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Our Insight Manager discusses findings from our new Hyperlocal report, highlighting the importance of investing in community business for lasting change.
The delivery of the Community Wealth Fund should be through long-term, flexible funding that empowers communities and involves community businesses. Below we share our response to the Government's consultation.
From Westminster to the community frontline, Power to Change's Policy and Insight team reflect on the King's Speech and Locality Convention
This year's Labour Party Conference reinforced the power of communities and community businesses, stressing on the significance of regional rebalancing as well as creating a more local political economy through devolution.
Power to Change has been on a journey with DEI, researching barriers to funding, recognising our role in contributing to exclusionary practices, and working out how we can start to tackle it. This is an open and detailed account of that journey and how we achieved the most diverse applicant and grantee pool for our most recent fund.
As we launch the Discovery Fund, meet some of the successful grantees and the challenges they are hoping to explore community tech-based solutions and ideas for.
Our new report, with IPPR North and Locality, explores how different community businesses models and actions are building resilient communities and the transition to a fairer, greener, future.
The Conservative party should deliver on levelling up and support community businesses which have the potential to drive change at a local level.
We are attending party conferences to advocate for policy changes that help create the conditions community businesses need to thrive.
With the right approach Community Improvement Districts (CIDs) can empower communities to lead regeneration in their town centres. Find out how to make it happen
If you’ve been following our blog recently you’ll know already that Power to Change’s five year place-based ...
We asked, we listened, we acted: our chief executive discusses Power to Change's future direction and why we are staying around for the long term
As five community businesses launch a groundbreaking community energy collective, seeking to raise £2.5m to take ownership of seven solar farms, our climate action manager explores why Power to Change backed this initiative and what we hope our investment will achieve
The Empowering Places programme supported and seeded community businesses in underserved areas of England using a relational approach, leadership and reputation, unrestricted grants, and flexible yet targeted support over a five-year period. This blog reflects on the learnings from the programme.
Whilst our role is to build the evidence base about the impact of community business on places and planet, it's crucial we measure our own impact and explore the impact we can have on community businesses
A new report shows that community businesses are more confident, diverse and optimistic than other third sector organisations.
Last week I travelled to the glorious seaside town of Bournemouth to attend the LGA's annual conference and share some of innovative approaches we are trialing with local government partners.
Between 2017 and 2022, Power to Change partnered with Crowdfunder UK to run Community Business Crowdmatch. We explore what we learned about crowdfunding and community businesses.
Rosie and Fergus lead our community tech programme team, and are currently recruiting for the new Discovery Fund. Here Rosie shares how they are adapting and iterating the application processes to remove barriers for underrepresented groups and mitigate unconscious bias
We know community business works to breathe new life into communities. With this insight, our mission is to help create the right conditions for them to thrive. And so it always inspiring when we spend time with the community businesses we seek to support. Get closer to their stories, their impacts and their incredible people who drive change from the ground up.
At Power to Change we recognise the importance of local and regional government backing to help grow local social economies. Our five lessons can support councils and combined authorities to intentionally and purposefully grow their social economy.
While there are many good practices we can adopt at programme level, there are sector gaps in the availability and accessibility of support for community businesses to develop their financial capabilities. We explore what it will take to address sector gaps and build a more supportive ecosystem.
Power to Change’s Financial Capabilities pilots – one delivered by The Women’s Organisation, and the other by Locality – aimed to strengthen community businesses’ financial management and decision making. Each project took a different approach, and we share below the initial learnings that have emerged from both pilots.
Community businesses are confident in the impact they are having in their local area, but they need further support in order to evidence it.
Since 2015, Power to Change has helped bring in an additional £210 million into the community business sector.
A key element of our funding offer for community tech programmes is the 20% that grantees must spend on ‘working in the open'. So in the spirit of open working, here’s our learning from delivering the Makers and Maintainers round of funding
Power to Change visits some of the brilliant community businesses and social enterprises driving change in their communities in Liverpool and the Wirral.
Why incentivising community businesses to grow their trading income helps to create a more resilient and impactful sector
Ishita Ranjan-Churchill from Spark Insights shares the findings from their research into the experiences of community businesses led by and supporting people experiencing marginalisation.
At Power to Change we have been backing community businesses to become more resilient and financially sustainable to have greater impact on their communities in the long term.
Ishita Ranjan-Churchill from Spark Insights shares the findings from their research into the experiences of community businesses led by and supporting people experiencing marginalisation.
Local communities often have amazing ideas for town centre buildings, but struggle to get affordable, secure access. Here are some practical steps and free templates for reviving vacant buildings in partnership with asset owners.
Ishita Ranjan-Churchill from Spark Insights shares the findings from their research into the experiences of community businesses led by and supporting people experiencing marginalisation.
There's a growing movement to fix the town centre property system, and transform how communities access space. Introducing Platform Places...
When it comes to regenerating our town centres, Community Improvement Districts aim to amplify the voices of community led organisations and residents, bringing them into partnership with businesses, councils and property owners, says Chris Neath.
While Jeremy Hunt’s first Budget as Chancellor was less explosive than that of his predecessor, it was not without ...
Did you know more than half of community businesses are majority led by women?
We are exploring a number of ways in which we can better reach and serve community businesses. From our research, it is clear that our sector is still failing to serve marginalised communities and that for too long, decision-making power has been withheld by funders and change is inevitably slow, inadequate or both.
High street regeneration is a complex picture, but Back on the Map in Sunderland are piloting a Community Improvement District - convening a broad and inclusive local partnership to ensure regeneration efforts succeed.
Our Next Generation innovation programme has been supporting trials of alternative business models for community energy. Several models are now identified as near viable, generating considerable learnings for community businesses and wider stakeholders.
This guide has been prepared to help combined authorities and local authorities to utilise their UK Shared Prosperity Fund allocations to support the local social economy. It draws on forthcoming Power to Change research, and we will update it with new information and as this research is published.
The social fabric of a community is important for weathering challenging times. How can government support the growth of important community spaces for people to gather and meet?
The Community Tech: Makers and Maintainers fund focuses on building resilience of existing community tech already in use by community businesses across England. Meet the latest cohort and learn more about the programme.
Speeches last week from Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer offered some hope for communities in what will be a very difficult year ahead. We dive into what this means for community businesses.
Community businesses can now access a multitude of useful resources and webinars to deepen their knowledge of energy efficiency, sustainability and community action.
We are deeply concerned about the impact of the cost of living and energy crises on community businesses and the vital services they provide to their communities. As communities respond to these crises, we are here to support them.
North of Tyne Combined Authority and Power to Change are working together to invest in and grow the region’s social economy, responding directly to the sector’s evidenced needs for finance and support. But what could this support look like?
Community businesses need more certainty and support from government to make it through this period of crisis.
One way of doing this is through enabling community ownership, which will support the sector to continue playing its crucial role in strengthening communities and revitalising our high streets.
Today, we are launching our 2022 Community Business Market Report. The research used a survey, interviews, and a ...
Lily O’Flynn from Renaisi summarises the latest findings from their evaluation of our Empowering Places programme.
Untangling TWINE: Lessons from a funder developing digital tools
Ed Whitelaw, Head of Enterprise and Regeneration at Real Ideas, writes about a recent trip to Danish neighbourhood Christiania and community power.
British politics is currently full of surprises. What does all this change mean for communities, and how can politicians look to support the communities agenda?
This week’s Conservative Conference in Birmingham was full of drama. Amongst all that, conversations around the future of levelling up and tackling the decline of our high streets showed that supporting communities still remains top of many MPs' agendas. What remains to be seen is whether this view is held by those now at the top of the party.
This week’s Labour Party Conference in Liverpool featured a buoyant party confidently setting out its progressive agenda. Where do communities fit in this, and how will community power and investment feature in a Labour government?
Over the past 18 months we’ve been immersed in a fascinating space; learning, connecting and testing to see how communities are engaging with technology on their own terms.
With each passing week the problems with our housing system become more apparent.
No matter your age, there is often a ‘back to school’ vibe to the start of September, perhaps even more so this year as the new Prime Minister – Liz Truss – enters Number 10.
The Empowering Places programme aims to build more resilient and prosperous communities by building the capacity of locally rooted ‘catalyst’ organisations in six areas to seed the growth of new community businesses, says our places officer Natalie White.
Community businesses could succeed in revitalising Britain’s high streets – with the right support. New research by the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research at Sheffield Hallam University explores how.
Power to Change’s Ailbhe McNabola shares some community sector responses to Labour’s levelling up plans
Seven Community Improvement District pilots are now underway across England. Power to Change’s Jenny Sansom outlines what they hope to achieve.
The new Markets4People handbook outline how traditional retail markets can help with the Covid-19 recovery, revitalise high streets recovery, and support community wealth building, community business and other linked local economic development agendas.
Research shows that community businesses want support in measuring and articulating their impact. We outline how we're helping to address this gap in the sector.
Several years after Power to Change’s investment, what has been the financial impact of the Community Business Fund, Trade Up and Bright Ideas programme on their grantees?
You can learn from things going wrong as well as things going right.
Power to Change’s Josh Westerling and Nick Plumb share their reflections on Restitch: the social fabric summit held in London and Halifax during May.
Power to Change has been rated on our diversity, transparency and accountability by the Friends Provident Foundation, in their first report publication of the Foundation Practice Rating (FPR).
Power to Change commissioned Kantar to conduct a ‘hyperlocal’ version of the Community Life Survey, focused on six places in England participating in the Empowering Places programme. This blog outlines some initial findings on the relative impact of our work in each area.
Power to Change's Trade Up programme has encouraged resilience in community businesses, but most still require further time and support to thrive in the long run – a role that funders can play going forward.
Common Vision's ‘Futures Playbook’ explores how building and resourcing infrastructure can support civil society to be impactful, resilient and adaptive in the future.
Bethan Hunt reflects on the 2021 Bradford Learning Camp of the Empowering Places Programme and the power of meeting in-person in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Renaisi’s evaluation outlines the impact that Community Business Fund had on existing community businesses and recommends ways in which funders can support them going forward.
Renaisi’s evaluation outlines the impact that Bright Ideas had on community groups and early-stage community businesses, and recommends ways in which funders can support them going forward.
Learnings from our first year on the VCSE Health and Wellbeing Alliance.
Power to Change’s vision is that by 2025, more communities in England run businesses that give them power to change what matters to them. They create more resilient places that are better to live and work in for everyone.
Renaisi's Lily O'Flynn explores how, mid-programme, we re-visualised the change of the Empowering Places programme using a more dynamic model.
Power to Change’s Nick Plumb outlines why community ownership on the high street is essential to their survival.
Asset ownership can have an impact on community businesses and the people they work with. We look at good practices for funders looking to support community businesses with asset acquisition and management.
What is community organising? And what potential does it have to tackle local issues? Bonnie Hewson explores.
A new approach has been developed to better understand the financial impact of our funding for community businesses. Renaisi's Mylene Pacot explains all.
Laying out our diversity, equity and inclusion plans for the future, and our achievements so far.
The Government published its Levelling Up White Paper this week. Power to Change’s Ailbhe McNabola gives her reaction on whether it will deliver for communities.
Power to Change’s Nick Plumb outlines the four things he’ll be looking out for in the Levelling Up White Paper when it publishes in the coming weeks
Supporting community businesses to make a real difference in the shift to a fairer, greener economy.
There are some benefits of online events. In December, together with SSE, we brought together 54 community business leaders from across England to celebrate completing our Community Business Trade Up programme.
Community energy businesses are taking risks, and building new skills, through Power to Change's Next Generation programme.
Is the concept of sector useful in understanding and supporting community businesses?
Nick Plumb reveals the two London high streets named England’s first community improvement districts in a bid to revive the UK’s struggling town centres.
We are continuing to build the evidence base about how community businesses impact on health and wellbeing, employability, social isolation, their local environment, and much more.
Rachel Laurence reflects on how one organisation, BD Giving, navigated the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic and what this tells us about the future of place-based funding.
Vidhya Alakeson lays out the challenges facing communities striving to make their places better and why they need more power.
A review of Bright Ideas, Trade Up, and Community Business Fund, Power to Change programmes focused on community businesses growth, early-stage support, advisory for growing income, and capital investment support.
Tom Archer talks about lessons from our Homes in Community Hands programme, ahead of launching two learning briefs on how to enable community-led housing.
Climate hero Mark Pepper of Ambition Lawrence Weston shares his thoughts on attending and speaking at COP26.
Real Ideas are a pioneering social enterprise supporting people to build better futures. In this blog, Ed Whitelaw reflects on the role of community business in parks and the importance of community climate heroes.
How will COP26 encourage community climate action? Will Walker, our climate action manager, blogs from COP26.
Carbon Co-op are a community energy organisation based in Greater Manchester. In this blog, Jonathon Atkinson discusses the importance of community climate action and reflects on what it all means at COP26.
Sandra Salazar D'eca, founder of Go Grow With Love & head grower at Black Rootz, has been named as an Everyday Climate Hero in a new campaign shot by renowned photographer, Rankin.
Ibe Hayter, founder of Cycle of Life, has been named as an Everyday Climate Hero in a new campaign shot by renowned photographer, Rankin.
We are putting the climate crisis at the forefront of every single decision that Power to Change makes.
As consensus builds around the importance of social infrastructure to deliver the government’s levelling up ambition, Jenny Sansom shares the story of east London’s Bromley-by-Bow Centre.
Be part of a unique opportunity to co-design a new support role in a community development and pilot programme. This new role, a community coach, will support groups with community-led housing and asset development.
Locality, in partnership with Power to Change, has joined the VCSE Health and Wellbeing Alliance (HW Alliance), an initiative of the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England and NHS Improvement.
With levelling up the talk of the fringe, Nick Plumb reflects on day two at Conservative Party conference and growing interest in community power.
Hot on the heels of Labour, this week it’s the turn of the Conservative Party to gather for its annual conference. Jenny Sansom reports from Manchester on what the party’s focus on levelling up means in practice.
It's been an eventful few days at the Labour Party conference. In the second of his conference diaries, Nick Plumb reflects on Labour's bold spending pledges for greening the economy and its solution to our struggling high streets.
As Labour Party members gather in Brighton this week for its first in-person annual conference since the start of the pandemic, Nick Plumb reports back on how the party is planning to empower local communities.
Power to Change recently commissioned a study on the value that volunteers contributed to community businesses. In this blog, Sarah Thelwall describes some of the findings that might be useful for community businesses.
With the launch of two reports calling on government to put communities in the lead and invest in social infrastructure in order to achieve levelling up, Ailbhe McNabola reflects on the findings and what needs to happen next.
Following on from the progress update of Empowering Places in January of this year, Bonnie Hewson shares a roundup of our learning to date.
We are seeking proposals from organisations with great ideas that will help to transform the sector, making it more resilient and sustainable for the long term.
This blog post is the third of three outlining the research that Promising Trouble has undertaken for Power to Change, answering the question, “How can Power to Change inspire greater uptake of community tech?”
This blog post is the second of three outlining the research that Promising Trouble has undertaken for Power to Change, answering the question, “How can Power to Change inspire greater uptake of community tech?”
This blog post is the first of three outlining the research that Promising Trouble has undertaken for Power to Change, answering the question: “How can Power to Change inspire greater uptake of community tech?”
Six years of cutting-edge research into the community business sector, from Power to Change, will now be hosted by our partners, the Institute for Community Studies.
At Power to Change, our mission is to strengthen community businesses to tackle some of society’s biggest challenges at a local level, including climate change.
Community business Covid-19 diaries give us a window in to how these diverse organisations and their communities coped and responded to the crisis.
Moving towards equity, how will we at Power to Change address the diversity, equity and inclusion recommendations from our latest report?
If government is serious about levelling up, it must put communities in the lead .
The first Peer Networks Community of Practice online session focused on the different roles people take up to make sure their networks work thrive.
We take a look at some of the community businesses who have already received investment.
Rebecca Trevalyan is on a mission to make it easier for communities to access the land and property in their town centres.
We are right in the middle of Community Energy Fortnight, with over 400 organisations across the country hosting events, launching Twitter takeovers and writing blogs to celebrate all things community energy.
Community businesses strengthen local economies and enrich the fabric of society. They bring people together to improve their local areas, often operating in low-income areas while supporting our most vulnerable groups.
Covid has been a prominent reminder that if we are to have healthy and happy citizens, a cityscape is not complete without high-quality natural spaces.
The Community Shares Booster programme has been pivotal to the community shares revolution.
From next week pubs will literally open their doors once more as we’ll finally be allowed back inside in groups of six or fewer. Many of us are now used to booking weeks in advance to huddle under a heater, but the next stage of the roadmap will allow even more of our much-missed pubs to reopen.
How do we make it easier for communities to access town centre property and space?
Football, the clubs and their grounds, are about far more than business. They sit at the very heart of many communities. They are vital assets that bring communities together, build identity and pride and make a significant contribution to the local economy. They are the ultimate community business.
Georgina Edwards, Plunkett Foundation’s Information Hub Manager, introduces their new Better Business survey.
Last year, Power to Change launched the Community Business Renewal Initiative to support the community business sector through Covid-19. As the Powering Up programme re-opens for applications, we take a look at how it works and what's in it for community businesses.
A dizzying array of funds with similar names were announced at the budget this week, many which fell under the banner of their ‘levelling up’ agenda.
Meeting the grantees using their grants to support their communities through the Covid-19 crisis.
The Better Way Network is a network of leaders who want to improve services and build strong communities. Here, Laura Seebohm, the Better Way convenor in the North, explores the work they do.
What do we mean by 'better places'? Can community businesses really transform their local areas?
Could you support the next generation of community energy organisations by sharing your knowledge and experience? We are looking for passionate and enthusiastic community energy organisations to participate in a peer mentoring scheme.
Programme manager Bonnie Hewson reflects on the progress of the programme
We need to give communities the power and capital to shape their neighbourhoods
Meeting the grantees using their grants to support their communities through the pandemic
In this blog series, we’re looking back at this difficult, unforgettable year and the many ways Power to Change had to adapt to support the community business sector during the pandemic.
In this blog series, we’re looking back at this difficult, unforgettable year and the many ways Power to Change had to adapt to support the community business sector during the pandemic.
In this blog series, we’re looking back at this difficult, unforgettable year and the many ways Power to Change had to adapt to support the community business sector during the pandemic.
In this blog series, we’re looking back at this difficult, unforgettable year and the many ways Power to Change had to adapt to support the community business sector during the pandemic.
In this blog series, we’re looking back at this difficult, unforgettable year and the many ways Power to Change had to adapt to support the community business sector during the pandemic.
Lauren Pennycook, Senior Policy and Development Officer at Carnegie UK Trust, looks at the learnings from the Trust's latest report into communities' Covid-19 response
As we say goodbye to Mark Gordon, he reflects on his time working with community business
Charlotte Cassedanne and Rose Seagrief look back at the development of the CCLORS fund
We need to change the way we talk about the challenges of community business, says Bonnie Hewson.
Our aims to put community at the heart of town centres, by Policy Manager, Nick Plumb.
Vidhya Alakeson looks ahead to the Government's 2020 spending review
By unlocking the power of community, local authorities can create more responsive services, says Locality Chief Executive, Tony Armstrong.
Power to Change has launched two new matched funding programmes as part of the Community Business Renewal Fund. So how are they different?
The New Civic High Street was the culmination of a series of webinars run by Power to Change, looking at how our rapidly transforming town centres provide opportunities for radical thinking.
Last year, Nesta's 100 Day Challenge launched in Liverpool. Here we, Nesta and Liverpool City Council reflect on the project.
The second of the Power to Change High Streets webinar series on 14th October investigated the issue of landownership as one of the principal levers of control for our town centres.
Communications and Partnerships Director Mark Gordon says goodbye to two founding members of the Community Business Panel
Choose Communities: Buy Social will be taking place from 15-17 October and is a chance to raise the profile of the social enterprise movement and the different way of doing business
Power to Change brought together a panel to discuss governance models to enable the formal participation of the community sector in high streets and town centres
A brief update regarding the latest legal requirements for the hospitality sector, to tackle the rise of Coronavirus.
Our unique learning approach, innovation in grant funding and Power to Change’s community business expertise and networks blended perfectly to create this successful partnership and programme: Community Business Trade Up.
Communities Week 2020: an annual celebration of all of the work by people, businesses and organisations to improve their neighbourhoods
Liz Zeidler, Chief Executive of Centre for Thriving Places, explores the role of wellbeing in growing an economy.
Outlining the importance of civil society in post-Covid planning, how that influences and impacts resilient local places, how to build inclusive economies and the future of social care.
On 13-14 August, Power to Change hosted the first ever online Community Business Festival, showcasing community businesses from across the country. You can watch most sessions back here!
With our partners, we have launched a support package for community businesses including a range of activities, from webinars to short intensive programmes for community business leaders to hone their skills and develop peer networks, helping them to continue to play a vital role in their communities
We’re offering 20 free places to help community businesses with their finances
Simon Kaye introduces NLGN's new project, Shifting the Balance of Community Power
How can community cafes and pubs safely attract customers back through their doors?
As lockdown eases, Steve Sharma considers how communication has changed forever
Charlotte Cassedanne, Head of Communications at Power to Change, shares some tips
Our Policy Manager, Tom Hamilton Shaw, reacts to the Grimsey review
Community Energy England launch Community Energy Fortnight online
This Community Energy Fortnight, Will Walker reflects on the success so far, and what comes next
Vidhya Alakeson writes about the future of high streets post-lockdown for the Financial Times
Kate Stewart takes stock of how we have responded to the COVID-19 crisis within our communities
Rianna Raymond-Williams highlights the work Ubele are doing to support BAME communities
Erika Rushton shares her thoughts on how Liverpool businesses have responded to the crisis
Paul Gutherson reflects on the potential for post Covid-19 recovery in communities.
Hannah Ormston of the Carnegie UK Trust reflects on community asset transfers and how they can strengthen communities
Find out how community businesses can play a key role in harnessing all the goodwill that has been unleashed
Vidhya Alakeson, our CEO, outlines our response
Community business leader Bill Graham reflects on the impact of COVID-19 on community business
What we're doing to support vital, locally based, frontline organisations
We will be updating this blog as new packages of support are announced by Government
Protecting the most vulnerable in our neighbourhoods
Our CEO Vidhya Alakeson breaks down the budget and what it means for our communities
When you give local people real power, extraordinary things can happen
The final IWD post features a woman who works to improve young people's lives in Keighley
The third IWD post features one of the founding members of Kitty's Launderette in Liverpool
In the second IWD post, we spoke to MP Kim Johnson about being a woman in business and politics
To mark International Women’s Day (IWD) 2020, we spoke to the founder of Hackney Herbal CIC
From books to energy, Jonathan Atkinson is well-versed in the world of community business
The Health and Social Care Community of Practice reflect on the role of volunteer coordinators
The community-led regeneration champion reflects on her experiences
Community Business Weekend is an annual, national celebration
Currently, there are 11.3 million adults in the UK lacking one or more basic digital skills
The community business founder and social entrepreneur looks back on her experience
As we celebrate our fifth birthday, we're outlining the two commitments we’re making this year
CEO Vidhya Alakeson reflects on how the UK’s departure from the EU will affect the sector
For Community Business Weekend 2020, we will be working with ambassadors covering every region
For Rosie Wild, learning about the community businesses working for young people was one of her standout moments of the year
As the dust settles from the outcome of the General Election, Vidhya Alakeson reflects on the result
Community business leaders from around the country look at the potential for health and social care
The development trust specialist reflects on his time working in communities
Next Generation consortium member and partner at Everoze, Felicity Jones, shares her learnings
The community building expert and chief executive of B-Inspired shares her experience
The Rural Community Business Awards celebrates the achievements of rural community businesses
Community energy pioneer shares his wisdom
A blog by Power to Change CEO Vidhya Alakeson
In the run up to Power to Change's In Our Hands event with Wirral Council, we went on a tour of community businesses in Liverpool City Region!
From Monday 21st October – Friday 1st November, Power to Change will be hosting a community pub crawl #CheersTo on our social media, celebrating the diverse range of activities that take place in community pubs.
It has been a busy party conference season at Power To Change. Our CEO, Vidhya Alakeson, Ailbhe McNabola, Head of Research and Policy, and Richard Harries, Director of the Research Institute sum up their takeaways.
A new guide and webinar, designed to help community businesses understand and work with local government, and see what benefits they can offer to their local authorities
In Communities Week it’s nice to celebrate success stories, and there’s much to give us cheer in a new evaluation report on Power To Change’s More Than A Pub funding programme.
Community business is at the heart of local change and this Communities Week, Power to Change are shining a light on the people who are making their neighbourhoods better places for all.
What it takes for communities to be in the lead of their own health
As high streets continue to struggle, we need to look at alternative ways to ensure they return to being the thriving hubs of local life. Power To Change's Director of Communications and Partnerships, Mark Gordon, shares thoughts on his recent visit to Levenshulme and how community-led markets could provide a solution.
The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government has released a new framework that sets how government will strengthen communities. Power to Change Chief Executive, Vidhya Alakeson, shares her thoughts:
Yvonne Field, Founder and Director of the Ubele Initiative, recently shared her learnings at the Jamaican Diaspora Conference on ways to develop the young BME leaders of future community businesses, supported by Power to Change.
A IPPR North/Power to Change long blog by Vidhya Alakeson and Jack Hunter
Discover BUD's steps in the cycle to become an empowering leader
The fourth edition of Community Business Weekend took place this month from 16-19 May.
Giles Piercy, who is part of Power to Change’s Community of Practice looking at health and social care, shares his thoughts on how integrated care delivery could work with community businesses
Suzanne Perry, Power to Change Research Officer and Hanan Farah, CharityWorks Taster Associate
As Community Business Weekend approaches (16-19 May), Alice Wharton from Co-operatives UK reflects on the importance of community shares as an increasingly popular tool for raising finance.
Inspired by last week's event which launched the recent report published by Power to Change by the Heseltine Institute at the University of Liverpool, our CEO Vidhya Alakeson discusses the potential for a more inclusive economy through community business in the Liverpool City Region.
Guest blogger Nina Edge, an artist and campaigner from Liverpool 8 reflects on the Power to Change grantee support event in Liverpool on 5th March 2019 where the theme was Health and Wellbeing.
Some of the best romantic gifts and Valentine’s Day activities community businesses have to offer
Community businesses met up to discuss a challenge they face every day
Community business leader Bill Graham explores various views on social prescribing
Bradford and Power to Change are celebrating their first TEDx together this week on 16th of January. Social innovation is the topic of a day long symposium taking place at the Nation and Science and Media museum there to share ideas from Bradford’s most innovative organisations and individuals.
Co-operatives' Booster Programme Manager, Alice Wharton, explains the methodology behind looking through applications of the programme and details what they are looking for in a community business.
What role can community business play in reimagining the high street? Vidhya Alakeson explores
The top five learnings from our recent state of the community business market report!
The community business movement in Liverpool is taking root, supporting positive change all over the city and showing that the model works and can be replicated.
Read some top tips on setting up a successful community cafe from a successful community cafe in Bristol - Buzz Lockleaze
Want to know more about the M&S Community Business Challenge? Watch this film to get insights from the finalists, as well as from Power to Change and M&S
Taking responsibility for how we can do things differently in health and social care
Some conclusions on the recent People's Powerhouse Conference in Bradford
Pete Swallow, Head of Merseyside, Isle of Man and North Wales Region of M&S discusses how the importance of developing relationships across businesses is integral to long-term sustainability and in turn, Liverpool’s economic development.
B Inspired in Leicester is a community business working to change Braunstone in Leicester for the better. Health, social care and wellbeing are among the many areas of work B Inspired is involved in. Its work in this area is the topic of this latest blog by its CEO, Angie Wright.
Anya Hobbs from Marsh Farm Futures
Hannah Sloggett's top tips to breathe new life into the high street
Some thoughts from Anya Hobbs on the potential of Marsh Farm Futures in improving the quality of life for its' residents through sustainable opportunities.
Here's why you should head to Bristol next week!
Vidhya Alakeson on what the Budget announcements mean for saving our high streets
Anne Short from B Inspired Leicester discusses the second Power to Change grantee event – Power Up Leicester. Here, she summarises the day and draws some conclusions about how to build cultural change that can see the community business movement begin to flourish.
Charlotte Hollins from Fordhall Community Land Initiative shares her three top tips for launching a community share offer.
Our CEO, Vidhya Alakeson asks the question this party conference season
Angie Wright shares with us her experience of taking the Braunstone Grove into community hands.
Ahead of her talk at the FT's Investment for Good conference, Vidhya Alakeson sets out the case for investment in community-led housing.
Our CEO, Vidhya Alakeson highlights how we can work closer with communities this Communities Week
Why we've launched a podcast
What role can community business play in delivering sustainable social care?
A review of the Power Up! grantee event for community businesses.
What the Civil Society Strategy will mean for community businesses.
Submit your evidence to the House of Lords Select Committee on the rural economy!
A new toolkit to meet the challenges of BME-led community organisations.
The story of a quiet revolution in housing taking place in the unexpected town of Keswick.
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has announced it intends to abolish subsidies for new household and community scale renewable electricity technologies. In this blog, Community Business Panel member Afsheen Kabir Rashid, MBE, Co-founder, Director of Repowering London and Chair, Brixton Energy, sets out the case for community renewable energy.
Our Research Officer, Suzanne, attended the launch of Local Trust's latest research
Why community businesses have a role to play in keeping high streets alive
Our Director of Programmes explains why Power to Change is backing community-run pubs.
Happy Pride from everyone at Power to Change!
Jodie Giles from community energy business Regen explains her four lessons from peer networking
Today we are publishing our 2017 annual report.
With 225 events held, a massive 55% increase from last year, more people are finding out how they can support their local community.
Raise a glass and say #CheersToBeer this Beer Day at your local community pub!
Useful dos and don’ts for community businesses who are starting out.
A consortium of organisations has been working with community businesses to define a positive, inspiring vision for the sector in 2030.
There is money to be made from all that heritage, reflects our Director of Communications and Partnerships, Mark Gordon
How can we make people-powered health the mainstream? Vidhya Alakeson explores...
A podcast exploring some of the ways local people have taken local power by running community businesses
The benefits of communities taking responsibility for their health and wellbeing
How can we change power dynamics in the health sector? Halima Khan explores...
Do community businesses need a stronger relationship with councils?
Join 500 community businesses in England to celebrate community business
Delicious meals with a social justice purpose
Human interaction and emotion will be key to moving beyond a corporate capitalism.
Why people get involved with community businesses
A comparative study of community businesses
Community-led housing in the spotlight
Valentine’s gifts with heart
Vidhya Alakeson looks at the role of communities in creating social infrastructure for a stronger #socialcarefuture
On the occasion of their third birthday, Vidhya Alakeson reflects on the three things she has been most proud of in Power to Change's early years.
Community-led housing can bring so many benefits
Tips learnt from the Wavelength Conference which all community business leaders should aim to remember.
The history of community business, of course.
Community energy groups cleaned up at the Green Energy Awards 2017.
Highlights from the first ever community-led housing conference
More and more people are opting for tiny homes with lower-running costs, lower ecological footprint and simpler lifestyles.
Local people building their own homes and reinvesting profits into local training and employment.
Why we need Localism to get the economy moving
What questions should we be asking about community accountability?
Author Steve Wyler reflects on the role history plays for community businesses today
Ged Devlin reflects on the SITR stats
How can civic trusts help to reform data governance, 800 years after the Charter of the Forest.
Bill Graham shares why he values local, city-wide and national community business networks.
For the third year in a row, Power to Change are sponsoring the Locality Convention
We benchmark all the time. It is just that we tend not to call it that.
Last weekend saw 200+ community business opened their doors for #CBwkd17
Party conference season is a good time to take the temperature of what different parties are thinking
Part-time workers have different needs. It's important for organisations to support them.
What do communities need if they are to build their own homes?
What do the Labour party, Bernie Sanders and The Bristol Cable, a community-owned newspaper, have in common?
In the last five years, over 120,000 people have invested over £100,000,000 in community shares to support around 400 community businesses throughout the UK, including the Anglers Rest community pub in Bamford
Why doodling on your windows is a trick not to miss for community businesses
Bill Graham reflects on his own successful and unsuccessful moments as the leader of a community business.
9 tips, gleaned from community businesses themselves, to get yourself on the map.
Why Power to Change is opening up its grants data
Victoria shares her experience coming out and the support on offer at her local community business
We need better data on social investment – and we need to make better use of what we have.
It’s Community Centres Week from 19 to 25 July
A new social care system is a prize worth fighting for
Community businesses rely on lots of stakeholders to run successfully. But surely the most important must be the volunteers who help in so many ways.
Is Theresa May prepared to give away power?
People want good homes in the areas they love. Communities can lead the way.
We want to be able to set out the principles for meaningful involvement of members.
The Power of Place was an attempt by five different organisations – Collaborate, Lankelly Chase, Locality, Local Trust, Power to Change
Politicians are in election mode. We must tell them what we care about
Place-based working addresses the unique needs of people in a specific location.
"Discussions must be in-depth, inclusive and sometimes difficult to make things improve."
Tips and tools from social movement makers at Marmalade '17
Public trust in media and government has gone down dramatically around the world, and business isn’t doing too well either
Public assets are on the frontline when we decide what we want our communities to look like
How to join people all over the country who are stepping up to help their communities
Power to Change explores community shares and the long history of social lending
It is time for the government to change its role in local communities
Highfields Centre is located in the heart of a vibrant and diverse community and serves over 2000 individuals a week from different cultures and faiths
We’ve been capturing stories from women involved in community business, to celebrate their achievements, and inspire other women to #BeBoldForChange
We engaged Britain Thinks, who polled over 2,000 adults across the country and ran focus groups in London, Liverpool, Sheffield and East Anglia to find out who would want to become involved in a community business
More and more it is up to community businesses and voluntary organisations to deliver social change.
Community businesses give back control to local people
How community business supports mental wellbeing
In our first two years, we funded community businesses right across England, covering every region.
It’s a few weeks now since the Power to Change Research Institute was involved in the first Feedback Labs London event.
We have all unwrapped yet another pair of socks at Christmas. Many of us will have had a goat donated to a needy village in our name.
Read the headlines that accompanied the publication of Louise Casey’s integration review yesterday, and you might believe that we are a country coming apart at the seams.
The total an SITR-qualifying enterprise can raise has now been increased to £1.5m.
Chatter about community-led housing has reached the mainstream in the last week.
As the stock of social housing has dwindled, so community-led housing is creating an alternative route to genuine affordability.
Power to Change had invited Stephen, along with Dr Emma Stone of Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Cathy Irving of the Health Foundation and Dan Corry of New Philanthropy Capital, to share their experience and advice with community groups and community businesses.
As we open the third window of the Community Shares Booster programme, Ged Devlin, Programmes Manager at Power to Change, shares his four top tips to prepare a community share offer.
Naomi Griffith is taking part in our Community Business Leadership Programme; a partnership between Power to Change, RIO and Sheffield University Management School. This support programme for community business leaders combines leadership training and expertise with fast-track connections to experts and industries.
Bad measures make bad data. And bad data is a poor premise for making decisions about expenditure and delivery in social programmes.
Jenny Howard Coles is taking part in our Community Business Leaders Programme; a partnership between Power to Change, RIO and Sheffield University Management School this support programme for community business leaders combines leadership training and expertise with fast-track connections to experts and industries.
Ailbhe McNabola is the Head of Research and Policy at Power to Change. She has 15 years’ experience in research and analysis in policy-relevant fields, having started her career in management consultancy at Accenture. Ailbhe went on to join the team evaluating policy implementation at the UK National Audit Office, and has held a number of consultancy roles in central government departments.
Alice Wharton, is the programme manager for the Community Shares Unit based in Manchester. In this blog post she reflects upon the launch of the first Community Shares Booster Programme, a cooperation with Power to Change.
The Brexit vote is a cry of pain. Millions of otherwise powerless people were given a piece of paper and a once-in-a-generation chance to express their anger and frustration.
Over the next two years, the RSA, in partnership with Power to Change, RIO and Sheffield University Management School, is delivering a leadership programme for community business leaders and will be exploring the unique leadership challenges faced by those leaders.
Over the next two years, the RSA, in partnership with Power to Change, RIO and Sheffield University Management School, is delivering a leadership programme for community business leaders and will be exploring the unique leadership challenges faced by those leaders.
Charlotte Hollins, Manager of community-owned Fordhall Farm, explains why their taking part in Community Business Weekend, and why you should too.
This Saturday is an important day in the history of Hastings. It is the day that their iconic Pier re-opens after years of neglect, disrepair, closure and finally, a disastrous fire six years ago.
As we celebrate the success of community businesses this week and mark the opening of our new £10 million fund to support them, we are sharing blogs from a number of our grantees.
As we celebrate the success of community businesses this week and mark the opening of our new £10 million fund to ...
It looks likely now that Port Talbot in Wales will be the latest economic victim of the British declining advanced manufacturing industry, due to Tata Steel’s exit.
Pubs can be so much more than just somewhere to get a drink and socialise; many community pubs also provide vital local services such as a café or post office or shop.
We’re really pleased about the launch earlier this month of our £1 million initiative to support and stimulate community share offers. It is being delivered on our behalf by Co-operatives UK and Locality, via the Community Shares Unit (CSU).
Richard Harries, director of the Power to Change Research Institute, offers his take on George Osborne's budget yesterday.
Community assets transfers are gathering pace as councils seek to offload maintenance costs. But communities need support and some funding to make them a success says Power to Change Chief Executive Vidhya Alakeson.
Power to Change is one year old today and with a strategy for 2016-2018 under our belt, we have clarified not just our ambitions and activities but also the kind of funding organisation we want to be: one that unleashes community business potential.
It’s been a busy year for Power to Change and a busy year for community business. The sector is growing and the year ended with community business in the national spotlight as Assemble won the Turner Prize for its work with Granby 4 Streets, a community-led housing and regeneration initiative in the Toxteth area of Liverpool.
Regeneration, local pride and preserving a sense of place are just some of the aims community business and heritage buildings have in common that attendees of the Industrial Heritage 2015 conference are discussing today and tomorrow.
Since launching the Initial Grants Programme in May, we are proud to have committed over £3.75 million in funding to community businesses across England and to be on course to meet our target of £9 million by the end of the year.
Bamford Community Society was set up in 2011, when 300 members of the rural Bamford community clubbed together to buy their local pub to prevent its closure.
Vidhya Alakeson, CEO at the Power to Change, reflects on the recent budget and what it means for our communities.
Bob Thust, our Director of Community Business Programmes, highlights a Telegraph article about people in the Yorkshire town of Otley, who have successfully listed all 19 of the town’s pubs as assets of community value (ACVs), giving them protection at a time when 29 are closing each week across the country.
The Power to Change was established in response to the decline of high streets and the retreat of the public sector.
The Power to Change is a brand new charitable trust, set up to support community businesses across England.