The document discusses the UK government's goals of decentralization, localism, and empowering communities through the "Big Society" initiative. It aims to devolve power to local levels by lifting bureaucracy, increasing community control over public finances, diversifying public service providers, making government more transparent, and strengthening local accountability. New powers for communities include the right to challenge or take over public services and buildings, neighborhood planning, and a Big Society Bank to fund social enterprises. The initiative seeks to give citizens more opportunities to get involved in their communities and more influence over local decisions and services.
In this month's edition:
• Richard looks at the great debate of devolution
• Stephen reviews the election manifestos and summarises each one from a local government perspective
• Nichola looks at the cost budgeting nightmare
• Neil's third and final article in the series of dealing with local authority land collaboration/joint ventures
• the second article from Angelica looking at best value duty
• Sarah provides an employment update
• Anja reviews the Procurement Policy Notes published during the first quarter of the year, and
• Anja and Emma look at the new guidance on awarding contracts under the Public Contract Regulations 2015.
During the current culture of austerity measures where public sector is facing unprecedented levels of cuts, there is a sense of foreboding about the impact on rural services. Policy rhetoric is that individuals, families and communities have to do more and the state will do less. Kate Stephen will give her perspective on the potential implications for rural communities in Highland and will describe what the DIY approach can look like, warts and all. Clive Sheppard will draw on his experience to describe the role social enterprise can play in rural service delivery.
Kate Stephen has been Project Manager on the O4O: Older People for Older People project and has experience working and volunteering in community development and community care.
Clive Sheppard has extensive experience in the social enterprise sector as a mentor, teacher and practitioner. He sits on the Board of Community Care Assynt which was supported by the O4O project.
In this month's edition:
• Richard looks at the great debate of devolution
• Stephen reviews the election manifestos and summarises each one from a local government perspective
• Nichola looks at the cost budgeting nightmare
• Neil's third and final article in the series of dealing with local authority land collaboration/joint ventures
• the second article from Angelica looking at best value duty
• Sarah provides an employment update
• Anja reviews the Procurement Policy Notes published during the first quarter of the year, and
• Anja and Emma look at the new guidance on awarding contracts under the Public Contract Regulations 2015.
During the current culture of austerity measures where public sector is facing unprecedented levels of cuts, there is a sense of foreboding about the impact on rural services. Policy rhetoric is that individuals, families and communities have to do more and the state will do less. Kate Stephen will give her perspective on the potential implications for rural communities in Highland and will describe what the DIY approach can look like, warts and all. Clive Sheppard will draw on his experience to describe the role social enterprise can play in rural service delivery.
Kate Stephen has been Project Manager on the O4O: Older People for Older People project and has experience working and volunteering in community development and community care.
Clive Sheppard has extensive experience in the social enterprise sector as a mentor, teacher and practitioner. He sits on the Board of Community Care Assynt which was supported by the O4O project.
Northern Voices: Delivering Universal Credit and Tackling Homelessness outsid...Policy in Practice
Policy in Practice and Northern Housing Consortium hosted this important event to bring Westminster policy makers together with northern organisations.
Delegates joined central government speakers and local influencers in Leeds for this free one day workshop to exclusively hear the latest policy updates on Universal Credit managed migration from DWP and homelessness prevention from MHCLG. They helped to create a united voice of influence for people and practitioners in the north.
Attendees:
> Heard from central government about policy updates and plans
> Contributed experiences in order to influence central government
> Learned from the experiences of trailblazing organisations in the north
> Networked and benchmark with like minded peers
Who attended:
Senior decision makers, elected representatives and team leaders charged with supporting vulnerable people and tackling homelessness attended. The outputs from the table discussions will form a white paper that will be presented to DWP and MHCLG.
For further details email hello@policyinpractice.co.uk or call Donna Gallagher on 0742 8783581.
Visit www.policyinpractice.co.uk
Piloting Social Impact Bonds in Homelessness ServicesFEANTSA
Presentation given by Tim Gray during the "New forms of finance for homelessness services: threat or opportunity?" seminar at the FEANTSA 2014 Policy Conference, "Confronting homelessness in the EU: Seeking out the next generation of best practices", 24-25 October 2014, Bergamo (Italy)
Comprehensive Spending Review & Levelling Up - LondonNoel Hatch
The session was focused on understanding the key priorities for Levelling Up and what could be the key challenges & opportunities for the Comprehensive Spending Review, with a London perspective from the GLA and the national perspective from the Institute for Government
With Graham Atkins, Associate Director, Institute for Government and Dr Michelle Reeves, Senior Manager - Policy and Programmes, Strategy Team, City Intelligence Unit, GLA.
The presentations were followed by a discussion on what key issues for councils and public services in London.
Экспертный Форум - это площадка, где встретятся политики, депутаты и эксперты, чиновники Евро парламента и украинские СМИ, чтобы обсудить события последних месяцев и понять, каким будет облик Украины в 2013-2014 году.
На сегодняшний день медиа партнерство подтвердили такие медиа как: РБК-Украина, LB.ua, Обозреватель, Телеканал "БТБ".
Ведутся переговоры с УМХ и StarLightMedia.
Специальный медиа партнер журнал «Гольф в Украине»
Northern Voices: Delivering Universal Credit and Tackling Homelessness outsid...Policy in Practice
Policy in Practice and Northern Housing Consortium hosted this important event to bring Westminster policy makers together with northern organisations.
Delegates joined central government speakers and local influencers in Leeds for this free one day workshop to exclusively hear the latest policy updates on Universal Credit managed migration from DWP and homelessness prevention from MHCLG. They helped to create a united voice of influence for people and practitioners in the north.
Attendees:
> Heard from central government about policy updates and plans
> Contributed experiences in order to influence central government
> Learned from the experiences of trailblazing organisations in the north
> Networked and benchmark with like minded peers
Who attended:
Senior decision makers, elected representatives and team leaders charged with supporting vulnerable people and tackling homelessness attended. The outputs from the table discussions will form a white paper that will be presented to DWP and MHCLG.
For further details email hello@policyinpractice.co.uk or call Donna Gallagher on 0742 8783581.
Visit www.policyinpractice.co.uk
Piloting Social Impact Bonds in Homelessness ServicesFEANTSA
Presentation given by Tim Gray during the "New forms of finance for homelessness services: threat or opportunity?" seminar at the FEANTSA 2014 Policy Conference, "Confronting homelessness in the EU: Seeking out the next generation of best practices", 24-25 October 2014, Bergamo (Italy)
Comprehensive Spending Review & Levelling Up - LondonNoel Hatch
The session was focused on understanding the key priorities for Levelling Up and what could be the key challenges & opportunities for the Comprehensive Spending Review, with a London perspective from the GLA and the national perspective from the Institute for Government
With Graham Atkins, Associate Director, Institute for Government and Dr Michelle Reeves, Senior Manager - Policy and Programmes, Strategy Team, City Intelligence Unit, GLA.
The presentations were followed by a discussion on what key issues for councils and public services in London.
Экспертный Форум - это площадка, где встретятся политики, депутаты и эксперты, чиновники Евро парламента и украинские СМИ, чтобы обсудить события последних месяцев и понять, каким будет облик Украины в 2013-2014 году.
На сегодняшний день медиа партнерство подтвердили такие медиа как: РБК-Украина, LB.ua, Обозреватель, Телеканал "БТБ".
Ведутся переговоры с УМХ и StarLightMedia.
Специальный медиа партнер журнал «Гольф в Украине»
National expert forum/ 30 May, Kiev, UkraineАлександр Чуб
The Gorshenin Institute is an independent, non-profit analytical and research centre studying social and political processes in Ukraine, Europe and across the world. The Gorshenin Institute holds regular events aimed at providing a platform for broad expert discussions on the topical political, social and economic, cultural and other issues of concern to our society.
In February 2013, the Gorshenin Institute organized the National Expert Forum "Ukraine 2013. Forecast". The National Expert Forum is a communication platform for Ukrainian and international politicians, government officials, members of parliament, experts, pundits, diplomats and public activists. The goal of the forum is to discuss prospects for Ukraine's development. The range of issues on the expert agenda covers Ukrainian politics, economy, civil society, economic and energy security, geopolitical developments and the country's role in the global world.
Over 400 participants attended the Expert Forum in February. It was broadly covered by Ukrainian mass media. You can find a more detailed report about the February 2013 National Expert Forum here http://institute.gorshenin.ua/news/985.
Extensive feedback provided by the forum participants and mass media suggests that there is a need in Ukraine for regular expert analysis of ongoing processes as well as for search for development strategies. Therefore the Gorshenin Institute made a decision to hold panel discussions within the framework of the Expert Forum on a quarterly basis.
Given the high profile of your organization, we would like to invite you to cooperate and partner us with us in holding the next stage of the National Expert Forum scheduled for May 2013. We will be happy to answer any queries you might have with regard to the forum.
Premier AC Expo/ Exhibition stand builderАлександр Чуб
Premier AC Expo
Custom exhibition stands
Design, construction and management of projects in Russia, Ukraine and all over the world.
Facts and figures:
- More than 10 years experience in the exhibition industry, production of advertising structures, design and graphics
- We operate in Ukraine, Russia, CIS, Europe, Middle East, North America, Asia, Africa
- Transportation and customs operations with exhibition materials
- More than 850 sq.m. of production area
- Own workshop of large format digital printing
- High-tech manufacturing base
Custom exhibition stands Design, Construction and Management of projects in ...Александр Чуб
Premier AC LLC
Custom exhibition stands
Design, construction and management of projects in Europe, Russia, Ukraine and all over the world.
Facts and figures:
- More than 10 years’ experience in the exhibition industry, production of advertising structures, design and graphics
- We operate in Europe, Ukraine, Russia, Middle East, North America, Asia, Africa
- Transportation and customs operations with exhibition materials
- Own workshop of large format digital printing
- High-tech manufacturing base
Transition Network Conference 2012 - Locality No Nonsense Guide to Localism -...Transition Network
Part of a Workshop held at the Transition Network UK Conference 2012 - The potential of Localism to unlock Transition, with Rob Hopkins, Philip Revell, Dave Chapman, and Frances Northrop
The UK government's localism agenda has, in just two years, completely rewritten how planning works in England and Wales. In many ways it is a double-edged sword, many of the tools it gives to communities remain untested. The rights to build, to bid, to challenge, Neighbourhood Planning, all offer organisations focused on intentional localisation and resilience building some powerful tools. But what are they, and how best to use them? This workshop will be chaired by Transition Network's Rob Hopkins, and will include Dave Chapman, Head of Social Action at Locality who is one of the leading authorities on localism, Frances Northrop from Transition Town Totnes who will speak about how they are using these powers in Totnes, and Philip Revell from Sustaining Dunbar, who are taking a similarly strategic approach and will talk about how this differs and Scotland and what can be learnt from there. Bring your questions and prepare to be equipped with new tools and insights.
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/
100713 GOSE Big Society presentation to Consortia Coordinators July 2010Mark Walker
What is this Big Society stuff all about? Is it a smokescreen for Government cuts or a game-changing attempt to change the way our communities are run?
Vicky Westhorp of GOSE provided an excellent summary of what it's all about at a Capacitybuilders meeting of the Coordinators of ChangeUp Consortia in the south east. In other words people who work in the voluntary and community sector at a local level.
This presentation covers a lot of the background as well as the latest news and announcements.
Please use the comments space below the presentation to ask questions or add your thoughts about what is being proposed. I've offered to help moderate a discussion via this page, and/or via the email forum for the Coordinators [contact me for details]
Mark Walker
ICT Champion for the third sector in south east England
The role of co ops in local economic renewalEd Mayo
Can you turn around neighbourhoods and foster sustainable renewal? Drawing on work I have been involved in over time, with hopeful examples and practical health warnings, this deck explores the role of co-operatives and community economic development.
This presentation was used at the NCVYS & Children England Speaking Out annual conference 2010 (funded by the Cabinet Office).
For more details, please contact press@ncvys.org.uk
NCBOR 2014 | How social enterprises work in the (green) maintenance of public...CROW
In de UK is het veel gebruikelijker dat bewoners en bedrijven (mede)verantwoordelijk zijn voor hun directe leefomgeving. Premier David cameron maakt zich hard voor het ontwikkelen van de "Big Society" om locale gemeenteschappen meer kracht te geven. Onze hoofdspreker Steve Clare van Locality, een Britse netwerk van vijfhonderd buurtbeheerorganisaties, vertelt ons over zijn praktijkervaringen in de UK. Hoe zijn de locale bewoners actief in het beheer van hun buurt? Wat levert dat de buurten en de gemeente op? Met welke wetgeving en organisatievormen hebben ze dat voor elkaar gekregen? En wat kunnen wij in Nederland van hen leren? Doen wij al veel aan bewonersparticipatie, of staan wij pas aan het begin van een onomkeerbare verandering...?
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.
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.
5. Why Decentralisation? People and communities have greater control over the services in their locality Diversity in local approaches releases innovation in public services – speed and resilience People can hold local services and institutions to account more effectively than central Government Front line professionals respond to local preferences, with fewer constraints from the centre
6. The six essential decentralisation actions Big Government Big Society 4. Diversify the supply of public services 5. Open up government to public scrutiny 3. Increase local control of public finance 6. Strengthen accountability to local people 2. Empower communities to do things their way 1. Lift the burden of bureaucracy
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8. Specific new powers for communities Community Right to Challenge Community Right to Buy General Power of Competence (including parishes) Local Referendums Neighbourhood Planning Council Tax Referendums Community Budgets Community Right to Build Free Schools Community Organisers Big Society Bank
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14. Open Public Services: Next Steps July – September 2011: Discussions with partners and others on delivery of public services November 2011: The Government will set out how departments will take forward ideas to implement open public services From April 2012: Departments will publish regular progress reports. Feeding into Open Public Services www.openpublicservices.cabinetoffice.gov.uk
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17. Big Society in Action: Newant Initiative Trust take over community centre in South West Locals take over the running of the town’s community centre Gayton Swimming Pool A £1m community swimming pool opened in January 2011, rebuilt after a campaign by locals. Neighbourhood planning in Bermondsey Southwark Council working with community to develop two Neighbourhood Plans in adjoining Bankside and Bermondsey that will provide more homes, improve housing conditions and bring more employment. Community Matters Partnership in Hampshire Social Enterprise that encourages local corporate companies to work together to better their local communities.
18. Big Society in Action: Darnall Post Office in Sheffield Darnall Post Office is the first in the country to be run by a charity after the original facility closed in 2009. Kirdford Community Shop A community owned and managed village shop and community space, where all profits go back to the benefit of the community. It was awarded the sought-after title of Daily Telegraph Best Corner/Village Shop in Britain. Superfast broadband in Eden Parishes across the Eden Valley are to be the first rural communities in England to benefit from superfast broadband thanks to work led by local residents in partnership with Broadband UK, Cumbria County Council and DCLG. Community refuse to call time on their local – Local pub ‘George and Dragon ’ When their local pub closed three years ago, residents got together to form a co-operative. Members sought local investment, and about 100 members of the community put up funds that enabled them to buy the pub.
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Editor's Notes
No notes – turn to next slide
Thank you for inviting me today You’ve all heard about the Prime Minister’s ambition for a Big Society. You’ve also no doubt heard about some of its signature policies: Free Schools, Community Organisers, Rights to Buy and Challenge You may have also heard that this is about a new way of organising our country. Decentralising power to individuals, communities, local government. Generally giving people the power to do things their way. Today I’d like to answer three questions: What does decentralisation and localism mean? How is power going to be decentralised to the local level What are local people and communities going to be able to do? [Note: the pictures are of Birmingham Town Hall, your local bobby, the planned site of the West London Free School, and the Wooten Community Shop]
Decentralisation and localism is taking place in the context of the largest deficit reduction since WW2 Need to appreciate that the government is determined to decentralise even as it cuts the deficit Indeed the two things are intrinsically linked Three priorities for government Generating growth Big Society Implementation of reforms Decentralisation and localism underpin all three of these priorities e.g. freedom from red tape, giving people control, opening up public services to competition [Note: the hospital is University College London Hospital, the middle picture is from the East Riding, and the engine is Rolls Royce]
Self explanatory
Basically this is all about front line professionals and local authorities being able to be more responsive.. .. In turn also facilitating a more responsive approach from local people and communties CENTRALISATION HAS FAILED Not created the excellence in services that the public deserves Fundamental social problems such as in inequality and youth unemployment have not been solved Public trust in our democratic institutions has been undermined.
My Minister, Greg Clark, has developed the six essential actions for decentralisation . These are… The first two actions are the most fundamental , because decentralisation can’t get started without them Action 1: Remove unnecessary legislation, targets and central prescription , and strip away the burdens and barriers which hold back local services and institutions Action 2: Remove obstacles to community action, create rights to take action and unlock the potential of communities and create the conditions where civic participation becomes the norm The next two actions provide the resources and the freedom of choice needed to sustain progress on decentralisation Action 3: Provide freedoms for local leaders to pool and align budgets , provide the opportunity for individuals to control and influence budgets, and real power for communities has to include control and influence over funding Action 4: Open up opportunities for new suppliers to provide public services , and introduce competition in public services to improve quality, stimulate innovation, widen choice and drive-up efficiency The final two actions complete the picture by enabling local people to take complete control of the process of decentralisation as it affects them in their communities Action 5: Ensure that information is abundant , accessible and comparable , and people can shape services and challenge service providers to do better Action 6: Give citizens the power of individual choice , where this is not feasible, strengthen collective accountability, and create the conditions where people and communities have a genuine voice, choice or exit
Local Government Resource Review The Government is committed to providing effective incentives for local authorities to drive forward economic growth, and allowing them to break free from dependency on central government funding. The Local Government Resource Review which is considering options to enable councils to retain locally raised business rates, will be setting out it proposal shortly for consultation. It will also consider how to manage the distributional impacts of any new arrangement whilst continuing to support those councils who are more deprived. We will ensure that appropriate protections are put in place for businesses. We are clear that businesses should not be subject to locally imposed increases in the burden of taxation that they do not support We will introduce Tax Increment Financing (TIF) powers, allowing councils to fund key infrastructure projects by borrowing against future in business rates. TIF and the retention of business rates will be introduced through the forthcoming Local Government Finance bill. Transparency Transparency is the foundation of accountability. The taxpayer has a right to see how their money is spent. In this fiscal climate the need to cut waste is extremely important and every penny needs to be accounted for. The majority of local authorities are now publishing their spend data on-line. LA are publishing senior official salaries, councillor expenses and allowances, contracts and tenders. Non domestic rates – Enables local government to be more entrepreneurial and attract keep local business. Allow LA to grant discretionary business rates. Simplifies business rate relief Gives affected businesses greater say in rates supplements Cancels certain backdated business rates.
That’s what the government wants to achieve, why its decentralising, and how its going about it. But what does it mean for communities up and down the country… These are the specific new powers communities will be getting. The Localism Bill is putting these all into affect
[Note: the picture is of Hudswell Community Pub, and or Arrundel in Sussex which is a Neighbourhood Planning Vanguard]
How will it work? Services can be challenged, not functions. Bill provides for all services to be challenged, although have power to exempt. Relevant bodies all have links to the community – whether they are members of it, live or work there or already provide services to them. Provides mechanism for implementing commitment in coalition agreement to give local people the right to bid to take over running services they deliver. Bill enables LAs to set window for submission of EOIs, so can synchronise consideration with commissioning cycles for services and manage the flow of EOIs. County, district and London Borough councils are named in the Bill as relevant authorities, although power to extend to other public bodies. Bill provides power to specify how long LAs should take to make decision. Where LA accepts EOI, must run a procurement exercise. This needs to be appropriate and relevant to size/type of service – where Public Contracts Regulations 2006 apply will need to follow procedures for advertising, tendering and awarding set out in Regs - where do not will need to run whatever sort of procurement exercise they would at the moment. LA will also need to consider whether EOI, and how procurement exercise, can promote social, environmental and economic well being of area. Period between accepting EOI and starting procurement exercise will enable employees, where not challengers, to decide whether want to bid, and organise themselves to do so themselves to do so effectively. Will also benefit VCS. Where LA rejects EOI will need to publish reasons – transparency and accountability.
The Government plans to build on the important changes already happening in communities up and down the country to buy local assets like village shops, local pubs and so on. The bill will give the communities the chance to take the initiative, the opportunity to list an asset in advance and the time for communities to have a chance to save their valued assets. At the moment, private investors are able to make a quick bid for a community asset, before community organisations have had a chance to compete. So, we are simply levelling the playing field with private investors. For the first time, community assets that are privately owned such as shops and pubs will be able to be saved. Right… So, how does it work? It’s really very simple… Communities can identify assets and nominate them to the local authority. The local authority lists it if it is of community value When the listed asset comes up for sale, a disposal cannot be entered into until a certain length of time has passed. Providing communities MORE time to bid!!! You can find details of the consultation on the DCLG website
The Big Society Bank will play a crucial part in catalysing the development of the social investment market Bank will be capitalised from our largest banks and dormant accounts Largest UK banks injecting £200m over 2 years, starting in 2011 (funding subject to Bank’s business plan and structure) Money released from dormant accounts scheme (BBA estimate £400m). In the first year we expect up to100m to be available from mid-2011 We are working with the BIG Lottery Fund on interim arrangements that will enable investments to be made as soon as dormant accounts funds become available.
The Open Public Services White paper was published on 11 July and it set out: How the Government will improve public services. By putting choice and control in the hands of individuals and neighbourhoods, public services will become more responsive to peoples’ needs. The White Paper set out 5 principles: Wherever possible we should increase choice by giving people direct control over the services they use Power should be decentralised to the lowest appropriate level Public Services should be open to a range of providers competing to offer a better service The state’s role is to deliver fair access, fair funding and fair competition; and Public services should be accountable to users and to taxpayers. Local Authorities are the most appropriate level of government to provide many services because they combine democratic accountability with economies of scale beyond neighbourhoods and communities. the wider public sector has much to learn for local authority successes in commissioning.
OPS Next Steps From JULY –SEPTEMBER – This White paper will be followed over the summer by a wide-ranging discussion with individuals, communities, public sector staff, providers and others with an interest in how public services are delivered . NOVEMBER : The Government will set out how departments will take forward ideas to implement open public services over the rest of this Parliament in line with the principles and polices which the White Paper sets out., including proposals for legislation. From April 2012: Departments will publish regular progress reports, setting out the steps that have been taken to open up public services.
We have extended the offer to any individual, community group or council experiencing Government barriers to taking local action to contact the Department who will work with colleagues across Government to try to tackle the barrier if possible. This barrier busting offer is aligned with the Sustainable Communities Act. We have made it easier for people to ask for our help to tackle them through our online portal launched on 15 December, which also keeps log of requests received and action taken. As of 9 June the team had accepted 340 requests, 35% are about policy, legislation or regulation; 50% are local issues, about 15% want information or funding. It has been a change in the way government operates. Instead of only being focused upwards on providing advice to Ministers, Whitehall is now putting those resources at the service of communities - not only in the vanguards, but nationwide through the localism agenda and new barrier busting service. Barrier busting represents a new way of working, to put the Big Society into practice and give local communities greater power over decisions with tailored help from central Government to break down any bureaucratic barriers they encounter and help them achieve their vision of the Big Society. Barriers = Mind Sets and Cultural Behaviours. EG of shed and planning permission NFGS may wish to consider lodging a co-ordinated contribution on behalf of the people/interests they represent - say details of the 5 most common barriers experienced by people locally.
We all know the world’s most famous community organiser… The Community Organiser programme is about stimulating and supporting greater social action, especially in England’s communities that have lower levels of activity and perhaps higher levels of need. PURPOSE It encourages individuals and groups to say ‘I can do this / we can do this’. A Community Organiser talks to as many people as possible in an area, building up a rich picture of need but especially opportunities – people willing to do things to improve the quality of life locally; through small projects; through starting small businesses; through working closely with others and, when necessary, challenging them to improve the services they provide. The work supports these ‘local leaders’, linking them to other people in the same area, developing a stronger sense of identity and a vision for the future. The benefit for service providers is a more engaged community that is easier to liaise with, and that is actively working for the common good. The government will train 5,000 Community Organisers over the life-time of this parliament – 500 will be full-time and 4,500 will be part-time, working with the full-time ‘senior’ organiser. The government has appointed Locality to deliver the Community Organisers programme Locality has identified a number of kickstart areas which are ‘ready to go’. Community organisations in these areas have committed to recruiting organisers and to ‘hosting’ them. The organisers will have access to facilities, other groups and charities, mentoring and support (through a well-established national network) and financial resources. The programme will begin in eleven ‘kick-start’ organisations – Cumbria, Manchester (x2), Hull, East Anglia, Birmingham, Luton, Bristol, London (x2) and Cornwall. Community Organisers will undergo a one year training programme. Senior and mid-level organisers will then work together in communities
Some non-green space egs to help give you an idea of the broader picture of the sort of initiatives going on.. Derbyshire has got its first new swimming pool for 25 years thanks to the actions of some community minded locals. Gayton pool opened in January 2011 after residents in Littleover campaigned to keep their local pool open. The result was a new £1 million pool which has enabled local residents and children to benefit from a range of swimming lessons. The success of Gayton pool demonstrates what can happen when communities come together and take over the running of a service from the local authority. The Localism Bill will give communities the right to challenge their council on decisions that directly affect them and enable local residents to take charge of their community to run services themselves.
Some more typical themes here.. And of course there are very many excellent green space egs through Green Flag Award, organisations such as GreenSpace, the FCFCG and many others represented on GreenLINK Talk about ‘How To’