The Chancellor’s budget announced some funding for communities but does not go far enough to support local growth.
All Nicole Johnson
We share a collective challenge. A challenge that can only be responded to with a bold ambition and a commitment that will reach deeply into neighbourhoods across the country.
Today’s announcement on the allocation of Dormant Assets funding could be a game changer for the 11,000 community businesses working to support vulnerable people and communities in England.
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?
A new report by the British Academy and Power to Change explores how social infrastructure contributes to communities’ wellbeing, helps develop their resilience and tackles deepening geographic inequalities.
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.
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?
Stoke-on-Trent South MP and councillors met with Power to Change and high street community businesses supporting local people through the cost-of-living crisis.
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.
A new report from the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research at Sheffield Hallam University and Power to Change has shone a light on the need and opportunity for supporting communities to save ailing high streets and support the levelling up agenda.
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 Nick Plumb responds to Labour's plans to level up the country in a speech at a community business in Darlington.
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.
19 leaders from the North East and Yorkshire and the Humber will benefit from a tailored learning programme which includes a £8,000 grant and which supports the development and impact of community enterprises.
Tim Davies-Pugh has been appointed as the new Chief Executive of Power to Change. He takes over from Vidhya Alakeson OBE, who stepped down as Chief Executive in February 2022.
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.
A new programme by Power to Change and the British Academy will help to better understand how social infrastructure approaches can contribute to the government’s levelling up agenda.
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.
Power to Change’s Ailbhe McNabola responds to the Queen’s Speech 2022 and what the proposed Bills mean for communities.
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.
Community businesses in the Liverpool City Region can apply for business mentoring and support thanks to a new programme being delivered by The Women’s Organisation.
Renaisi's Lily O'Flynn explores how, mid-programme, we re-visualised the change of the Empowering Places programme using a more dynamic model.
A new partnership between the North of Tyne Combined Authority (NTCA) and Power to Change will provide a £4 million boost for community businesses in North East England.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Reaction to the Chancellor’s Autumn 2021 Budget and Spending Review announcement.
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.
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.