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.
All North East
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.
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.
Power to Change’s Ailbhe McNabola shares some community sector responses to Labour’s levelling up plans
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.
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.
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 responds to the publication of the Government's Levelling Up White Paper.
Power to Change responds to the House of Commons Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee's high streets report.
A brand-new programme supporting community enterprise leaders in the North East of England and across Yorkshire & Humberside to build their skills and confidence to continue playing a vital role supporting communities.
Power to Change responds to the Fan Led Review of Football Governance
How will COP26 encourage community climate action? Will Walker, our climate action manager, blogs from COP26.
The public, and older voters especially, are extremely sceptical about the likely impact of the government’s levelling up agenda in their community.
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.
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.
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 .
This new report explores why the government must abandon its centralised Westminster-led approach to ‘Levelling Up’ or risk failure from outset.
New research report launches five key commitments to support minoritised ethnic communities.
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.
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?
Programme manager Bonnie Hewson reflects on the progress of the programme
Power to Change, the independent trust that supports community businesses in England, is launching a new £5 million package of support to enable community businesses affected by the Covid-19 crisis to adapt, renew and rebuild their businesses so they can remain financially viable and best serve their local communities during the pandemic’s ‘new normal’.
Community businesses are more financially independent, generate more income and are more invested in shaping social and public policy to improve their local area than other types of third sector organisations, according to new research published today.