Community involvement UK news

News 2008

 * Government publishes 'empowerment' White Paper, July 9


 * Communities and Local Government publish local priorities website, June 30 Top 20 priorities across England: in fifth place - 100 out of 150 local areas choosing this - Per capita reduction in CO2 emissions in the LA area; in 12th place - 85 out of 150 local areas choosing this - per cent of people who feel they can influence decisions in their locality. topic


 * Just 38 per cent of respondents to the Citizenship Survey (April 2007 - March 2008) felt able to influence decisions in their local area whilst only 39 per cent of people were involved in some kind of civic participation such as attending a public meeting, signing a local petition or contacting a local councillor. The findings tally closely with data from this year's local elections which showed average voter turnout at around 40 per cent or less.


 * Cabinet Office Minister Tom Watson announces a new Task Force to take forward proposals in the Power of Information report, March 31


 * "Local Strategic Partnerships or Local Service Boards are not sufficiently local or connected to the community to allow effective community involvement." Community empowerment in practice: lessons from Communities First by Dave Adamson and Richard Bromiley of the University of Glamorgan is published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. March 11


 * White Paper launch document 'Unlocking the Talent of our Communities' published, March 5


 * Launch of Alliance for Lobbying Transparency, January 25


 * Community contracts to be piloted in twelve areas across the country, January 22

Comment 2008

 * New Start editorial July 2 2008 Roll up, roll up, ladies and gentlemen, for the show of the century! The Great Illusionist is about to perform! With one wave of a white paper, the perspicacious prestidigitator will scatter the stardust of empowerment among the awed masses…


 * New Start editorial April 23 2008 In the film Goodbye Lenin!, a Communist Party stalwart wakes up after lying in a coma throughout the downfall of the former East Germany.


 * New Start editorial January 16 2008 Many years ago I visited Sri Lanka as the guest of a local church minister. While showing me a project to improve the living standards of poor labourers in the tea-planting region of Nuwara Eliya, he observed: ‘God is on the side of the poor. They wouldn’t survive at all otherwise.’

Earlier years

 * Community involvement UK news 2007
 * Community involvement UK news 2006 and 2005