Communities must be given the right to own environmental assets like rivers, woods & peat bogs Thanks to @jenny4suffcoast.bsky.social & other MPs for writing this letter to Ministers, urging them to amend Community Right to Buy rules whilst there's still time: www.wildlifetrusts.org/sites/defaul...

What happens when a community’s dream is backed – not blocked – and becomes reality? From 12 March, the Museum of Community Futures opens in Manchester, sharing stories of local people turning ideas into action. Explore in person & online: www.right-here.org/museum-of-co... @greatermcr.bsky.social

Lord Lucas urged the government to rethink its decision to close the Community Ownership Fund, recognising how it helped communities buy the places they love. The new Community Right to Buy needs to come with funding and support so it’s truly accessible and can work for communities everywhere.

In Parliament, Lord Mawson shared how a community plan to improve a local park was derailed by a change in government. It’s a reminder that goodwill isn’t enough. We need neighbourhood governance that embeds community power so no matter who's in power, communities have a lasting seat at the table.

A new report from @ipprnorth.bsky.social, supported by @localtrust.org.uk, argues that unitarisation must go hand-in-hand with reviving local democracy. We strongly support its call to establish inclusive neighbourhood boards with 50%+ community representation.

Support is building for community‑led models of neighbourhood governance. Labour councillor Sam Dalton shares why locally rooted decision‑making must be central to the UK’s democratic renewal 👇 @right-here.org

Final push: the English Devolution & Community Empowerment Bill is in its last stages. Can you take 2 minutes to write to the Minister asking her to back more community power over shaping services, controlling investment, & influencing decision-making?

Our 8-part blog series exploring how to shape new neighbourhood governance arrangements has come to a close. Part of the Devolution Bill, these structures will shape how power works across England. Get them right, and communities thrive. Get them wrong, & power stays distant. A reading list 🧵1/10

In his @labourlist.bsky.social piece, councillor @sam-dalton.bsky.social argues that community-powered neighbourhood governance should be the centrepiece of a wider agenda to redistribute power. "Democracy would become a lived, everyday practice."

In the final blog of our series, @localis.bsky.social argues that: “If binding routes for community power are not hard-wired alongside local government reorganisation, England risks simply redrawing centralisation into a new network of local Whitehalls.“

A community in Bolton had to send people halfway across the world to access care that should have been available on their doorstep. Read the story behind Recover Bolton and the importance of inviting local people to co-design and co-run services: www.right-here.org/addiction-se...

What would it take to build a health system focused on prevention, rooted in neighbourhoods and led by communities? @locality.org.uk argues that new neighbourhood governance arrangements need to enable local people to have a real say in local healthcare decisions. www.right-here.org/participator...

We had a great time hosting yesterday’s panel talk on shaping community-led neighbourhood governance with the @coopparty.party.coop at The Labour Party and @local.gov.uk Labour Group Conference. Read 6 insights from our 6 panellists in the thread. 🧵 1/8

“It’s centralisation on steroids.” @unlockdemocracy.bsky.social criticises the Government’s devolution plans for falling short – but sees potential in new neighbourhood governance arrangements, provided they reflect and serve truly local communities. www.right-here.org/neighbourhoo...

How can community-powered neighbourhood governance help rebuild trust in one of the most contested areas of local decision-making: planning and development? Read our guest blog by @tomchance.bsky.social, Chief Executive of the Community Land Trust Network.

After 15 years of #BigLocal, @localtrust.org.uk has built deep insight into what works in unlocking community power and neighbourhood-level change. In a new blog, they set out how new neighbourhood governance arrangements could draw on those lessons. www.right-here.org/what-big-loc...

In the third blog in our series, NAVCA makes the case that strong local VCSE infrastructure will be essential if new neighbourhood governance arrangements are to succeed across the country. Read the blog, written by Rich Warrington:

In the second blog in our series on new neighbourhood governance arrangements, @hopenothate.org.uk explores how improved neighbourhood governance could help foster community agency, build resilience, and defend against divisive ideologies. www.right-here.org/how-neighbou...

Huge thanks to everyone who has written to the Minister – over 125 emails sent so far! With the Committee Stage now in motion, can you help us apply pressure on peers to shape a Bill that delivers real community power? Write to the Minister: actionnetwork.org/letters/bcb5...

Putting power back into residents' hands couldn’t be more urgent. New Neighbourhood Governance arrangements are being shaped now. Done right, they could shift power to communities. Our briefing with @right-here.org, @hopenothate.org.uk, & @powertochange.org.uk sets out how: https://bit.ly/3LYgzxi

People care deeply about their neighbourhoods but too many feel shut out of decisions that shape them. New neighbourhood governance arrangements could change that, if done right. A new blueprint shows how they might unlock community power. 🧵1/2 👉 bit.ly/A-blueprint-...

For everyone who’s involved in community action – this one’s for you. Take 2 minutes to write to the Minister to back more #CommunityPower in the English Devolution & Community Empowerment Bill. It's quick & easy. Act now: actionnetwork.org/letters/bcb5...

Can you take 2 minutes to write to the Minister, asking her to back more community power? The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill is at risk of being rushed through the House of Lords without proper debate on additional powers for communities. ✍️ actionnetwork.org/letters/bcb5...

A great new film by @powertochange.org.uk looks back at a decade of supporting over 2,000 community businesses. It celebrates the role of community businesses in bringing vision, opportunity, connection and joy to places across the country. Watch the film: youtu.be/14XUwJCDPVU?... #PowertoChange10

New Year, new powers for communities ✨ Start 2026 with a small action that could help tip the balance of power from politicians to local people. Write to the Minister: actionnetwork.org/letters/bcb5... #Devolution #CommunityPower

The future we want to see is rooted in and grown with community power. 🌲 Watch and share the film. 🎬 #CommunityPower #CommunityPoweredPolitics

ACTION: We need your help at a critical moment for #CommunityPower in Parliament. Can you take two minutes to write to Baroness Taylor, asking her to back a Bill that delivers real community power? actionnetwork.org/letters/bcb5... Photo by Roger Harris: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Of...

The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill is now being debated in the House of Lords. We take a temperature check on the Bill’s progress and what it means for #CommunityPower in tomorrow’s newsletter. Sign up here: right-here.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=...

As Big Local comes to an end after 15 years & £200m+ invested, @londonfunders.bsky.social and @localtrust.org.uk are launching a new learning series to explore what happened. The series will draw out lessons to apply to future place-based funding. Learn more:

Our friends at @locality.org.uk have been picked as one of five charities for this year’s Guardian charity appeal.👏👛 Locality supports grassroots community organisations to inspire much-needed hope in places across the UK. Learn more and donate if you can: www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Earlier this week, we took the Museum of Broken Dreams to the ‘Britain Renewed’ conference - because communities must be at the heart of our country’s renewal. Organised by @uclpolicylab.bsky.social and @futuregovforum.bsky.social. Visit the exhibition: arcg.is/0K9SvG1 @joshsimonsmp.bsky.social

📣 Latest update: the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill has completed its passage through the House of Commons this week. Where are we now? A thread 🧵 1/5 @miattafahnbulleh.bsky.social #devolution #communitypower

New series ‘The Greater Manchester Live Well Podcast’ explores growing community action, power, and wealth. 🎧 In episode 2, our community champion Leah Chikamba explains what her organisation does to help women feel safe & empowered in Gorton, Manchester. #GMLiveWell

Read our take on the government’s #PrideInPlace programme & what it would take for the initiative to deliver true #CommunityPower. It has huge potential to create lasting change, but only if the government fully commits to putting communities in the driving seat.

Congratulations to Shropshire Council for winning Locality’s ‘Keep it Local’ award for their Community Covenant pilot in Market Drayton, spearheaded by our campaign leader Charlotte Hollins.🏆 Read our Q&A with the pilot’s participants:

We had many deep and constructive conversations at the @coopparty.party.coop conference about the need to give real power to neighbourhoods across the UK. Andy Jackson, our campaign convener, reflected on how community power was at the heart of the conference. 🎥

What’s your community dream? Last week, we took the Museum of Broken Dreams to #Locality25 and asked participants to share a vision for their community. Takeisha from New York wrote, “I would like to see more camaraderie in our neighbourhoods – more kindness in our community and more unity.”

We had a blast talking about community power at @locality.org.uk Convention last week in Anfield, Liverpool. Watch our campaign leader Deana Bamford give her highlights. Thanks to everyone who dropped by our stall for a chat! #Locality25 #communitypower

Britain’s social clubs were once the beating heart of civic life but in just 50 years, half have closed their doors. The 21st Century Social Clubs crowdfunding campaign aims to protect and revitalise the 2,000 remaining member-led spaces. 👉 If you can, donate here

On Tuesday, our community champion Leah Chikamba-Mulando reminded the audience at the Greater Manchester Participation Playbook launch that “Community power isn’t just a project, it’s a movement.” See the playbook: www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/what-we-do/l... @greatermcr.bsky.social #GMLiveWell

Ramsgate’s last youth centre runs services that save thousands of £s for its local council, yet it's threatened with closure. Stories like this are precisely why we’re calling for new rights & powers for communities. Story by @lisabachelor.bsky.social.

Speaking in Parliament last week, Minister @miattafahnbulleh.bsky.social said she sees new neighbourhood governance structures as an opportunity to push power & resources to community leaders. Read our blog on community-powered neighbourhood governance: www.right-here.org/one-step-clo...

Read the story behind our new film, told by our campaign convener Andy Jackson. 👉 www.right-here.org/community-po... Film by @tuz0.bsky.social #CommunityPoweredPolitics #devolution

🏡 Stewarding land & buildings with neighbours in Heeley ✨ Filling a historic hall in Stretford with life & purpose ⚒️ Supporting people to build their own homes in Chapeltown 🎨 Creating community assets in Coalville The community champions of @right-here.org have a clear message: 1/🧵

Public services are crumbling in the UK. Community organisations, like Andy's in Sheffield, hold both the knowledge & trust of local people, both of which are key to fixing our failing public services. This country needs a new Community Right to Shape Public Services. 📽️ Watch the video

Our new film argues that community power is the antidote to division and democratic decline. Give communities the power to fix broken Britain from the ground up. 🎥 Watch and share. Read the story behind the film: www.right-here.org/community-po... Film by @tuz0.bsky.social

Giving communities more local control is a popular & effective solution. New polling by @powertochange.org.uk finds that 8 out of 10 Britons think it’s important that the government gives local people more control over what happens in their local area.

What happens when politics puts relationships & building trust at its heart? In our new essay collection, our campaign leader Charlotte Hollins shares her experience running a pilot that challenges the top-down culture of local politics, putting #CommunityPower first. www.ucl.ac.uk/policy-lab/s...

Writing in our new essay collection, @ewallis.bsky.social argues that: “Trust in government is at an all-time low. However, there are plenty of green shoots to be found when we view politics through a different lens, from the bottom up rather than the top down.” 📖 www.ucl.ac.uk/policy-lab/s...

Join us at Locality Convention ’25! We’re hitting the road again with our Museum of Broken Dreams: this time, we’re heading to @locality.org.uk Convention in Liverpool. 🗓️ 12–13 November 🎟️ Book a ticket to one of the biggest community sector events of the year: locality.org.uk/events/local...