Community power is the antidote to division and democratic decline 

Four years ago, 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.

Many of our communities continue to feel the effects of years of underinvestment, trust in politics is at an all-time low, and it can sometimes feel like our society is more divided than ever.

But that’s not the whole story. Across the UK, people are transforming derelict buildings into hubs of connection, running vital local services, and rebuilding trust in democracy from the ground up. And it’s through raising up those stories of local action that our campaign has been able to make real progress in shifting power downwards and outwards to communities – securing a Community Right to Buy and putting community power squarely on the political map.

We know that the true strength of this country doesn’t lie in grand institutions or the so-called corridors of power – it lies in its neighbourhoods. That’s why I’m really proud to share our new campaign film – a call to action and a call for hope.

This film carries an urgent message: community power is the antidote to division and democratic decline. When people have real control over what happens in their places, they don’t turn on each other, they turn towards one another.

Every day, I meet people in Sheffield and around the UK doing extraordinary things for their communities, often with little support but a huge amount of passion and determination. They remind me that the solutions to the big national problems we face won’t be found in another speech or Whitehall strategy – they’ll be found in local people working together, with the power and resources to make decisions for themselves.

That’s what real pride in place looks like to me. It’s not just about a new regeneration scheme or funding pot; it’s what I feel when I see neighbours coming together to make their local areas better for everyone.

That’s the future our campaign is fighting for. And that’s what this new film is all about –a vision of a country built from the ground up, where we all have a stake in shaping a better future.

We’ve seen what happens when people feel ignored, from declining high streets and abandoned public spaces to civil unrest. On the anniversary of last year’s riots, our fellow Campaign Leaders, Sacha Bedding and Community Champion Leah Chikamba-Mulando visited 10 Downing Street to deliver an open letter – signed by over 350 community leaders and national organisations – calling on the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister to act. Three months later, we’re still waiting for a response, which only makes it all the more important that we make our voices heard.

A critical moment for change

The launch of our new film comes at a pivotal time. The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill is making its way through Parliament, and MPs are debating measures that could give communities genuine control over the decisions that shape their lives.

This Bill is a once in a generation opportunity to fix the foundations of our democracy – to turn political rhetoric about “levelling up” and “community empowerment” into something real and lasting. To stop the never-ending cycle of Whitehall politicians passing decisions down from on high and wondering why local people feel unheard.

If we get this right, we can reverse the dangerous trends of division and alienation that are plaguing our country. But the window for action is closing fast – so please help us get the message out far and wide by sharing our new campaign film.

Together, we can show that community power isn’t just a “nice to have”, but the key to bridging the gap between politics and local people and reclaiming the future. Because we’re right here, and we’re ready to step up.

Film by Will Garthwaite, featuring Andy Jackson, Annoushka Deighton, Claude Hendrickson, Deana Bamford, Josiah Sulc, Leah Chikamba-Mulando, and Sacha Bedding.

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