Next week, while some eyes will be on the political power struggles unfolding in Makerfield, others will be turning their attention to power of a different and, dare I say it, more important kind at New Local's annual festival of community power, Stronger Things.
With 750 people packing out London's magnificent Guildhall and several hundred more joining online, this year it is effectively six events in one, with five stages and an online programme running concurrently.
The interesting story here is less about the numbers and more about what they represent: a swelling movement for people-powered public services across local government and its partners in place-based change.
This year's Stronger Things takes place in the wake of the political earthquake of May's local elections and, with change and uncertainty at both the local and national level, it could be seen as a moment to pause and reflect on – or even to retrench – our direction of travel.
Community power is not a political project belonging to any part of the ever-widening political landscape. It is a deeper idea, rooted in the fundamental knowledge that people have a right to a say in the things that affect their lives, to be able to participate in their communities and to be supported in ways that develop their own agency.
Few people would disagree that reflection – about what is and is not working in our politics, system of government and places – is needed.
The scale of this year's Stronger Things, the number of innovative ideas and initiatives we will showcase from across the country, and the number of people who will join together on the day – from community activists to secretaries of state – suggests that we are not seeing a retreat from community power. Instead, the movement is leaning in.
Community power is not a political project belonging to any part of the ever-widening political landscape. It is a deeper idea, rooted in the fundamental knowledge that people have a right to a say in the things that affect their lives, to be able to participate in their communities and to be supported in ways that develop their own agency. A belief in the need for renewal in our places, for a fairer settlement between different parts of the country and the importance of local voice and identity, is shared by politicians of all stripes.
There is also near universal agreement that, in an increasingly complex and resource-constrained world, our centrally-managed machine-like system of public services is no longer fit for purpose.
Demand is rising as budgets fall and we know that this results in too many people ricochetting between services – from GPs to social services to housing to A&E and more – without their fundamental needs ever being met. We also know this cannot – and must not – continue.
Community power is increasingly acting as a catalyst for exploring how we design and deliver public services around the lived experience of people accessing support.
Learning from initiatives such as Changing Futures and places like Wigan and Camden in London, who have built their reform approaches around the principles of relational working, we are starting to see the potential of bringing the human back into public services in ways that improve both the personal experience and the public purse.
As a result, we are seeing many people across New Local's networks starting to ask deeper questions about what the future of our public services and the organisations that deliver them, should look like.
With local government reorganisation and devolution prompting new thinking and changing the landscape for governance and local accountability, we now have the opportunity to reconsider what systems and places designed for prevention and good lives look like.
At New Local we are embarking on a year of exploration of this ‘third horizon' with our members and partners, asking what the next generation of community-powered change looks like and how we get there. The many brilliant examples we will hear about at Stronger Things are leading the way.
Wherever you are from, whatever your political background, wherever you are on your own journey towards a community-powered future, Stronger Things provides a place for connection, inspiration, learning, solidarity and a lot of fun along the way.
The Netflix show that inspired its name may have ended, but Stronger Things and the movement for change in communities and public services it represents is going from strength-to-strength.
Anna Randle is chief executive of New Local
