Community groups

  • Councils 'struggling' to tackle cohesion threats

    25 March 2024

    Councils are struggling to tackle threats to social cohesion due to a lack of support from central government, according to a major review.


  • Councils try to tackle rising community tensions

    17 October 2023

    Councils have taken a key role as they seek to tackle rising community tensions stoked by events in Israel and Gaza.


  • Only the lonely

    30 May 2023

    Loneliness is an increasing problem. It needs to be everyone’s problem if we are to tackle it, says Lisa McNally.


  • Mayors do not lead to better outcomes, polling finds

    19 December 2022

    People do not think mayors lead to better outcomes for their community, polling by a coalition of community groups has found.


  • Levelling up locally

    02 November 2022

    Whitehall’s levelling up ambitions might wither, but councils can still deliver, says Andy Starkie.


  • Mayor 'baffled' by community unrest

    20 September 2022

    Leicester’s directly-elected mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby, has said he is ‘baffled’ by the widespread disorder in the city.


  • Building better relationships with the voluntary sector

    14 July 2022

    After the pandemic, Oxfordshire CC was determined to build on its relationship with the voluntary and community sector, says Cllr Mark Lygo


  • Commission calls for shift of focus in levelling up

    20 September 2021

    The Commission into Prosperity and Community Placemaking has concluded investment should be made in local neighbourhoods rather than grand infrastructure projects.


  • Buckinghamshire’s new collaborations

    30 March 2021

    Claire Hawkes outlines Buckinghamshire Council’s community board approach to distributing COVID-19 crisis funding, using a ‘light-touch, but robust application process’.


  • Report exposes local-national divide over pandemic

    02 November 2020

    Fractures between local and national decision-makers have been highlighted in a new report examining responses to the coronavirus crisis.


  • Councils advised to avoid term ‘lockdown’

    18 August 2020

    Experts have advised councils to avoid using the term ‘lockdown’ when discussing the reinstatement of coronavirus restrictions.


  • Keeping positive outside crisis time

    28 July 2020

    The better nature of people has come to the fore during the recent pandemic, but how do we keep the momentum going in more ‘normal’ times? Dan Corry poses the question.


  • Community groups attitude key to success

    14 July 2020

    Council attitudes towards community groups have a ‘clear impact’ on their success and sustainability, a think-tank report has found.


  • Free community groups to take on assets - think-tank

    03 June 2020

    Powers allowing community groups to take on local assets should be kick-started to build on the volunteer spirit generated by COVID says a report released today.


  • Community ties strengthen as economies unravel

    26 May 2020

    Community cohesion is at an all-time high despite plummeting economic confidence during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new survey of local government chiefs and leaders.


  • Councils' plea to support voluntary sector

    31 March 2020

    A group of councils has written to the Government demanding action to protect community organisations during the coronavirus crisis.


  • Organising for change

    26 February 2020

    Dominic Campbell looks ahead to the NLGN’s upcoming flagship event, assessing how the sector can make the most of the power of change


  • Bristol mayor creates UK-first social investment scheme

    30 September 2019

    Bristol’s mayor is hoping to mobilise the investment power of businesses to tackle the city’s challenges in a scheme thought to be the first of its kind in the UK.


  • Pride in Camden

    24 September 2019

    Camden LBC's leader Georgia Gould and chief executive Jenny Rowlands explain to Heather Jameson how they are reshaping council meetings and pulling in their communities to create a modern, vibrant council of the future.


  • Regenerating Rochford’s high street

    14 August 2019

    High streets everywhere are feeling the pinch, but Rochford is experimenting with new ways of increasing visitor footfall and engaging the community. Shaun Scrutton reports