Archive - Empowering Communities

Localism in Action – case studies, tips and tools from the South West

Localism 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
[ Read more on "Localism in Action – case studies, tips and tools from the South West" ]

Community Grant Programme Opens

Voluntary 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
[ Read more on "Community Grant Programme Opens" ]

New Community Grants Programme for the South West

The 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
[ Read more on "New Community Grants Programme for the South West" ]

Open Learning Post Graduate Certificate in management, leadership and governance

Managers 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
[ Read more on "Open Learning Post Graduate Certificate in management, leadership and governance" ]

Community Empowerment in the South West - What we know and what's next

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 see attendance list , and more joined them online at Empowerment Works 

 

Published Jul 11, 2011 - 12:49 PM
[ Read more on "Community Empowerment in the South West - What we know and what's next" ]

Empowering Communities – Final Evaluation

The 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
[ Read more on "Empowering Communities – Final Evaluation" ]

Empowerment Good Practice Programme - Annual Report

For 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
[ Read more on "Empowerment Good Practice Programme - Annual Report" ]

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
[ Read more on "Can the sort of participatory approaches championed by Empowering Communities help improve our health?" ]

Community Led Planning – The Heart of Localism. Tiverton, 17 February

The 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
[ Read more on "Community Led Planning – The Heart of Localism. Tiverton, 17 February" ]

Empowerment in Wiltshire – new case studies

Using 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
[ Read more on "Empowerment in Wiltshire – new case studies" ]

The Big Society Conference 4th November 2010

Nearly 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
[ Read more on "The Big Society Conference 4th November 2010" ]

Money Where it Matters: Participatory Budgeting Conference 15 October 2010

Seventy 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
[ Read more on "Money Where it Matters: Participatory Budgeting Conference 15 October 2010" ]

New South West Empowerment Case Studies

Effective community engagement at neighbourhood level is the subject of five case studies commissioned by South West Councils. 

Published Sep 13, 2010 - 02:47 PM
[ Read more on "New South West Empowerment Case Studies" ]

Autumn Empowerment Events

Community 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
[ Read more on "Autumn Empowerment Events" ]

The Big Society Conference in Taunton

Do 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
[ Read more on "The Big Society Conference in Taunton" ]

Take part in the Big Lunch 2010 and get to know your neighbours

The 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
[ Read more on "Take part in the Big Lunch 2010 and get to know your neighbours" ]

Taking Stock

Taking 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
[ Read more on "Taking Stock" ]

Empowering Communities Newsletter - Spring edition

The 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
[ Read more on "Empowering Communities Newsletter - Spring edition" ]

Take Part online resource directory launched

Take 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
[ Read more on "Take Part online resource directory launched" ]

Participatory Budgeting – South West Newsletter

Participatory 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
[ Read more on "Participatory Budgeting – South West Newsletter" ]

HCA Academy Reports on Empowerment Skills

The 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
[ Read more on "HCA Academy Reports on Empowerment Skills" ]

National Online Community for Engagement and Empowerment

This 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
[ Read more on "National Online Community for Engagement and Empowerment" ]

Empowerment Leadership Programme - recruiting now

RADAR 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
[ Read more on "Empowerment Leadership Programme - recruiting now" ]

Community Engagement - 2 Local Authorities Sought to Exemplify Good Practice

The 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
[ Read more on "Community Engagement - 2 Local Authorities Sought to Exemplify Good Practice" ]

Valuing Empowerment

Bidding 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
[ Read more on "Valuing Empowerment" ]

Guides to the new duty to involve and engagement strategies

From 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
[ Read more on "Guides to the new duty to involve and engagement strategies" ]

South West Foundation Reports on Older People's Empowerment

The South West Foundation with sponsorship from Help the Aged has just published its Research into the work of Older People's Forums.

Published Nov 24, 2008 - 11:48 AM
[ Read more on "South West Foundation Reports on Older People's Empowerment" ]

Report benchmarks efforts to enable people to influence local decisions

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.

 

Published Oct 01, 2008 - 02:45 PM
[ Read more on "Report benchmarks efforts to enable people to influence local decisions" ]

Important Engagement and Empowerment Research Published

The 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
[ Read more on "Important Engagement and Empowerment Research Published" ]

New Empowerment Research

The 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
[ Read more on "New Empowerment Research" ]

Empowering Communities Launched

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.

Published Oct 09, 2007 - 11:55 AM
[ Read more on "Empowering Communities Launched" ]