You are here Empowerment Works
Empowerment Works is a collection of information, tools and people in the South West of England who know how to make community empowerment a success.
The Big Society agenda aims to turn Government ‘upside down and inside out’, transferring powers from the state to communities so that people can work together to solve local problems. The Government wants to decentralise power, let people see how their money is being spent and place communities at the very heart of the local decision making process.
Community empowerment is central to building the Big Society and making localism work.
There’s a wealth of good practice and know-how in the South West. We need to share this with communities, with the people who support them and with public authorities, to ensure that everyone has an equal chance to be part of the Big Society.
Over the next six months, we will be showcasing projects, organising and participating in events and making sure that information is available and accessible to all. We hope that you will find Empowerment Works a great resource, and work to keep empowerment at the centre of Big Society discussions where you are.
You can see documents, including presentations and other material you are welcome to use, here.
For all enquiries please contact John Skrine, john.skrine@creatingexcellence.org.uk, 01823 250805 / 07814 387090 or keep up to date by visiting the Empowerment Works site: www.empowermentworks.blogspot.com.
Localism in Action – case studies, tips and tools from the South WestLocalism means more people having a say in how their communities are run, and a new guide available from Creating Excellence is designed to help Councillors, community groups and public service officers see that they get just that. Written by a team of professionals from local authorities and public services across the region, this 52 page online guide and booklet is packed with practical guidance and contact details for people who can offer help. Published Oct 31, 2011 - 01:00 PM
Community Grant Programme OpensVoluntary and Community Sector Organisations in the South West Region (excluding Cornwall) are set to benefit from a grant programme of over £600,000 aimed at moving people who are furthest removed from the labour market toward employment.Published Oct 13, 2011 - 02:58 PM
New Community Grants Programme for the South WestThe South West Foundation, in partnership with the Learning Curve and the Skills Funding Agency, is about to open a new funding programme for the South West Region. In connection with this a number of information seminars are being held at community venues in the region. Published Aug 23, 2011 - 03:20 PM
Open Learning Post Graduate Certificate in management, leadership and governanceManagers in the Voluntary sector are to benefit from an Open Learning PG Certificate. The University of Southampton, in partnership with The Learning Curve based in Melksham, Wiltshire, will be running its open learning PG Certificate in Management, Leadership & Governance for managers in the voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors in the South West of England from Autumn 2011.Published Jul 15, 2011 - 01:50 PM
Community Empowerment in the South West - What we know and what's next
Published Jul 11, 2011 - 12:49 PM
Empowering Communities – Final EvaluationThe last of three annual evaluations of the Empowering Communities partnership is now available. Carried out by members of the React consortium, it contains nine messages highlighting key lessons drawn from the work of the partnership over the last four years. Published Jun 06, 2011 - 03:59 PM
Empowerment Good Practice Programme - Annual ReportFor three years the The Zebra Collective has been working with local authorities across the South West, as part of Empowering Communities, to provide skills training for local authority officers, enabling them to work more productively with their local communities.Published Apr 26, 2011 - 12:49 PM
Can the sort of participatory approaches championed by Empowering Communities help improve our health?This report, from the Bristol Partnership, takes a look at an innovative workshop held last summer which assessed the likely health impacts of the emerging regeneration strategy for the Knowle West area of the city.Published Apr 15, 2011 - 01:31 PM
Community Led Planning – The Heart of Localism. Tiverton, 17 FebruaryThe Localism Bill and the proposals within it for Neighbourhood Plans were the main talking points among the 100 planners, community representatives and people from the private sector at this over-subscribed gathering to discuss the developing role of Community Led Planning, and launch the Carnegie UK Trust's report The Power of the Plan. Find links to all the presentations, other material and a blog on the day below.
Published Feb 23, 2011 - 11:18 AM
Empowerment in Wiltshire – new case studiesUsing community radio to deepen local participation in Warminster's Area Board is the subject of the first of a new series of case studies available through Empowering Communities.Published Jan 21, 2011 - 04:59 PM
The Big Society Conference 4th November 2010Nearly 200 people from voluntary and statutory organisations from across the South West met at Somerset County Cricket Club for the region's first large gathering to discuss what the Big Society agenda may mean in practice. The final report of the conference can be viewed at this link. For more downloadable information on the conference, please read on. Published Nov 05, 2010 - 04:56 PM
Money Where it Matters: Participatory Budgeting Conference 15 October 2010Seventy people from across the South West met at the HQ of Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service near Exeter for a day which, through showcase sessions from local authorities in the region, national speakers, and an exercise using real money, brought Participatory Budgeting (PB) alive and "Highlighted the power of PB to make changes in communities".Published Oct 25, 2010 - 11:28 AM
New South West Empowerment Case StudiesEffective community engagement at neighbourhood level is the subject of five case studies commissioned by South West Councils.Published Sep 13, 2010 - 02:47 PM
Autumn Empowerment EventsCommunity Empowerment is one of the three strands of the Big Society, alongside public sector reform and philanthropic action, so keep up to speed at these upcoming events from Empowering Communities and others.Published Aug 27, 2010 - 03:52 PM
The Big Society Conference in TauntonDo you want to know how best to encourage citizen led participation?The BIG SOCIETY free conference will take place in Taunton on 4 November, organised by Take Part Champions Exeter CVS and the Regional Empowerment Partnership, Empowering Communities. FULLY BOOKED!! Published Aug 23, 2010 - 11:28 AM
Take part in the Big Lunch 2010 and get to know your neighboursThe Big Lunch is calling on all neighbourhoods and communities across the UK to come together on Sunday 18th July. Events around the nation are taking shape from simple tea parties in back gardens to large street parties for the whole neighbourhood.Published Jun 23, 2010 - 04:55 PM
Taking StockTaking Stock Since the project started in 2007, Empowering Communities has commissioned research on a wide range of topics, both to inform its own activities and to explore empowerment in the South West more widely. We are now considering what more general lessons can be drawn from our work, and have produced a summary of our research to date. Published Apr 09, 2010 - 05:22 PM
Empowering Communities Newsletter - Spring editionThe Spring edition of our newsletter is now available. It features news of participatory budgeting initiatives in the region, community researcher training, the training support we offer to local authorities, and much else besides. Published Mar 31, 2010 - 05:40 PM
Take Part online resource directory launchedTake Part helps people gain the skills, knowledge and confidence to become empowered, enabling them to make an active contribution to their communities and influence public policies and services. The Take Part directory is an online resource providing information on Take Part learning. Published Dec 21, 2009 - 11:45 AM
Participatory Budgeting – South West NewsletterParticipatory Budgeting is a means of supporting local communities to make their own decisions on how a percentage of their local budget is spent. A number of Local Authorities in the South West are exploring this and pots of money from £15,000 to £300,000 have already been committed in the region in this way by both rural and urban authorities.Published Dec 16, 2009 - 03:04 PM
HCA Academy Reports on Empowerment SkillsThe HCA Academy's Report "Empowerment skills for all: Analysing gaps and constructing a learning framework" finds that there is a widespread need for a broader approach to empowerment skills in front-line place-making occupations. The HCA Academy is the skills arm of the Homes and Communities Agency, the national housing and regeneration body. Published Nov 27, 2009 - 04:33 PM
National Online Community for Engagement and EmpowermentThis online community of practice supported by IDeA is a place to share experiences, seek advice from others and to keep up to date with current thinking, practice and policy in community engagement and empowerment. It already has more than 700 like-minded members (including officers in local authorities, police, health, elected members and people working in the private and voluntary sectors). Published Nov 20, 2009 - 12:27 PM
Empowerment Leadership Programme - recruiting nowRADAR is recruiting for its empowerment leadership programme: Equipping and inspiring leaders, aimed at those who like taking initiative and long to change the world around them. RADAR is interested in equipping people living with Ill health, Injury or Disability (IID) to be leaders and influencers in public life, and to take up leadership positions in the public, private and third (voluntary) sectors. Published Oct 23, 2009 - 11:22 AM
Community Engagement - 2 Local Authorities Sought to Exemplify Good PracticeThe Stronger Community work stream within the overall Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnership is seeking 2 Local Authorities who can demonstrate effective partnership in community engagement to other Local Authorities and regional partners, and help deliver the first work strand of the RIEP stronger communities programme. Funding is available. Published Aug 26, 2009 - 01:24 PM
Valuing EmpowermentBidding for resources to support people and communities to influence public services is not easy in difficult economic times. Three publications funded by Empowering Communities and now available on our website help build the case.Published Jul 01, 2009 - 11:57 AM
Guides to the new duty to involve and engagement strategiesFrom 1 April 2009 a wide range of organisations are covered by the new duty to involve - the obligation to involve local people in decision-making. But help is at hand with this, and with developing the more comprehensive approach to engagement called for in the recent White Paper, in two new publications.Published Apr 08, 2009 - 04:33 PM
South West Foundation Reports on Older People's Empowerment
Published Nov 24, 2008 - 11:48 AM
Report benchmarks efforts to enable people to influence local decisions
Published Oct 01, 2008 - 02:45 PM
Important Engagement and Empowerment Research PublishedThe South West Regional ‘Empowering Communities' Consortium of the National Empowerment Partnership has just published eight reports which reflect research and other activities undertaken through the South West Empowerment Development Project (October 2007 - March 2008).Published Apr 30, 2008 - 12:49 PM
New Empowerment ResearchThe value of informal learning for engagement and empowerment, and the likely effects of cuts in funding to Community Empowerment Networks across the country (there are three in the South West), are discussed in two research reports that will be of interest to the community of engagement and empowerment professionals. Published Apr 24, 2008 - 05:20 PM
Empowering Communities Launched
Published Oct 09, 2007 - 11:55 AM
|
Community LinksSocial inclusion - Most recent stories:
|
Over 70 people gathered to discuss the past and future of empowerment in the region at this sell-out event on 29th June at the Albemarle Centre, Taunton 
The South West Foundation with sponsorship from Help the Aged has just published its Research into the work of Older People's Forums.
Increasing the number of people who feel they can influence decisions in their locality is a priority for many Local Authorities in the region, and the Empowering Communities Partnership, led by Creating Excellence, has just published a report benchmarking the activities of twelve Authorities on this work. The report also explores Authorities' potential help and support needs in improving their performance.
Following the announcement of the National Empowerment Partnership on 17 September by Hazel Blears MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Empowering Communities, the South West consortium supporting this initiative led by Creating Excellence, was launched in Taunton on 5 October. 