Themes

Community empowerment

Empowering Communities: Skills for the Big Society
An inspirational learning programme to help practitioners improve community empowerment, involvement and engagement to meet the challenge of localism What will I learn? Debate what the big Society will mean in practice Explore what new powers for local communities could look like A definition of community empowerment and engagement Learn new approaches to community empowerment within the context of the new policy agenda Which methods of community involvement, participation and decision making would work i
Showcase - best practice
Our website of case studies to inform and inspire. Showcase highlights projects that contribute to creating better communities. These examples give practical insight into developing sustainable communities. Visit Showcase at showcase.homesandcommunities.co.uk
Achieving your public engagement goals, are your officers doing this justice? – A Guide for Councillors
This course will help councillors, both newly-elected and existing and middle-senior level officers understand public engagement This one-day seminar will: a) Provide you with an overview of roles and responsibilities particularly in relation to public engagement and consultation. b) Provide ideas and techniques in understanding your ward and engaging with the people who live and work there. c) Give you and understanding of the legal and statutory role of consultation including the Duty to Involve across all policy areas delivered by the local authority.
The March of Citizen Empowerment up the Government and Policy Agenda
This seminar will present some engagement and empowerment tools for local authorities. This one-day seminar will: a) Provide you with a framework of how citizen engagement and empowerment interacts with your authority’s work.
Galvanise Resident Involvement in Climate Change
A conference from the HCA and SHIFT/Sustainable Homes on best practice and effective communication on climate change. Social housing providers are improving homes. Do residents know how to use them? Are we engaging in a way that works? Do we have resident support? The benefits for the environment and for residents will be amplified if we can get these questions right.  
Empowerment skills for all
Analysing gaps and constructing a learning framework Our report, Empowerment skills for all: Analysing gaps and constructing a learning framework (September 2009), finds that there is a widespread need and appetite for a broader approach to empowerment skills across front-line place-making occupations. The report proposes a new framework for developing these skills, taking account of the new National Occupational Standards in community development, and discusses the need for corresponding changes in the culture of statutory organisations.
Places for All award category
Category finalists CATEGORY WINNER: Castle Quay Bedford, Bedford Borough Council & Complex Development Project
Empowering Communities award category
Category finalists CATEGORY WINNER: Pan Neighbourhood Partnership, Newport, Isle of Wight
Spreading community development
Research into broadening community development practices. This research and summary published in Spring 2009 examined the potential for spreading community development practices and approaches beyond community development workers (CDWs) to other practitioners with a community development connection (PCDC), in the context of developing sustainable communities, building on the previous Mind the Skills Gap research undertaken by Arup (2007). In particular, the study aimed to establish:
Young people and conservation
How can you ensure everyone gets the most out of environmental volunteering? University of Exeter Dr Michael Leyshon and Dr Robert Fish With this research project, we set out to examine the extent and impact of young people’s participation in environmental conservation in rural areas. Key points Encouraging youth participation is not a problem, but the way activities are structured could be improved More emphasis needs to be put on community contribution and environmental care More opportunities for personal and social development need to be provided There should be more opportunities to gain formal accreditation for work Better training is needed for staff in environmental and youth support organisations
Eldonian book tells story of a community reborn
A book celebrating the Eldonians community in Liverpool has been published to provide an example of successful urban renewal. 'The Rebirth of Liverpool - The Eldonian Way' was funded by ASC. The book chronicles the last 30 years of the award-winning Eldonian Village development, largely using the residents' own words. In 1977, people living in tenements in the Eldonian Village in the Vauxhall district faced demolition of their homes and dispersal across Liverpool. However, they defeated the plans and worked with professionals to create an exemplar sustainable community, which is managed by the people who live in the area.
Barker Review of Land Use Planning
5 Dec 2006 -  Highlighting the role urban and regional planning plays in deliver sustainable economic development. The Review was lead by former CBI Economist and a current member of the Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee, Kate Barker, who also led a recent Government Review of Housing Supply.  The Review highlights the vital role urban and regional planning can play to deliver sustainable economic development, particularly in view of the pressures of a growing population especially in the South East, raising incomes, an aging population, climate change and the increasing globalisation of the world economy. Increasing globalisation and in particular the rise of India and China are major drivers for the Barker Review. The business community have long argued that an increasingly competitive world economy dictates that the UK needs a more flexible and responsive planning system. In response to Barker's publication CBI Deputy Director-General, John Cridland, stated "a sound planning system is vital to economic growth, but businesses have been badly hampered by the slowness and uncertainty of the current process". Cridland also welcomed "Kate Barker's recommendations signal a positive shift in planning culture, and we welcome a cutback in bureaucracy".

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