Learning lessons - and remembering them!

Most of us have expostulated at some time or another about the facet of British organisational culture which means that when someone new takes over the running of something, they have a tendency to disregard what went before. Lessons learned from programmes and initiatives are forgotten or rejected as 'old hat', products of projects - tool-kits, courses, evaluations and so on - lay gathering dust on real or virtual shelves. Everyone starts again from scratch.

We have been evaluating South West Empowering Communities during 2010-11 and are impressed with its innovative approach to counteracting the 'not invented here' tendency.

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What we know and what’s next – join the debate

On 29th June community empowerment practitioners and activists will gather to review what has been learnt about successful community empowerment over the last few years, and discuss where to go from here. The conference will explore how to meet the current challenges posed by government reorganisation and funding shortages, and ensure that people, particularly marginalised and equality groups, are empowered to make a difference to their lives. We're starting the debate here...
 

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Localism – What does that mean?

It’s something I’d rather not be asked by someone with a questioning mind.  Should it be a relief that the Government is in the same boat?  Or, to wrap it up in the more formal language of the newly published Report on Localism from the House of Commons Communities and Local Government Committee, there’s a ‘lack of clarity about the nature of localism . . . The Government should be explicit about the choices it has made about what type of localism it wants to pursue.’  Putting it another way ‘the actions the Government has set out so far, both in the Localism Bill and in the programmes of individual departments, give an overall impression of inconsistency and incoherence.’

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A new era for neighbourhood planning?

The government has just announced some areas which are to pilot new Neighbourhood Plans, and I'm interested to see how this new approach will follow on from earlier community plans. See the Department for Communities and Local Government for the pilot areas, which include North Somerset (Backwell), South Gloucestershire (Hanham) Torbay (Brixham) and West Dorset (Sherborne) in the South West.

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Bigger Society

Film Real One are an independent film company who've been collecting people's views on the Big Society idea. Three films have just been posted on their Bigger Society channel and copies have been sent to local MPs and cabinet ministers. Who else do you think should see them?

So far, Film Real One have completed this work unpaid and unfunded. They'd like to roll the project out, and are seeking funding to do so. If you think you might be able to help with this, please get in touch.

The multifaceted nature of community empowerment

I spent a really interesting day yesterday exploring the role of voluntary sector networks in supporting community empowerment. It was a research workshop feeding into the development of a new course for infrastructure organisations (such as CVSs, rural community councils and specialist networks of volutnary organisations) to help them to empower community groups. Changes, who facilitated the day, are now developing a new training course which we (South West Forum) are running on 23-24th June in Taunton.

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A Duty to Empower?

I've just responded to Edward Andersson's blog on the Red Tape Challenge proposals to repeal the Duty to Involve with a legally naive, but socially optimistic suggestion that incorporates equality considerations and meaningful deliberative involvement. It's here. What do people on Empowerment Works think?

It's also worth mentioning that the Equality Act is one of those up for consideration under the Red Tape Challenge. If you feel moved to comment on that, you can do so here.