New paper from @ippr.org explores what the loss of pubs, parks, youth clubs and other third spaces means for social connection and solidarity, and how it can give rise to the radical right. Read in full here: www.ippr.org/articles/pla...

Places to come together: Rebuilding local solidarities against the far right | IPPR

In late July 2024, the seaside town of Southport in Merseyside burst into the national consciousness when it suffered two different, violent events in succ

ippr.org

"The 10 Year Health Plan will set out how the government plans to rebuild the NHS and tackle widening inequalities in people’s health through fundamental reforms to our health system" www.gov.uk/government/n...

Landmark plan to rebuild NHS in working class communities

The 10 Year Health Plan will set out how the government plans to tackle inequalities in people’s health through fundamental reforms to our health system

gov.uk

Eastside Community Trust responds to Where People Meet - our latest report on the future of community centres. They make the case brilliantly for investing in these vital spaces that "anchor communities, foster connection and improve wellbeing". eastsidecommunitytrust.org.uk/local-issues...

What does it mean to sustain change? I had a great time at the Place-based Systems Change Community of Practice meeting hosted by Renaisi. We talked about the risks of not sustaining change for places & communities – from broken trust and relationship breakdown to reverting to the status quo.

Yesterday was my third time at #StrongerThings, but my first time on stage. It was great to be involved in a workshop on the future of community centres, talking through the findings of our latest research (more here 🔗 www.newlocal.org.uk/publications...).

ICYMI this is an excellent report👇 There's few more important building in neighbourhoods than the community centre. "Community centres have long stood as pillars of local life, as places where people can meet, mix and connect; where care, fun and friendships bloom and problems are shared."

New Local@wearenewlocal.bsky.social · last yr.

🆕 Where People Meet: How We Celebrate, Sustain and Reimagine Community Centres In a report out today, we make the case for meaningful investment in community centres at the national and local level to dismantle the challenges standing in their way. buff.ly/OFY7FBE 🧵

“There is one policy option open to the Government which would lay the groundwork for a deep shift in how public investment secures better outcomes”. @jydenham.bsky.social‬ & @jesstud.bsky.social‬ set out 5 reasons the Government should launch Total Place 2.0.

Five reasons the Government should launch Total Place 2.0 - New Local

John Denham and Jessica Studdert make the case for Total Place 2.0 - to shift public investment for better outcomes.

buff.ly

New report reveals stark regional inequalities in high street decline - calls on govt to work with communities to restore local amenities & rebuild pride. Particularly welcome proposals to incentivise third spaces where people can gather as part of transition to more resilient forms of high street.

Health Equity North@healthequitynorth.bsky.social · last yr.

THREAD: The Government needs to take urgent steps to reverse the deterioration of England’s High Streets - particularly in the North, deprived & coastal areas, according to our new research with @newcastleuni.bsky.social and @manchester.ac.uk 1/11 www.healthequitynorth.co.uk/report-calls...

Really important piece mapping health outcomes against voting patterns. In some regions, people can only expect to live in good health until their early fifties. It is in these same places where people have the lowest trust in government. www.ft.com/content/4594...

How health inequality in the UK maps on to political upheaval

Tackling deprivation and illness in neglected places could be the prescription for beating Nigel Farage

ft.com

"Spaces like community centres are not a ‘luxury’, but a must have if we want to see communities across the country thrive". Samuel Kirkby runs the Sutton Centre - a vibrant community centre in Bradford. He reflects on the importance of physical assets for communities.

Where People Meet: Creating community ownership - Rayne Foundation

What the Foundation has learned about the challenges and opportunities facing adult social care, and our future plans for proactive funding into the sector.

buff.ly

Delighted by @mattleach.bsky.social’s response to Where People Meet - our new report on the future of community centres. "The report offers a vision for the future that’s refreshingly grounded. Not utopian. Not flashy. But deeply real." www.raynefoundation.org.uk/where-people...

Where People Meet: Neighbourhoods need places to belong - Rayne Foundation

What the Foundation has learned about the challenges and opportunities facing adult social care, and our future plans for proactive funding into the sector.

raynefoundation.org.uk

Some thoughts sparked by a great event in Leeds yesterday on neighbourhood health and the UK government's Test, Learn and Grow intiative. How do we make neighbourhoods engines of change? medium.com/@jamestplunk...

Neighbourhoods as engines of change

On the need for bridges from the edges to the centre

medium.com

Jason Stockwood has written a thoughtful piece in the NS reflecting on losing the Greater Lincolnshire Mayoral race. This bit in particular I agree with.

🧵 Our democracy is in poor health. Trust in political parties and government has hit a new low. But we think there's a different way forward 👇

"community centres need to be recognised as a core part of the essential infrastructure of a place" - @summersimpson.bsky.social shares insights from @wearenewlocal.bsky.social report. With recommendations for local gov, policymakers & funders. www.newlocal.org.uk/articles/the...

“This is the place”: The case for investing in community centres - New Local

Community centres have long stood as pillars of local life, but we are losing these spaces at pace and at scale.

newlocal.org.uk

"When a community centre is thriving, it is both a place where people can meet their basic needs and somewhere that adds colour to people’s lives". @summersimpson.bsky.social introduces our new report and its key ideas.

“This is the place”: The case for investing in community centres - New Local

Community centres have long stood as pillars of local life, but we are losing these spaces at pace and at scale.

buff.ly

It’s a very big day for me – @wearenewlocal.bsky.social launches Where People Meet: Where People Meet: How We Celebrate, Sustain and Reimagine Community Centres. www.newlocal.org.uk/publications...

The aid cut is so depressing. I know it's politically popular but it's going to cause an enormous amount of harm. It's deeply frustrating that we've never found a way of explaining why it matters to UK voters even though it really does.

We're not even bowling alone any more... www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...

With the Devolution White Paper expected imminently and Starmer's 'plan for the change' this week, now is the time for government to show it's serious about empowering communities.

@deborahmattinson.bsky.social · 2y ago

Interesting read by Peter Hyman on the need for urgent, decentralising reform to achieve Labour’s missions…https://www.newstatesman.com/the-weekend-essay/2024/11/keir-starmer-must-remember-his-mission

REPORT 📑 | We know that a torn social fabric lay behind the disorder this summer. Our new paper explores community cohesion, empowerment and growth in response to the riots across the UK. Quick read here or see thread 👇 www.powertochange.org.uk/evidence-and... [1/7]

In the run-up to the election, Labour talked of producing a national cultural infrastructure map. In this blog for Culture Commons, we set out some thoughts on the practicalities of mapping out cultural infrastructure. www.culturecommons.uk/post/cultura...

Cultural infrastructure and why it matters

Owen Garling and Professor Michael Kenny from the Bennett Institute share insights from their ongoing work on 'cultural infrastructure'.

culturecommons.uk

The starter pack you have been waiting for: the local government policy and practice crew 🥳 This list of folk engaged in local innovation, ideas & commentary includes people in non-political roles both in and broadly “adjacent” to the sector… go.bsky.app/VBM66q7

I've created a "Communitarians" starter pack. Might be of interest to followers of: @renewaljournal.bsky.social @morganj0nes.bsky.social @hopenothate.bsky.social @anthonypainter.bsky.social @mds49.bsky.social @sundersays.bsky.social @jesstud.bsky.social go.bsky.app/H5rQDgh

How can community power unlock our fraught planning system? Really pleased to have worked on this new research from @wearenewlocal.bsky.social arguing that the government's bold housebuilding targets are at risk unless the planning system gives communities more power to shape local development.

New Local@wearenewlocal.bsky.social · 2y ago

🆕 Constructing Consensus: The case for community-powered development and regeneration In a report out today, we argue for a better system of development in England – one that fully involves and empowers communities in decision-making. https://buff.ly/4f6Ks7q 🧵👇

I fear this part of the Darzi report already risks getting lost - but it is absolutely key. If we want to avoid another lost decade for the NHS, we have to invest in the wider public sector and all the other things that make up the wider determinants of health.

"Too many people end up in hospital because too little is spent in the community." Lord Darzi puts our catastrophic health trade-off in blunt terms in his NHS review. But what would a community-powered NHS look like? And where is it happening? Take a look: www.newlocal.org.uk/publications...

A Community-Powered NHS - New Local

As the NHS faces ever-rising demand, we need to shift for to a healthcare model that focuses on prevention in the community.

newlocal.org.uk

We sketched out some early thoughts on this with Demos, Jo Cox Foundation, Oxfam, We're Right Here, Citizens UK, Locality, Our Future, Jon Alexander, @neweconomics.bsky.social @chinemcdonald.bsky.social: www.theguardian.com/society/arti...

We need a national effort to rebuild communities after riots | Letter

Letter: Polly Curtis from Demos, Su Moore from the Jo Cox Foundation, Halima Begum from Oxfam GB and seven others call for a government inquiry on bringing people together in the wake of the far-right...

theguardian.com

Sunder Katwala (sundersays)@sundersays.bsky.social · 2y ago

Having lots of conversations about the medium and long-term response to the riots - the opportunity for action on the foundations of how to tackle the causes of disorder, including the drivers of fear, hate and prejudice. Interested to hear from others with plans to engage with this in summer/Autumn

Calling all folk with an interest in UK public policy: I’ve created a starter pack of think tankers, policy analysts & commentators active on @bsky.app go.bsky.app/LtNiL1o