[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.22″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.10.6″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” width=”100%” sticky_enabled=”0″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.10.5″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
New polling reveals 63% of us agree local people should have more power over their local area.<\/strong><\/p>\n The government is unlikely to realise its levelling up ambitions unless it decentralises funding, invests in social infrastructure and puts communities in the lead, according to a new report<\/a> from Power to Change<\/strong>, the trust that backs community business in England.<\/p>\n Backing our Neighbourhoods: Making levelling up work by putting communities in the lead<\/em><\/strong> argues the government\u2019s current approach risks reinforcing inequalities and levelling up cannot succeed unless it changes the way it invests in social infrastructure \u2013 the physical spaces and community facilities which bring people together to build meaningful relationships.<\/p>\n The report comes as new polling commissioned by Power to Change from Opinium, reveals that 63% of us agree the government\u2019s \u2018levelling up agenda\u2019 should involve giving local people more power over the decisions, services and spaces which shape the places where they live.<\/p>\n The government has introduced three pots of money to help deliver its Levelling Up agenda – The Levelling Up Fund, the Community Renewal Fund and the Community Ownership Fund. Whilst the report welcomes the investment, it argues the funds are poorly targeted to support community organisations to deliver on their potential. It argues:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The report calls on greater investment in social infrastructure at the neighbourhood level to help tackle the issues facing communities:<\/p>\n 1.<\/strong> 25% of the future UK Shared Prosperity Fund should pass directly to communities to create strong foundations for economic development at neighbourhood-level.<\/p>\n 2.<\/strong> Community ownership should be accelerated in parts of the country where it is currently weakest. By flexing its Community Ownership Fund, the Government should increase access for projects from more disadvantaged communities.<\/p>\n 3.<\/strong> The next tranche of Dormant Assets should be set aside to create a Community Wealth Fund.<\/p>\n 4.<\/strong> The government should move away from assessing value for money of investment in community-led social infrastructure on the basis of narrow, largely economic cost benefit ratios. Instead, it should adopt a balanced scorecard approach and invest in building the data sets to enable this more rounded approach.<\/p>\n 5.<\/strong> There must be a complementary focus on local authorities. The pandemic highlighted the power of communities and local government working together in partnership in an agile way. Levelling up will depend on relinquishing a level of centralised control to unlock the power of that partnership.<\/p>\n Vidhya Alakeson, CEO of Power to Change, said: <\/strong>\u201cIf the government is serious about seizing this once in a generation opportunity to genuinely level up the country, it must avoid the mistakes of countless governments that went before. Chief among these errors is the presumption that Whitehall always knows best. Instead, government need to get behind local people and locally-rooted organisations, trusting they are best placed to understand the needs of their local communities. The potential prize is huge.<\/p>\n \u201cOur research shows that community organisations are incredibly well positioned to tackle many of the biggest challenges at the heart of levelling up \u2013 from restoring pride in place and improving local leadership to tackling imbalances in opportunity. Investing in this locally rooted social infrastructure is vital if we are to see levelling up deliver for all communities. Re-orienting the funds associated with levelling up, so that they have greater focus at the neighbourhood level, is a vital first step in unlocking this opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_button button_url=”https:\/\/www.powertochange.org.uk\/research\/backing-our-neighbourhoods\/” url_new_window=”on” button_text=”View full report here” _builder_version=”4.10.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_button][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.10.5″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Bromley by Bow Centre, East London<\/strong><\/p>\n The Bromley by Bow Centre is a vibrant community organisation in the heart of East London. The Centre was founded over 35 years ago and evolved from its previous use primarily as a church. Since then, it has built a national and international reputation for its innovative approach which inspires and empowers local people to transform their lives. The organisation delivers a broad range of activities based on its understanding of the local community and delivered through a unique model that combines social entrepreneurship, the arts, learning, social support, horticulture and holistic and integrated health programmes.<\/p>\n Together these services and opportunities make up an integrated health model delivered in partnership with local GPs in the Bromley by Bow Health Partnership. Community activities and statutory health services are combined to tackle the high levels of poverty and health inequalities in the community.<\/p>\n The Bromley by Bow model has led to many national innovations and breakthrough interventions such as Healthy Living Centres, Social Prescribing, DIY Health and Public Health England\u2019s flagship embedded community research project, Unleashing Healthy Communities.<\/p>\n Ethical Recruitment Agency, Grimsby <\/strong><\/p>\n Nunsthorpe is an estate in Grimsby with roughly 2,500 households, but no secondary school and just a few shops. It\u2019s in the top 3 per cent for multiple deprivation and just 49 per cent of its 16\u201374 year olds are employed. Centre4 is a community hub that has been at the heart of this estate for 26 years. It is committed to the social and economic regeneration of the area \u2013 a place that has seen centrally-developed neighbourhood regeneration schemes come and go.<\/p>\n As Covid hit, a response to the need for local people to get into good jobs was already underway at Centre4 \u2013 the establishment of an ethical recruitment agency, ERA employment (ERA). ERA is a socially responsible employment agency for North East Lincolnshire. It is community-led and provides a personalised service to help people into work, with all surpluses used to support community projects. ERA\u2019s approach starts from the needs of the person looking for work, rather than those of the business offering a job. So, if work isn\u2019t immediately available, ERA supports its members to develop the right skills for local job opportunities through training, and to gain valuable experience and build confidence through \u2018social action\u2019 jobs at local community projects.<\/p>\n During the Covid pandemic, many members of ERA, including people who had been made redundant or were furloughed, got involved in these social action jobs: activities like shopping, digital buddying, gardening and collecting prescriptions for neighbours \u2013 all the while developing their own skills and confidence, building connections in the community, and collecting \u2018points\u2019. The experience makes a useful addition to a jobseeker\u2019s CV, and the points collected can be spent with local businesses or on further training. As a result, 60 people were in temporary jobs in early 2021, 12 of whom have been offered permanent employment. Another 18 are already in permanent roles. Some of these are people who had previously been rejected when they had applied to their current employer, or were previously in retail and hospitality roles \u2013 sectors badly hit by the pandemic.[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This new report explores why the government must abandon its centralised Westminster-led approach to \u2018Levelling Up\u2019 or risk failure from outset.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":23063,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":" New polling reveals 63 percent of us agree local people should have more power over their local area <\/strong><\/p> \u00a0<\/strong>The government is unlikely to realise its levelling up ambitions unless it decentralises funding, invests in social infrastructure and puts communities in the lead, according to a new report<\/a> from Power to Change<\/strong>, the trust that backs community business in England.<\/p> Backing our Neighbourhoods: Making levelling up work by putting communities in the lead<\/em><\/strong> argues the government\u2019s current approach risks reinforcing inequalities and levelling up cannot succeed unless it changes the way it invests in social infrastructure \u2013 the physical spaces and community facilities which bring people together to build meaningful relationships.<\/p> The report comes as new polling commissioned by Power to Change from Opinium, reveals that 63 percent of us agree the government\u2019s \u2018levelling up agenda\u2019 should involve giving local people more power over the decisions, services and spaces which shape the places where they live.<\/p> The government has introduced three pots of money to help deliver its Levelling Up agenda - The Levelling Up Fund, the Community Renewal Fund and the Community Ownership Fund. Whilst the report welcomes the investment, it argues the funds are poorly targeted to support community organisations to deliver on their potential. It argues:<\/p> The report calls on greater investment in social infrastructure at the neighbourhood level to help tackle the issues facing communities:<\/p> Vidhya Alakeson, CEO of Power to Change, said: <\/strong>\u201cIf the government is serious about seizing this once in a generation opportunity to genuinely level up the country, it must avoid the mistakes of countless governments that went before. Chief among these errors is the presumption that Whitehall always knows best. Instead, government need to get behind local people and locally-rooted organisations, trusting they are best placed to understand the needs of their local communities. The potential prize is huge.<\/p> \u201cOur research shows that community organisations are incredibly well positioned to tackle many of the biggest challenges at the heart of levelling up \u2013 from restoring pride in place and improving local leadership to tackling imbalances in opportunity. Investing in this locally rooted social infrastructure is vital if we are to see levelling up deliver for all communities. Re-orienting the funds associated with levelling up, so that they have greater focus at the neighbourhood level, is a vital first step in unlocking this opportunity.\u201d<\/p> Read the full report here<\/a>.<\/p> Bromley by Bow Centre, East London<\/strong><\/p> The Bromley by Bow Centre is a vibrant community organisation in the heart of East London. The Centre was founded over 35 years ago and evolved from its previous use primarily as a church. Since then, it has built a national and international reputation for its innovative approach which inspires and empowers local people to transform their lives. The organisation delivers a broad range of activities based on its understanding of the local community and delivered through a unique model that combines social entrepreneurship, the arts, learning, social support, horticulture and holistic and integrated health programmes.<\/p> Together these services and opportunities make up an integrated health model delivered in partnership with local GPs in the Bromley by Bow Health Partnership. Community activities and statutory health services are combined to tackle the high levels of poverty and health inequalities in the community.<\/p> The Bromley by Bow model has led to many national innovations and breakthrough interventions such as Healthy Living Centres, Social Prescribing, DIY Health and Public Health England\u2019s flagship embedded community research project, Unleashing Healthy Communities.<\/p> Ethical Recruitment Agency, Grimsby <\/strong><\/p> Nunsthorpe is an estate in Grimsby with roughly 2,500 households, but no secondary school and just a few shops. It\u2019s in the top 3 per cent for multiple deprivation and just 49 per cent of its 16\u201374 year olds are employed. Centre4 is a community hub that has been at the heart of this estate for 26 years. It is committed to the social and economic regeneration of the area \u2013 a place that has seen centrally-developed neighbourhood regeneration schemes come and go.<\/p> As Covid hit, a response to the need for local people to get into good jobs was already underway at Centre4 \u2013 the establishment of an ethical recruitment agency, ERA employment (ERA). ERA is a socially responsible employment agency for North East Lincolnshire. It is community-led and provides a personalised service to help people into work, with all surpluses used to support community projects. ERA\u2019s approach starts from the needs of the person looking for work, rather than those of the business offering a job. So, if work isn\u2019t immediately available, ERA supports its members to develop the right skills for local job opportunities through training, and to gain valuable experience and build confidence through \u2018social action\u2019 jobs at local community projects.<\/p> During the Covid pandemic, many members of ERA, including people who had been made redundant or were furloughed, got involved in these social action jobs: activities like shopping, digital buddying, gardening and collecting prescriptions for neighbours \u2013 all the while developing their own skills and confidence, building connections in the community, and collecting \u2018points\u2019. The experience makes a useful addition to a jobseeker\u2019s CV, and the points collected can be spent with local businesses or on further training. As a result, 60 people were in temporary jobs in early 2021, 12 of whom have been offered permanent employment. Another 18 are already in permanent roles. Some of these are people who had previously been rejected when they had applied to their current employer, or were previously in retail and hospitality roles \u2013 sectors badly hit by the pandemic.<\/p> You can download a copy of Backing our Neighbourhoods: Making levelling up work by putting communities in the lead <\/em>from our website. For more information contact Power to Change Natasha.Ley@powertochange.org.uk<\/a> or 07725 565890.<\/p> -Ends- <\/strong><\/p> About Power to Change<\/strong><\/p> Power to Change is the independent trust that supports community businesses in England.<\/p> Community businesses are locally rooted, community-led, trade for community benefit and make life better for local people. The sector owns assets worth \u00a3870m and comprises 11,300 community businesses across England who employ more than 37,000 people. (Source: Community Business Market 2020).<\/p> From pubs to libraries; shops to bakeries; swimming pools to solar farms; community businesses are creating great products and services, providing employment and training and transforming lives. Power to Change received an original endowment from the National Lottery Community Fund in 2015.<\/p> www.powertochange.org.uk<\/a>\u00a0 @peoplesbiz<\/a><\/p> About The National Lottery Community Fund<\/strong><\/p> We are the largest community funder in the UK \u2013 we\u2019re proud to award money raised by National Lottery players to communities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Since June 2004, we have made over 200,000 grants and awarded over \u00a39 billion to projects that have benefited millions of people.<\/p> We are passionate about funding great ideas that matter to communities and make a difference to people\u2019s lives. At the heart of everything we do is the belief that when people are in the lead, communities thrive. Thanks to the support of National Lottery players, our funding is open to everyone. We\u2019re privileged to be able to work with the smallest of local groups right up to UK-wide charities, enabling people and communities to bring their ambitions to life. Tnlcommunityfund.org.uk<\/a><\/p>","_et_gb_content_width":"","inline_featured_image":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[339],"tags":[338,371,345,350,337,343,344,349,348,347,346,368],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.powertochange.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23062"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.powertochange.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.powertochange.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.powertochange.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.powertochange.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23062"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.powertochange.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23062\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.powertochange.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23063"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.powertochange.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23062"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.powertochange.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23062"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.powertochange.org.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23062"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
\n
\n
Case studies<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Case studies<\/strong><\/h4>
Notes to Editors <\/strong><\/h4>