Blogs & Stories

On this page you can find articles, blogs, and community stories.

Why we need community-powered neighbourhood governance — and how local infrastructure can support it to happen

Rich Warrington, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, NAVCA

Guest piece in our series on neighbourhood governance arrangements, written by Rich Warrington of NAVCA. Rich argues in this blog that community power does not flourish simply because governance structures exist on paper. It flourishes when communities are supported by strong, trusted, well‑connected local VCSE infrastructure.

How neighbourhood governance can help us beat the far right

Misbah Malik, Head of Policy & Communities

Guest blog by Hope Not Hate as part of our series on neighbourhood governance arrangements. Misbah Malik writes, “The racist riots of 2024 highlighted the importance of strong communities in the fight against the far right. It was at the local level that we saw tensions spill over into violence across the country, but it was also at the local level that we saw radical displays of hope and solidarity, with neighbours helping mend the same mosque windows that had been shattered with bricks the night before.”

Why is nobody talking about neighbourhood governance?

Annoushka Deighton, We're Right Here Campaign Leader

Something potentially transformative has been quietly moving through Parliament and hardly anyone seems to be talking about it: Neighbourhood governance. This Bill will introduce a new layer of governance across England in places where neighbourhood-level institutions, like town or parish councils, don’t already exist. That’s a huge deal.

Putting communities at the heart of the Pride in Place programme

Mbalu Bah, Campaign Manager We're Right Here

When the government announced the Pride in Place programme, we felt genuinely encouraged. This isn’t just another initiative with a catchy name, it recognises that the power to shape thriving neighbourhoods lies with the people who live there.

Community power is the antidote to division and democratic decline

Andy Jackson, We're Right Here Campaign Convener and Manager of Heeley Trust

When we first launched the We’re Right Here campaign, our mission was simple but ambitious – to give local people real power over the places they live in and love. Britain was already grappling with deep challenges then. But few of us could have predicted how much more divided and insecure our country would feel today.

Museum of Broken Dreams launches in Parliament

On 1 September 2025, The Museum of Broken Dreams launched in Parliament and was on display for one week. The exhibition, presented by the We’re Right Here campaign, tells the stories of community-led projects that could have transformed places across the country but were unable to fulfill their potential. Not because local people lack vision […]

Community Covenants: Redefining local power in Market Drayton

In Market Drayton, Shropshire, something transformative is taking place. For the first time, community organisations, the town council, and Shropshire Council have sat down together as equal partners. Together, they’re upending traditional power structures where councils call the shots and local people are left without a meaningful say in the decisions that shape their everyday […]

We took community power to Downing Street

Sacha Bedding, Campaign Leader of We're Right Here and CEO of The Wharton Trust

Last week, I visited 10 Downing Street, alongside one of the We’re Right Here campaign’s Community Champions – Leah Chikamba-Mulando. We delivered an open letter to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister calling for the government to urgently address the disempowerment felt in our neighbourhoods or risk further civil unrest. Leah and I were […]

Communities lead the way in Greater Manchester’s Live Well transformation

A conversation between Leah Chikamba-Mulando, the CEO of local organisation Angels of Hope for Women, which supports women recovering from domestic abuse and mental health issues, and Tabz O’Brien, Strategic Lead for community-led innovation, working as part of a Greater Manchester-wide Live Well team. The public sector has traditionally favoured a top-down approach to local […]

Will the ‘English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill’ deliver real community power?

The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, which was laid before parliament on 10th July, represents an important but incomplete step forward for community power. A landmark Community Right to Buy The introduction of a legal Community Right to Buy is a landmark moment. Our campaign has long advocated for communities to have the chance […]