Community groups
Bristol mayor creates UK-first social investment scheme
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
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
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
Reducing the risks from transition
The May local elections returned significant numbers of new councillors including new single issue groups. Abdool Kara examines the role of chief executives in actively managing the transition.
Collaborative leadership for thriving places
PlaceMakers is a programme that brings local leaders from all sectors together to develop a collective understanding of their place. Anna Randle and Alex Khaldi explain why single-sector leadership development programmes are not enough.
Local government has a crucial role to play in maximising crowdfunding’s potential
Jonathan Bone says maximising the opportunities available through crowdfunding will require a 'different kind of local government with a different culture, ways of working and relationship with communities’.
Building without the battles
While 2018 saw community resistance to regeneration projects, Colin Crooks believes there are some signs of optimism for the growing regeneration activity in 2019
Let’s rebuild support for our voluntary bodies
Something is not right in the state of the relationship between local government and the voluntary and community sector – yet the importance of a productive collaboration has never been greater, argues chair of NAVCA John Tizard.
Lord Bourne urges bids for Windrush Day events cash
As the MHCLG launches a £500,000 fund to support councils and community groups in putting on events to celebrate national Windrush Day Communities Minister Lord Bourne says local authorities have a powerful role to play
Say ‘no’ to municipal censorship
When grassroots activists proactively engage in the democratic process, they should be allowed to do so without municipal censorship, argues Claire Fox
Building a better sense of community
Dan Corry looks at the launch of the Government’s Civil Society Strategy and asks whether it can move us forward to create a society that works for the benefit of all communities.
Participatory budgeting 'outstanding success'
Independent research has found Dundee City Council’s participatory budgeting (PB) was an ‘outstanding success’ that should act as an inspiration to other local authorities.
We need to be using the 'C' word - conversation
We need to be talking with, not to, our communities about what would work in their places, writes Louise Round.
Empowering your residents
Authorities can empower residents by changing behaviour and enlisting support for that change when service providers and volunteers in communities come together, writes Maxine Moar.
Westminster offers advice to EU nationals
Westminster City Council will spend £50,000 next year on advice and support for the 30,000 European Union nationals it hosts.
Creating conditions for empowered communities
Cllr Clare Coghill urges councils to think before they sell off old buildings or parks. There might be members of the community with the drive and vision to transform it.
Supporting communities to deliver change
Adele Taylor asks how councils can co-operate with those in the community with the ability to deliver real change.
Community capacity and the role of the state
Most council transformation plans feature a section on ‘community capacity building,’ but what does that mean and how should it be done? Graham Duxbury explains
How do we support the next generation of community leaders?
At the moment, too much money goes to the bigger care providers. Ewan King argues we must be better at building local community-based care services.
Time to connect the disconnected
With a recent focus on the handing of powers to a collection of high profile regional mayors, Sue Baxter urges the next Governement, whichever hue it may be, to push devolution down to the grass roots.