More funding for Community Rights work goes to Locality

Communities Minister, Stephen Williams MP announced on 18 February 2015 a new £6 million funding boost to the Community Rights programme.

This new funding will mean:

•  Likeminded communities will be able to network and learn from each other through the new My Community Network
•  Communities will have access to tailored advice through a phone and online advice service to help them use the range of community rights and other neighbourhood approaches
•  100 more neighbourhoods will be supported to use the Our Place approach, enabling councils and other public sector providers, voluntary and community groups, local businesses and the community to work together to tackle important local issues from job creation to health priorities
•  100 communities will receive support to take the first steps in identifying important local issues and develop Community Action Plans
•  50 communities will receive support to develop economic plans to address local economic priorities like job creation and enterprise
•   50 local authority/community partnerships will receive advice, support and grants to support the transfer of multiple or complex publicly owned assets into community ownership

Stephen Williams MP also announced the awarding of six new contracts to support communities in using Community Rights in 2015 to 2016. These contracts have been awarded to Locality, Co-operatives UK and The Community Development Foundation (CDF).

These six new contracts are:

• Advice service and network - Locality and the Community Development Foundation with the Local Government Association, National Association of Local Councils, National Association for Voluntary and Community Action and Anthony Collins Solicitors
• Community economic development – Co-operatives UK with New Economics Foundation, Community Development Foundation, The Community Development Finance Association and Locality
• Community ownership and management of assets – Locality with a wide range of delivery partners including The Local Government Association, National Association of Local Councils, Community Matters, Plunkett Foundation, Civic Voice, Ubele and Voice 4 Change grant administration – Groundwork
•  Neighbourhood planning and community Right to Build – Locality with URS-AECOM, a leading planning consultancy, and a number of other specialist sub-contractors including Design Council/CABE, the Royal Town Planning Institute and Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors
•  First steps and Our Place - Locality with a wide range of delivery partners including The Community Development Foundation, The Local Government Association and The National Association of Local Councils

See the interactive community rights map