area that felt the...

2nd July, 2021

Case study • Community Power • Community Voices • Place building • Podcast

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 Tiratelli.

1st July, 2021

Community Power • Health • Health and social care • Health care

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' needs first.

23rd June, 2021

Community Power • Health • Health and social care • Public Services • Social Care

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.

15th June, 2021

Community Power • Crime and justice • London • Young people • Youth

New Local board member Raj Jain on moving beyond an "ill-health service".

8th June, 2021

Community Power • Health and social care • Health care • Public Health • Strategy and leadership

What are the practical ways to make community power an everyday practice, not just a long-term ambition?

3rd June, 2021

Community Power • Strategy and leadership

Balancing short-term and long-term political and financial pressures with the imperative to respond meaningfully to the climate emergency.

25th May, 2021

Budgeting • Climate change • Community engagement • Community Power • Culture • Finance • Members • Mobilisation • Strategy and leadership