This year marks the end of Power to Change’s Empowering Places programme; a five-year experiment which tested ways catalytic community anchors could be strengthened to seed sustainable clusters of community business, with the hope that this would reduce inequalities and build more resilient and prosperous communities.
The programme, delivered by Cooperatives UK in partnership with New Economics Foundation and Centre for Local Economic Strategies, provided a blend of funding and capacity-building support to ‘catalyst’ organisations in six areas of high deprivation.
This sixth and final programme report from programme evaluator’s Renaisi tells the overall story of Empowering Places. It explores the different ways catalysts have approached delivery and use of investment, the impact of the programme on the people and places involved and the risks and realities of investing in highly deprived communities. The report offers important lessons for funders, places and other stakeholders looking to support similar work in future.
This final report provides insights and learning for other funders and stakeholders interested in supporting similar initiatives.
