Community involvement UK

, < Community involvement
 * For International and other country information - see main Community involvement article

"'...delivery involves citizens, it is not simply done to them.' Barry Quirk"

Action Ideas

 * Local referendum UK
 * Participatory journalism
 * Street parties
 * Local quality of life conferences
 * Community involvement weeks
 * Youth Forum

[[Image:Img13715.jpg]] Collaborate

 * Open source conference design

New Ideas

 * Places, projects and networks pages in this wiki
 * Sustainable (Your town) pages in this wiki
 * Local sustainability directories in this wiki
 * Local sustainabiity picture libraries (online); share your pictures in this wiki (you need to be logged in to upload files - see Community Portal)

New technology focus

 * E-Petitions to the Prime Minister. BETA TEST
 * Podnosh grassroots channel Podcast for active citizens. Written / PDF versions of podcasts available via Birmingham Community Empowerment Network (Grassroots Channel)
 * WriteToThem.com
 * PledgeBank Helping people get things done

Why it matters
Community involvement is about people and communities being able to play a full part in decision-making, for example local decision-making, and so influence the decisions which affect their lives. It is also about community empowerment, for example through access to appropriate information and adivce. Proper community involvement is not tokenistic. Instead it is on-going, valued, meaningful, provides extensive opportunity and is genuinely and extensively influential. Proper community invovlement is not about allowing mere comment on decisions that have already largely been taken. Instead it begins at the design stage, the very beginning of any project or programme. Proper community invovlement does not include measures of success being foisted upon the community, or worse still simply being ignored. Instead it gives a primary role to the community in judging how successful a project or programme has been. Research for the The Home Office Citizenship Survey 2001 showed only 24% of respondents agreed they could influence decisions affecting Britain, and only 43% agreed that they could influence decisions affecting their local areas. Home Office Research Development Statistics

Related Topics

 * category:Community involvement


 * Local needs met locally
 * Sustainability networks
 * Community & voluntary action
 * Department of FUN!
 * Environmental justice
 * Global connections
 * Communities online
 * Community resources
 * Networks and Networking
 * Regeneration
 * Sport, Arts & Culture
 * Community Involvement via Community Action 2020
 * Together we can secure the future
 * Empowering neighbourhood communities from Living Streets

News UK

 * Thursday, December 14 2006 - Friends of the Earth fear for freedom of information. FoE press release
 * Thursday, October 26 2006 - 'Strong and prosperous communities': White Paper published. DCLG News Release 2006/0125, Living Streets statement on local government white paper / Comment
 * Tuesday, August 15 2006 - Defra experiments with wiki.
 * Tuesday, July 11 2006, Local councils must look more to what their communities want, Ruth Kelly.
 * Wednesday, June 28 2006 - Every action counts intitiative launched by government / 1st annual review of 'Together We Can'. DCLG News release, Together We Can Annual Review, Loosening up for more trust and togetherness - Comment from David Wilcox
 * Monday, February 27 2006, Power to the People, Power Inquiry reports
 * Wednesday, February 8 2006, MPs from all three main parties support Living Streets' call for inquiry into community empowerment.
 * New index reveals democracy more unequal than income in Britain, September 22 2005

Consultations

 * Digital dialogue on the future of local government

Comment

 * New Start editorial November 22 2006 - For reasons I find hard to fathom, I found myself meandering through a department store at the weekend, and I was gobsmacked by the way you can hardly sell anything without a celebrity’s recommendation..
 * New Start editorial October 4 2006 - Working with other people can be frustrating. Just ask David Cameron what he really says about his party colleagues when he’s loading his dishwasher.
 * New Start editorial September 27 2006 - Last week Ruth Kelly gave us devolution to the doorstep. What my doorstep will do with its new powers is a question I’ve yet to get to grips with.
 * New Start editorial September 13 2006 - Another day, another investigation into some aspect of the regeneration game. This time it’s the turn of the Commission for Racial Equality to look at physical regeneration at its best and at its worst.
 * Friday, September 8 2006 - Forum:Comment on the Defra wiki experiment
 * New Start editorial March 15 2006 - This week’s heartwarming story comes from Leeds, where fans of indie band Four Day Hombre have bought shares in a record label to get their first album out on the streets.
 * New Start editorial February 22 2006 - If ministers are looking for some new ideas to galvanise their urban policies, let’s hope they didn’t pop into Selfridges this week.

Resources

 * Post Party Politics, Involve's first political pamphlet (February 2006) sets out an agenda for rebuilding a new politics designed around people, wherever they are, not politicians.
 * People & Participation, Involve's first publication (November 2005). Practical detail about methods of participation.
 * National Planning Forum's 2005 Good Practice Guide to Community Involvement in Town and Country Planning
 * Beyond the Ballot - 57 democratic innovations from around the world, Graham Smith, Published by The POWER Inquiry
 * Participatory Planning for Sustainable Communities, Department for Communities and Local Government (It is difficult to find a date on this publication, but a rerefence in the appendices suggests the research was done in 2003)

UK links

 * Street Party.org.uk, promoting street parties, which are a chance for people to enjoy their street without traffic for a day, and encouraging neighbourliness across the UK.
 * Local e-Democracy National Project
 * Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health
 * Charter 88
 * New Politics Network
 * Adviceguide Up-to-date independent advice published by Citizens Advice
 * Joseph Rowntree Foundation Independent social policy research and development
 * Environmental Law Foundation
 * EarthRights Solicitors Public interest law firm & environmental rights charity
 * Involve Aiming to bring about institutional change focusing on public participation
 * The Scottish Parliament - e-Petitioner
 * Designing for Civil Society, David Wilcox's blog on technology, engagement and governance
 * Neighbourhoods, Kevin Harris's blog on neighbourhood relations, citizenship, social capital, etc.
 * Together we Can - Information from the Home Office

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