Putting people at the heart of everything we do is a key strategic principle for Newham Council. It is committed to better involving residents because working together with our communities achieves better services and outcomes and makes the borough a happier and healthier place to live.
We set up a Democracy and Civic Participation Commission in 2020 to enable democracy in the borough to become more representative and participatory and to look at alternative governance models for the council.
We established the UK’s first permanent citizens assembly and one of the country’s largest participatory budgeting programmes to support our residents to be “policy makers” and “budget makers”
We also mobilised pioneering alliances to “co-produce” with residents and partners, setting Help Newham to mobilise staff and residents to provide emergency support during the pandemic, and the Newham Social Welfare Alliance which brings together frontline partners to support residents at risk of crisis.
We set up Health Champions to engage residents to protect themselves from Covid, now leading a national network, and are training residents to carry out research in their communities as part of the UK’s first longitudinal programme through community-led research.
Setting the context on Newham
Working with residents to improve their communities
Learning lessons from involving residents in policymaking
Developing people’s participation & policy design skills
Areas for discussion
Nurturing innovation through collaboration and technologyNoel Hatch
Sharing knowledge to work better and improve how we scale up innovation. Empowering the public through the power of information and collaboration to broker innovation.
Setting the context on Newham
Working with residents to improve their communities
Learning lessons from involving residents in policymaking
Developing people’s participation & policy design skills
Areas for discussion
Nurturing innovation through collaboration and technologyNoel Hatch
Sharing knowledge to work better and improve how we scale up innovation. Empowering the public through the power of information and collaboration to broker innovation.
The presentation was a workshop at Evolve 2014: the annual event for the voluntary sector in London on Monday 16 June 2014.
This presentation was chaired by Terry Perkins, Development Officer (NAVCA).
Find out more about the Evolve Conference from NCVO: http://www.ncvo.org.uk/training-and-events/evolve-conference
Find out more about the work NCVO does around funding: http://www.ncvo.org.uk/practical-support/funding
Community Councils: Future Challenges and OpportunitiesImprovServ
Mark McAteer, Deputy Chief Executive, Improvement Service
Presentation at the Community Councillor: Fairer Scotland Event. Reidvale Neighbourhood Centre, Glasgow. 16 September 2015
David Heinen, director of public policy and advocacy, N.C. Center for Nonprofits
In a March 25 webinar, David Heinen shared information about the variety of ways that a nonprofit organization can be an advocate. The webinar highlighted the types of advocacy that are permissible and impermissible for 501(c)(3) nonprofits and what an organization stands to lose if it doesn't speak up for its cause and its community.
Presentation and launch of the 'Creating an information literate Scotland' Community of Practice by Lesley Thomson, Knowledge Management Officer, Scottish Centre for Regeneration
The presentation was a workshop at Evolve 2014: the annual event for the voluntary sector in London on Monday 16 June 2014.
This presentation was chaired by Terry Perkins, Development Officer (NAVCA).
Find out more about the Evolve Conference from NCVO: http://www.ncvo.org.uk/training-and-events/evolve-conference
Find out more about the work NCVO does around funding: http://www.ncvo.org.uk/practical-support/funding
Community Councils: Future Challenges and OpportunitiesImprovServ
Mark McAteer, Deputy Chief Executive, Improvement Service
Presentation at the Community Councillor: Fairer Scotland Event. Reidvale Neighbourhood Centre, Glasgow. 16 September 2015
David Heinen, director of public policy and advocacy, N.C. Center for Nonprofits
In a March 25 webinar, David Heinen shared information about the variety of ways that a nonprofit organization can be an advocate. The webinar highlighted the types of advocacy that are permissible and impermissible for 501(c)(3) nonprofits and what an organization stands to lose if it doesn't speak up for its cause and its community.
Presentation and launch of the 'Creating an information literate Scotland' Community of Practice by Lesley Thomson, Knowledge Management Officer, Scottish Centre for Regeneration
How can the spaces attract people from different backgrounds to feel more connected? How can the spaces help people develop & test activities that are rooted in the strengths & needs of neighbourhood? How can the spaces encourage organisations to collaborate around common causes and create social value for the neighbourhood?
Community development - a different way to think about local economiesJulian Dobson
This is a presentation given to the Local Government Information Unit's economic development learning network in London on 26 January 2010. I was asked to explore how community development and economic development are linked and the implications for economic development practitioners of a community development approach.
How to set up, run and sustain a community hub to transform local service provision
This presentation contains:
An overview of Community Hubs
What they are and the benefits they bring
Examples of hubs in practice
Tips for setting up and sustaining community hubs.
This presentation looks at commissioning for social value: an interim report produced for the Children’s Partnership in March 2014.
For more information on commissioning for social value: http://blogs.ncvo.org.uk/2014/04/07/top-tips-on-commissioning-for-social-value/
Joint Strategic Commissioning is at the heart of the Public Bodies (Joint Working) Bill. JIT has recently issued guidance on what Partnerships need to do in order to develop Strategic Plans that incorporate a Financial Plan, relating to all integrated resources, by April 2015. This session provides an opportunity to further explore the scale and scope of what partnerships are required to do to deliver on the opportunities and ambitions of integrated health and social care. Contributed by: Joint Improvement Team
Donald Jarvie presents on the importance of volunteering from a policy perspective. Donald is Head of Scotland's Future's Forum which was created by the Scottish Parliament.
Presentation at the Thriving VCF Leadership Group Event on 1 May 2014. The event focussed on the first workstream of the Integrated Commissioning work programme of the Health and Wellbeing Board. For more information, see https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/caresupport/health/health-wellbeing-board/integration.html.
Barry Fong, Principal Social Policy Analyst at the Greater London Authority (GLA) will take us through the Survey of Londoners 2021-22. Conducted at the end of 2021, so just before the full effects of the cost-of-living crisis began to set in, it was commissioned to provide vital evidence on key social outcomes for Londoners, following the onset of COVID-19 and associated restrictions.
A similar survey was conducted in 2018-19, so this survey would show how things had changed in the capital since then.
Barry will go through some of the key findings from the survey before handing over to Michael Cheetham and Ellen Bloomer from the North East London Integrated Care Board, who collaborated with local authority partners to fund a sample boost for the survey within North East London. They will explain how they used the data, including the analyses, the results and how this impacted strategy and practice.
Barry Fong, Principal Social Policy Analyst at the Greater London Authority (GLA) will take us through the Survey of Londoners 2021-22. Conducted at the end of 2021, so just before the full effects of the cost-of-living crisis began to set in, it was commissioned to provide vital evidence on key social outcomes for Londoners, following the onset of COVID-19 and associated restrictions.
A similar survey was conducted in 2018-19, so this survey would show how things had changed in the capital since then.
Barry will go through some of the key findings from the survey before handing over to Michael Cheetham and Ellen Bloomer from the North East London Integrated Care Board, who collaborated with local authority partners to fund a sample boost for the survey within North East London. They will explain how they used the data, including the analyses, the results and how this impacted strategy and practice.
How can humanities research contribute to policy 2Noel Hatch
There is always a danger that the humanities are overlooked in favour of the social sciences or ‘hard’ sciences in research-policy engagement, when the former have an important role to play.
The session will provide case studies and a facilitated discussion to better understand the potential implications and challenges for policymakers of engaging with humanities researchers.
The London Strategy and Policy Network and the London Research and Policy Partnership invite you to join a session to explore the contributions that humanities research can make to policy by bringing together humanities researchers and policymakers from across the capital and beyond.
Welcome and introduction (1:00 – 1:10pm)
Chaired by:
Professor Ben Rogers, Professor of Practice, University of London & Bloomberg Fellow to LSE Cities
Overview: How can humanists and policymakers work together? Benefits and opportunities of humanities research and policy engagement (1:10 – 1:20pm)
Presented by:
Jo Fox, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research & Engagement) & Dean, School of Advanced Study, University of London.
Case study 1: Lessons from ‘The Pandemic and Beyond: the Arts and Humanities Contribution to Covid Research and Recovery (1:20 – 1:30pm)
Presented by:
Pascale Aebischer, Professor of Shakespeare and Early Modern Performance Studies, University of Exeter and PI of The Pandemic and Beyond: the Arts and Humanities Contribution to Covid Research and Recovery, University of Exeter.
Case study 2: Place-making, diversity and co-production: making visible the layers of London (1:30 – 1:40pm)
Presented by:
Justin Colston, Senior Lecturer at Institute of Historical Research, University of London.
Q & A / Discussion (1:40 - 1:55pm)
Closing remarks (1:55 - 2pm)
ABOUT LRaPP:
London Research and Policy Partnership (LRaPP) is a new partnership aimed at promoting greater synergy between London government and the academic research community.
The Partnership is evolving among movements bringing universities and local communities, cities and regions closer together - the ‘civic universities agenda’. It encourages universities to use their expertise and organisational resources to address pressing public policy challenges.
There are many examples of London's academics and public sector working together. Yet, most of these relationships develop in an ad hoc way. LRaPP takes a systematic approach through proactive and sustained engagement between the university and government sectors.
London Strategy and Policy Network
This network brings together people working in policy & strategy working in local government across London to learn new insights on cross-cutting issues and new methods in how to develop insight, policy, strategy & change.
This helps them support their organisations make sense of how to tackle issues which cut across various services and that require a whole system approach across local places to tackle.
How can humanities research contribute to policy 1Noel Hatch
There is always a danger that the humanities are overlooked in favour of the social sciences or ‘hard’ sciences in research-policy engagement, when the former have an important role to play.
The session will provide case studies and a facilitated discussion to better understand the potential implications and challenges for policymakers of engaging with humanities researchers.
The London Strategy and Policy Network and the London Research and Policy Partnership invite you to join a session to explore the contributions that humanities research can make to policy by bringing together humanities researchers and policymakers from across the capital and beyond.
Welcome and introduction (1:00 – 1:10pm)
Chaired by:
Professor Ben Rogers, Professor of Practice, University of London & Bloomberg Fellow to LSE Cities
Overview: How can humanists and policymakers work together? Benefits and opportunities of humanities research and policy engagement (1:10 – 1:20pm)
Presented by:
Jo Fox, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research & Engagement) & Dean, School of Advanced Study, University of London.
Case study 1: Lessons from ‘The Pandemic and Beyond: the Arts and Humanities Contribution to Covid Research and Recovery (1:20 – 1:30pm)
Presented by:
Pascale Aebischer, Professor of Shakespeare and Early Modern Performance Studies, University of Exeter and PI of The Pandemic and Beyond: the Arts and Humanities Contribution to Covid Research and Recovery, University of Exeter.
Case study 2: Place-making, diversity and co-production: making visible the layers of London (1:30 – 1:40pm)
Presented by:
Justin Colston, Senior Lecturer at Institute of Historical Research, University of London.
Q & A / Discussion (1:40 - 1:55pm)
Closing remarks (1:55 - 2pm)
ABOUT LRaPP:
London Research and Policy Partnership (LRaPP) is a new partnership aimed at promoting greater synergy between London government and the academic research community.
The Partnership is evolving among movements bringing universities and local communities, cities and regions closer together - the ‘civic universities agenda’. It encourages universities to use their expertise and organisational resources to address pressing public policy challenges.
There are many examples of London's academics and public sector working together. Yet, most of these relationships develop in an ad hoc way. LRaPP takes a systematic approach through proactive and sustained engagement between the university and government sectors.
London Strategy and Policy Network
This network brings together people working in policy & strategy working in local government across London to learn new insights on cross-cutting issues and new methods in how to develop insight, policy, strategy & change.
This helps them support their organisations make sense of how to tackle issues which cut across various services and that require a whole system approach across local places to tackle.
ZGB - The Role of Generative AI in Government transformation.pdfSaeed Al Dhaheri
This keynote was presented during the the 7th edition of the UAE Hackathon 2024. It highlights the role of AI and Generative AI in addressing government transformation to achieve zero government bureaucracy
Jennifer Schaus and Associates hosts a complimentary webinar series on The FAR in 2024. Join the webinars on Wednesdays and Fridays at noon, eastern.
Recordings are on YouTube and the company website.
https://www.youtube.com/@jenniferschaus/videos
Presentation by Jared Jageler, David Adler, Noelia Duchovny, and Evan Herrnstadt, analysts in CBO’s Microeconomic Studies and Health Analysis Divisions, at the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists Summer Conference.
Many ways to support street children.pptxSERUDS INDIA
By raising awareness, providing support, advocating for change, and offering assistance to children in need, individuals can play a crucial role in improving the lives of street children and helping them realize their full potential
Donate Us
https://serudsindia.org/how-individuals-can-support-street-children-in-india/
#donatefororphan, #donateforhomelesschildren, #childeducation, #ngochildeducation, #donateforeducation, #donationforchildeducation, #sponsorforpoorchild, #sponsororphanage #sponsororphanchild, #donation, #education, #charity, #educationforchild, #seruds, #kurnool, #joyhome
A process server is a authorized person for delivering legal documents, such as summons, complaints, subpoenas, and other court papers, to peoples involved in legal proceedings.
Russian anarchist and anti-war movement in the third year of full-scale warAntti Rautiainen
Anarchist group ANA Regensburg hosted my online-presentation on 16th of May 2024, in which I discussed tactics of anti-war activism in Russia, and reasons why the anti-war movement has not been able to make an impact to change the course of events yet. Cases of anarchists repressed for anti-war activities are presented, as well as strategies of support for political prisoners, and modest successes in supporting their struggles.
Thumbnail picture is by MediaZona, you may read their report on anti-war arson attacks in Russia here: https://en.zona.media/article/2022/10/13/burn-map
Links:
Autonomous Action
http://Avtonom.org
Anarchist Black Cross Moscow
http://Avtonom.org/abc
Solidarity Zone
https://t.me/solidarity_zone
Memorial
https://memopzk.org/, https://t.me/pzk_memorial
OVD-Info
https://en.ovdinfo.org/antiwar-ovd-info-guide
RosUznik
https://rosuznik.org/
Uznik Online
http://uznikonline.tilda.ws/
Russian Reader
https://therussianreader.com/
ABC Irkutsk
https://abc38.noblogs.org/
Send mail to prisoners from abroad:
http://Prisonmail.online
YouTube: https://youtu.be/c5nSOdU48O8
Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/libertarianlifecoach/episodes/Russian-anarchist-and-anti-war-movement-in-the-third-year-of-full-scale-war-e2k8ai4
Understanding the Challenges of Street ChildrenSERUDS INDIA
By raising awareness, providing support, advocating for change, and offering assistance to children in need, individuals can play a crucial role in improving the lives of street children and helping them realize their full potential
Donate Us
https://serudsindia.org/how-individuals-can-support-street-children-in-india/
#donatefororphan, #donateforhomelesschildren, #childeducation, #ngochildeducation, #donateforeducation, #donationforchildeducation, #sponsorforpoorchild, #sponsororphanage #sponsororphanchild, #donation, #education, #charity, #educationforchild, #seruds, #kurnool, #joyhome
1. Civic Participation
1. Setting up a Democracy & Civic
Participation Commission
2. Learning the lessons from
involving residents
3. Creating opportunities for
residents to be involved
2. 1. Commission Theme: Governance &
Decision Making Processes
• Putting people at the heart of everything we do is a key strategic principle for Newham Council. It is
committed to better involving residents because working together with our communities achieves better
services and outcomes and makes the borough a happier and healthier place to live.
• We set up a Democracy and Civic Participation Commission in 2020 to enable democracy in the borough to
become more representative and participatory and to look at alternative governance models for the council.
• We established the UK’s first permanent citizens assembly and one of the country’s largest participatory
budgeting programmes to support our residents to be “policy makers” and “budget makers”
• We also mobilised pioneering alliances to “co-produce” with residents and partners, setting Help Newham to
mobilise staff and residents to provide emergency support during the pandemic, and the Newham Social
Welfare Alliance which brings together frontline partners to support residents at risk of crisis.
• We set up Health Champions to engage residents to protect themselves from Covid, now leading a national
network, and are training residents to carry out research in their communities as part of the UK’s first
longitudinal programme through community-led research.
3. 1. Setting up a Democracy & Civic
Participation Commission
• We set up a Democracy and Civic Participation
Commission in 2020 to enable democracy in the
borough to become more representative and
participatory and to look at alternative governance
models for the council.
• The Commission brought together local and
national experts related to the Commission
themes. It involved residents in this process by
being able to take part in community activities and
events, as well as online engagement.
• The Council agreed to implement all of its
recommendations, and we share below those that
are most relevant to the Healthy Cities
Commission.
4. 2. Learning the lessons from involving
residents in policy making
To ensure that the voices of citizens can shape policy
making, it’s important that leaders of local areas
Create opportunities for residents to be involved
throughout the process of designing and
delivering policies and services
Value the different strengths & expertise of people
from different backgrounds and sectors in shaping
the lives of people and our neighbourhoods
Improve how we support participation with
residents and partners so that we work more in
partnership and devolve power to residents
5. 3. Creating opportunities for residents to be
involved throughout
We believe that participation in helping develop
healthy cities & local areas can’t just be at specific
points in time, but throughout the process of
designing & delivering strategies & services.
That’s why we have established the UK’s first
permanent citizens assembly, one of the country’s
largest participatory budgeting programmes and
pioneering alliances with partners to mobilise the
solidarity of residents.
6. Residents as “policy makers”
We have established the UK’s first permanent citizens assembly to
develop our future strategies in a way that is
• Inclusive in that it recognises the different roles that people play to
tackle issues. That’s why the Council invites a representative set of
people and people with lived experience
• Ambitious in that they can genuinely tackle the challenges and that
by the end of this assembly, residents can work out what are the
most important priorities to focus on within this issue
• Strengths-building helping residents develop “policy making” skills
in learning different levers we can use, building consensus between
competing perspectives to develop recommendations
• We invite residents to vote on the issues the assembly should focus
on. The next assembly will focus on 15 Minute Neighbourhoods.
• We also created an Advisory Group made up of local partners to
ensure the Assembly considers the different levers their sectors
have.
7. Residents as “budget makers”
• We run one of the country’s largest participatory
budgeting programmes, through our Community
Assemblies, where we provide £100k for each of our
neighbourhoods for people to decide on budget priorities
for those areas, and then what projects should be
funded.
• Each Community Neighbourhood has a working group
from the previous cycle of assemblies that consists of
local people who live, work or learn in the area,
councillors and council officers using an online
participatory budgeting platform.
• They work together to review the priorities and the
information that has emerged from the new cycle of
community assemblies. They then make an assessment
on the local priorities and advise on the appropriate
projects and activities, using their local knowledge of the
neighbourhood area.
9. Residents as “co-producers”
• Local authorities are devolving power already to communities,
coordinating use of resources with other organisations and investing in
people's solidarity without government direction.
• We set up Help Newham to mobilise staff and residents to provide
emergency support during the pandemic.
• We set up the Newham Social Welfare Alliance which brings together
frontline workers from local organisations to support residents together
who are at risk of crisis or in crisis.
• We are training people up to carry out research in their communities as
“citizen scientists” as part of the UK’s first longitudinal programme
through community-led research.
• We have set up local Health Champions to co-produce how we
engage residents in protecting themselves from the virus, which is now
leading a national network of Health Champions.
• We will be using these experiences to develop a participation
framework and academy to improve people’s skills in participation &
co-production.
Editor's Notes
From Democracy Commission, 2020
To inform the recommendations for the Democracy Commission, residents were engaged on the following topics:
Involving residents in local decision making: Residents wanted the council and councillors being more visible, getting out and listening to residents and to involve them more in decisions and in developing services, communicate in a more transparent way and enable better feedback and accountability
Using digital tools for local democracy: Council should better use digital tools to communicate and share information and promotion and outreach, give local people ways of speaking up online, and tackle barriers to digital exclusion
Working in partnership with residents: The most important areas that residents thought the council should work with them on were public spaces, youth services, community safety, housing & homelessness, environment & climate change, planning & regeneration, traffic & parking and local businesses. They wanted greater co-production and empowering bottom up action
Giving equal voice to all: Residents wanted improvements in reporting issues, accessing services and even making routine contact with the Council and for the Council, and in particular getting feedback from the Council, and issue such as not just listening to the loudest voices, tackling language & disability barriers to getting involved, using a range of formats to engage, reaching out through networks
Supporting communities: supporting what community members are already doing, listening more to residents and providing education & training on local democracy & participation, raise the profile of councillors and supporting community centres & activities
Choosing the best structures for local decision making: Improved transparency & scrutiny
From Democracy Commission, 2020
To inform the recommendations for the Democracy Commission, residents were engaged on the following topics:
Involving residents in local decision making: Residents wanted the council and councillors being more visible, getting out and listening to residents and to involve them more in decisions and in developing services, communicate in a more transparent way and enable better feedback and accountability
Using digital tools for local democracy: Council should better use digital tools to communicate and share information and promotion and outreach, give local people ways of speaking up online, and tackle barriers to digital exclusion
Working in partnership with residents: The most important areas that residents thought the council should work with them on were public spaces, youth services, community safety, housing & homelessness, environment & climate change, planning & regeneration, traffic & parking and local businesses. They wanted greater co-production and empowering bottom up action
Giving equal voice to all: Residents wanted improvements in reporting issues, accessing services and even making routine contact with the Council and for the Council, and in particular getting feedback from the Council, and issue such as not just listening to the loudest voices, tackling language & disability barriers to getting involved, using a range of formats to engage, reaching out through networks
Supporting communities: supporting what community members are already doing, listening more to residents and providing education & training on local democracy & participation, raise the profile of councillors and supporting community centres & activities
Choosing the best structures for local decision making: Improved transparency & scrutiny
From Democracy Commission, 2020
To inform the recommendations for the Democracy Commission, residents were engaged on the following topics:
Involving residents in local decision making: Residents wanted the council and councillors being more visible, getting out and listening to residents and to involve them more in decisions and in developing services, communicate in a more transparent way and enable better feedback and accountability
Using digital tools for local democracy: Council should better use digital tools to communicate and share information and promotion and outreach, give local people ways of speaking up online, and tackle barriers to digital exclusion
Working in partnership with residents: The most important areas that residents thought the council should work with them on were public spaces, youth services, community safety, housing & homelessness, environment & climate change, planning & regeneration, traffic & parking and local businesses. They wanted greater co-production and empowering bottom up action
Giving equal voice to all: Residents wanted improvements in reporting issues, accessing services and even making routine contact with the Council and for the Council, and in particular getting feedback from the Council, and issue such as not just listening to the loudest voices, tackling language & disability barriers to getting involved, using a range of formats to engage, reaching out through networks
Supporting communities: supporting what community members are already doing, listening more to residents and providing education & training on local democracy & participation, raise the profile of councillors and supporting community centres & activities
Choosing the best structures for local decision making: Improved transparency & scrutiny
From Democracy Commission, 2020
To inform the recommendations for the Democracy Commission, residents were engaged on the following topics:
Involving residents in local decision making: Residents wanted the council and councillors being more visible, getting out and listening to residents and to involve them more in decisions and in developing services, communicate in a more transparent way and enable better feedback and accountability
Using digital tools for local democracy: Council should better use digital tools to communicate and share information and promotion and outreach, give local people ways of speaking up online, and tackle barriers to digital exclusion
Working in partnership with residents: The most important areas that residents thought the council should work with them on were public spaces, youth services, community safety, housing & homelessness, environment & climate change, planning & regeneration, traffic & parking and local businesses. They wanted greater co-production and empowering bottom up action
Giving equal voice to all: Residents wanted improvements in reporting issues, accessing services and even making routine contact with the Council and for the Council, and in particular getting feedback from the Council, and issue such as not just listening to the loudest voices, tackling language & disability barriers to getting involved, using a range of formats to engage, reaching out through networks
Supporting communities: supporting what community members are already doing, listening more to residents and providing education & training on local democracy & participation, raise the profile of councillors and supporting community centres & activities
Choosing the best structures for local decision making: Improved transparency & scrutiny
From Democracy Commission, 2020
To inform the recommendations for the Democracy Commission, residents were engaged on the following topics:
Involving residents in local decision making: Residents wanted the council and councillors being more visible, getting out and listening to residents and to involve them more in decisions and in developing services, communicate in a more transparent way and enable better feedback and accountability
Using digital tools for local democracy: Council should better use digital tools to communicate and share information and promotion and outreach, give local people ways of speaking up online, and tackle barriers to digital exclusion
Working in partnership with residents: The most important areas that residents thought the council should work with them on were public spaces, youth services, community safety, housing & homelessness, environment & climate change, planning & regeneration, traffic & parking and local businesses. They wanted greater co-production and empowering bottom up action
Giving equal voice to all: Residents wanted improvements in reporting issues, accessing services and even making routine contact with the Council and for the Council, and in particular getting feedback from the Council, and issue such as not just listening to the loudest voices, tackling language & disability barriers to getting involved, using a range of formats to engage, reaching out through networks
Supporting communities: supporting what community members are already doing, listening more to residents and providing education & training on local democracy & participation, raise the profile of councillors and supporting community centres & activities
Choosing the best structures for local decision making: Improved transparency & scrutiny
From Democracy Commission, 2020
To inform the recommendations for the Democracy Commission, residents were engaged on the following topics:
Involving residents in local decision making: Residents wanted the council and councillors being more visible, getting out and listening to residents and to involve them more in decisions and in developing services, communicate in a more transparent way and enable better feedback and accountability
Using digital tools for local democracy: Council should better use digital tools to communicate and share information and promotion and outreach, give local people ways of speaking up online, and tackle barriers to digital exclusion
Working in partnership with residents: The most important areas that residents thought the council should work with them on were public spaces, youth services, community safety, housing & homelessness, environment & climate change, planning & regeneration, traffic & parking and local businesses. They wanted greater co-production and empowering bottom up action
Giving equal voice to all: Residents wanted improvements in reporting issues, accessing services and even making routine contact with the Council and for the Council, and in particular getting feedback from the Council, and issue such as not just listening to the loudest voices, tackling language & disability barriers to getting involved, using a range of formats to engage, reaching out through networks
Supporting communities: supporting what community members are already doing, listening more to residents and providing education & training on local democracy & participation, raise the profile of councillors and supporting community centres & activities
Choosing the best structures for local decision making: Improved transparency & scrutiny
Phase 1 started place in April, with a focus on local priority ideas. These ideas were submitted onto the Co-create platform during the first assembly events as well as at any time up to the deadline of 3rd May.
Phase 2, over 1,000 residents voted on their top 3 priorities, announced on May 25th and a call out for project applications opened.
Phase 3 Working Groups are now shortlisting and assessing approximately 200 proposals.
Phase 1: Over 1,100 participants took part in the 16 Community Assemblies held across April, approximately 27% were new participants who attended a Community Assembly for the first time
The number of users signed up to the platform since March increased by approximately 600 giving a total of 1,499 registered users
During phase 1 of engagement, over 1,100 submissions of priority topics were submitted on the platform across the eight neighbourhoods
The top 5 emerging themes on the platform were around: Public spaces and buildings, Health and welfare, Community development, Social inclusion, Safety
The Community Assemblies process has a lot of elements to it that has stretched the functionality of the online engagement tool, however the developers are working with the council to upgrade and develop their platform to meet Newham's needs.
Over 100 residents applied to be part of the Working Group process.
Currently 188 residents, council officers, Cllrs and stakeholders form the eight Community Assembly Working Groups for this cycle.
24 active Cllrs are involved in the Working Group.
The Working Groups have been involved with shortlisting of priorities and screening / scoring stage 1 and 2 project applications to put projects forward to the voting round.
The group will is responsible for monitoring the delivery of community projects from August 2021.
“It is good to see the council and residents having conversations and working together on this platform, to improve areas of Newham”.
"The event was an eye opener it terms of Council's objectives to engage with and involve local communities to help shape and develop vital services and initiatives”
“It's good to see neighbours and hear as well as share views, so often we mix with the same circles or see the same views on social media. The assemblies bring the community together”
“The Community Assemblies are such a great idea. It was really good that so many people took part which can only mean that we are all very keen to be involved in positive change for where we live!”
Phase 2:
The top voted priorities for the whole borough were Environment, Community Safety, Green spaces and Parks, Inclusive and Improved indoor and outdoor spaces and Sustainable Development, Nature and Biodiversity.
Phase 3: Where we are now
Working groups are currently reviewing and scoring applications and will also be developing some project proposals.
2,249 users now registered on Newham co-create (66% increase since phase 1).
206 project ideas and 376 comments received on co-create platform.
193 stage 1 application of project proposals received.
150 applications are anticipated to progress onto stage 2.
Service improvements are being filtered out and passed onto the appropriate service areas.
Next steps
Phase 3
Working Groups continue to score Stage 2 applications
Phase 4
Second round of Community Assembly meetings from 5 to 15 July
Phase 5
Local people to vote on projects for up to £100K from 16 to 26 July
Phase 6
Delivery of projects commences August 2021
Autumn
Community assembly progress report to be presented at Cabinet in October 2021
The next round of Community Assemblies will be held across the first two weeks of July on Zoom and will be an opportunity for local residents to hear about projects that will be going forward to the participatory budgeting phase and to also learn about how to vote for the projects online.
From Democracy Commission, 2020
To inform the recommendations for the Democracy Commission, residents were engaged on the following topics:
Involving residents in local decision making: Residents wanted the council and councillors being more visible, getting out and listening to residents and to involve them more in decisions and in developing services, communicate in a more transparent way and enable better feedback and accountability
Using digital tools for local democracy: Council should better use digital tools to communicate and share information and promotion and outreach, give local people ways of speaking up online, and tackle barriers to digital exclusion
Working in partnership with residents: The most important areas that residents thought the council should work with them on were public spaces, youth services, community safety, housing & homelessness, environment & climate change, planning & regeneration, traffic & parking and local businesses. They wanted greater co-production and empowering bottom up action
Giving equal voice to all: Residents wanted improvements in reporting issues, accessing services and even making routine contact with the Council and for the Council, and in particular getting feedback from the Council, and issue such as not just listening to the loudest voices, tackling language & disability barriers to getting involved, using a range of formats to engage, reaching out through networks
Supporting communities: supporting what community members are already doing, listening more to residents and providing education & training on local democracy & participation, raise the profile of councillors and supporting community centres & activities
Choosing the best structures for local decision making: Improved transparency & scrutiny