Power to Change, the think-do tank that backs community business, has announced a new ‘Community Covenant’ Test and Learn Partnership in Market Drayton, with Fordhall Community Land Initiative and Shropshire County Council.
The project – testing and learning how community covenants can ensure power and decision-making at the neighbourhood level – comes hot on the heels of a string of government policies recognising the neighbourhood scale is essential for communities to hold the power to make a difference in their area.
Last week, the government unveiled a DCMS-led initiative for ‘Local Covenant Partnerships’, to help realise the aims of their new national-level Civil Society Covenant. This new way of working could see community organisations work collaboratively and with local authorities and public service providers.
This follows the previous week’s English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, which makes clear the valued contribution communities make to the places they live. The Bill includes a new mandate for ‘effective neighbourhood governance’, with an onus to move decision-making closer to residents who understand local need.
Community covenants – neighbourhood-level power sharing agreements – are one way to make this happen. They are a forward-thinking and bold approach to local democracy where communities work directly with local authorities as equal partners to share power, allocate resources, and make decisions about the future of their local area.
Power to Change, alongside the We’re Right Here campaign for community power, are calling on government to make sure new measures unlock this approach in more places across England.
The partnership in Market Drayton is one of the first of its kind in the UK and marks a significant milestone in testing and learning from new ways for communities and councils to genuinely release community power and harness the intelligence of communities. Future partnerships are in the pipeline for other places across England.
The community covenant, convened by Fordhall Community Land Initiative – England’s first community-owned farm – has devolved decision-making over a community and family hub in the town.
This complements the government’s Test and Learn ‘innovation squads’ announced this month – a core focus of which are family hubs. A key principle of the government’s test and learn approach is ‘communities know best’ – with innovation squads there to ‘back community ideas’.
Josh Westerling, Community Power Lead at Power to Change, said:
“With government committed to empowering communities through a flurry of announcements in recent week, there is lots to learn from our Community Covenant Test and Learn Partnership, as they develop these ideas. By putting power into the hands of communities, we can drive real change that people are a part of and that addresses what matters to local people. We’re proud to be working with Fordhall Community Land Initiative to bring this to life in Market Drayton, and look forward to doing so elsewhere in the future.”
Charlotte Hollins, General Manager of Fordhall Community Land Initiative, added:
“We are all in agreement, that whatever decision the Market Drayton and Rural Parishes Community Covenant makes, it will be far better than one the council would have made on their own. This decision will be truly rooted within the community, it will be made with evidence from within our community, using the connections and knowledge that only those of us working in the coal-face can have. We will make the decision together and we will share responsibility together.”
Melanie France, Public Health Principal, Shropshire County Council said:
“This pilot is a powerful example of what happens when Shropshire Council, local voices and community leadership come together to shape services that truly reflect local needs. By working alongside local residents, trusted local partners like Charlotte Hollins from Fordhall Farm, and national allies like Power to Change, we’re building a model of local government that’s rooted in place, purpose, and with people at the heart of it.”
This is the first Community Covenant Test and Learn Partnership supported by Power to Change, with more areas in the pipeline. Insights from Market Drayton will inform future partnerships across other areas in England, as Power to Change works with national and local partners to back community business and release community power.
Notes to Editors:
- About Power to Change:
Power to Change is the think-do tank that backs community business from the ground up. We turn bold ideas into action so communities have the power to change what matters to them. We know community business works to build stronger communities and better places to live. We’ve seen people create resilient and prosperous local economies when power is in community hands. We also know the barriers that stand in the way of their success. We’re using our experience to bring partners together to do, test and learn what works. We’re shaping the conditions for community business to thrive.
- About Fordhall Community Land Initiative:
Fordhall Community Land Initiative is a community benefit society which owns and operates Fordhall Organic Farm in Market Drayton, England’s first community-owned farm.
- About Community Covenants:
Community Covenants are a neighbourhood-level power sharing agreements being explored by Power to Change and partners as part of a wider effort to release community power.
- About the We’re Right Here campaign:
The We’re Right Here campaign is a united movement for community power, spanning places and communities across the UK and the political spectrum.
