Power to Change

4 Sept

Our Autumn events explore how communities can shape and regerate our places: 📍 Party Conferences 2026: We'll be at #Labour #LibDem #Green 📍 Civic High Street Collective study visits to #Bristol #Sunderland #Hastings 📍 Civic High Street Collective Reception in Westminster Explore: bit.ly/46LRLiJ

buff.lyCan a £5.8bn scheme help revive Grimsby and other town centres?Turning boarded-up shops into community spaces is a bigger and more complex task than just adding funding

1/5 🏙️ In the lead-up to this week's Budget, the debate about Britain's high streets is gathering pace. explored regeneration efforts in Grimsby, drawing on our 2024 analysis that found £1bn of levelling up funding was stuck in limbo three years on. 👇 buff.ly/jqgjRys

4/5 Pride in Place recognises this through neighbourhood boards, but if govt wants to revive high streets, it needs to go further & adopt a mixed-use model that combines culture, community, public services, work & housing, creating places people return to for everyday life, not just shopping.

buff.lyGrimsby - Power to ChangeCommunity businesses are making an impact in Grimsby, creating local employment opportunities, tackling deprivation and restoring pride in the community, wh ...

5/5 With a new High Street Strategy on the horizon, there's a chance to get this right. 👀 Full polling findings coming soon. In the meantime, explore our profile of the fantastic community initiatives in Grimsby: buff.ly/qxvVmy7

buff.lyCan a £5.8bn scheme help revive Grimsby and other town centres?Turning boarded-up shops into community spaces is a bigger and more complex task than just adding funding

2/5 The piece is a reminder that, despite years of regeneration initiatives, many town centres still grapple with empty buildings and declining footfall. Short-term funding pots alone haven't been ambitious enough to tackle the scale of the challenge.

buff.lyTax online sales more heavily to save high streets, Burnham urgedExclusive: British Chambers of Commerce president calls for overhaul of business rates and greater powers for local leaders

3/5 For change to last, it needs to be community-led. Our latest polling with @moreincommonuk.bsky.social referenced in The Guardian last week, found that 6 in 10 people believe giving power to community organisations, would help improve their high street - compared to the 15% who think govt would.

powertochange.org.ukBack on the Map - Power to ChangeEvolving out of the New Deal for Communities in the early 2000s, Back on the Map is a changemaking community business based in Hendon, on the outskirts of S ...

We're in Sunderland with Back on the Map today for the second Civic High Street Collective study visit ✨

Join our LinkedIn community to share inspiration, challenges, and what's working where you are. Seen a great example? Share it with the community 👇 www.linkedin.com/groups/42479014/

Or connect with us in person at one of our upcoming events 👇 www.powertochange.org.uk/events/

We're in Sunderland with Back on the Map today for the second Civic High Street Collective study visit ✨

In pockets, communities are reimagining #highstreets as places of connection & pride. They’re not accepting the inevitability of shuttered shops & decline. Instead, they’re giving local people a say & turning vacant spaces into centres for culture, community, public services, workspaces & housing.

Power to Change reposted

Community Shares Unit

@comshares.bsky.social

It's back! Our new practitioner training is now live. This is a great opportunity to learn all about the basics of community shares and all the technical details too. Find out more and secure your place now >> www.uk.coop/events-and-t...

🧵 Over a third of Londoners are lonely, according to new research from the Centre for London (buff.ly/Gz1cBWi) We believe it's the true cost of the erosion of places and spaces for people to come together.

buff.ly21st Century Social ClubsWe are a national movement revitalising Britain’s social clubs. By backing these democratic hubs for belonging and new ideas, we empower them to tackle society’s biggest challenges and strengthen the…

We're working with Stir to Action on the 21st Century Social Clubs programme to create the conditions for these spaces, which are critical for community action and social cohesion, to not just survive but thrive. 🔍 21st Century Social Clubs project: buff.ly/MKIfHDE

Learn more about this and our programme of work to build community-powered places and spaces: buff.ly/9NtmIHT

Our Closing the Void report argued that associational orgs can help counter social fragmentation by providing spaces for face-to-face discussion, community organising & civic participation. At the same time as tackling loneliness, they tackle division & political apathy. Read: buff.ly/Y3CcxJn

Yet the Centre for London research shows many social clubs face significant pressures, from rising operating costs and reduced public funding to redevelopment pressures on the buildings they occupy.

NEWSLETTER 🗞️ | This month, discover: ✅ Community businesses' views on devolution ✅ Party conference reflections ✅ Unlocking finance for community asset development ✅ How devolution can reach communities ✅ Events Read👉 https://mailchi.mp/powertochange.org.uk/conversations-shaping-local-places-oct26

thetimes.comChancellor targets online marketplaces in £1bn tax crackdown

1/4 We welcome measures to create a more level playing field between online marketplaces and high street businesses. But creating thriving, resilient high streets requires a broader vision than supporting retail alone. 🧵👇

The Times and Sunday Times@thetimes.com

Amazon, eBay and Temu will be forced to collect VAT to fund business rate cuts for high street shops

3/4 While business rates relief and fairer taxation may help independent retailers in the short term, long-term renewal will depend on building mixed-use civic high streets where wealth, decision-making and opportunity are locally rooted.

powertochange.org.ukCivic High Street Collective - Power to ChangeBringing partners together to champion a mixed-use, civic model where high streets are reimagined as places for local services, heritage and culture, commun ...

4/4 As part of the Civic High Street Collective, we're bringing together practitioners and decision-makers to develop policy, delivery, and funding models for civic regeneration and unlock the powers and investment communities need to drive change. www.powertochange.org.uk/what-we-do/p...

thetimes.comChancellor targets online marketplaces in £1bn tax crackdown

The Times and Sunday Times@thetimes.com

Amazon, eBay and Temu will be forced to collect VAT to fund business rate cuts for high street shops

2/4 Our work consistently highlights the importance of shaping who owns & benefits from high street assets, & what our high streets are ultimately for. Communities are strongest when local people have a stake & when high streets support a diverse mix of social, cultural, civic & commercial activity.

Cooperative Councils’ Innovation Network

🏪 Join our Civic High Street Reception for an evening of conversation & inspiration. Whether you're working in policy, the public sector, local government or place-based change, we'd love to see you there. Register 👇 www.powertochange.org.uk/event/westminster-reception-civic-high-street-collective/

Power to Change reposted

@coopcouncils.bsky.social

It was great to see @powertochange.org.uk, one of our valued CCIN Affiliate Members, at The Labour Party Conference this year. Their session on community‑led regeneration, repurposing empty and historic buildings, and strengthening local businesses and culture was a real highlight.

Great day in Bristol yesterday for the Civic High Street Collective study visit to Sparks! The 1st of 3 to community businesses refusing the inevitability of shuttered shops & decline. Instead, giving local people a say & turning vacant spaces into arts & culture/public service/community/housing.

You can still join us in #Sunderland with Back on the Map on 22 October, in #Hastings with Hastings Commons on 10 November, or in Westminster on 4 November: www.powertochange.org.uk/events/

In the meantime, join the LinkedIn group to share inspiration, ideas, or challenges: www.linkedin.com/groups/42479...

@uclpolicylab.bsky.social

The Civic High Street Collective has a new look 🎉 Join our LinkedIn community to share inspiration, learn from others and discover examples from mixed-use civic high streets across the country 👉 www.linkedin.com/groups/42479014/

Power to Change reposted

We're Right Here

@right-here.org

As politicians chat in the Labour Party Conference rooms far from the communities they serve, we brought the two worlds closer together through the Community Power Bus. 🚌 Community spaces are essential infrastructure, not optional extras. The next stop for devolution has got to be community power.

Power to Change reposted

UCL Policy Lab

Replying to @uclpolicylab.bsky.social

Then rounding off with a rousing discussion on Power and Place with @powertochange.org.uk. Come hear from the Rt. Hon. Angela Rayner MP. Followed by an in conversation with @roswynnejones.bsky.social and Liam Kelly from Make CIC on how to put power in the hands of communities.

Power to Change reposted

Gavin Freeguard

@gavinfreeguard.com

Replying to @gavinfreeguard.com

What's next for communities policy? ask @powertochange.org.uk, Coop Party, Park Street Partners of @nickplumb.bsky.social @joplatt.bsky.social @florenceeshalomi.bsky.social, Fin Irwin Lots on empowerment, doing with & not to communities; Nick on devo agenda needing to go the final mile to postcodes

buff.lyStudy visits | Civic High Street Collective - Power to ChangeRegister your interest to join a visit to Bristol, Sunderland or Hastings to see the civic high street in action.

Want to see the civic high street in action? 👀 This autumn, the Civic High Street Collective is hosting study visits in Bristol, Sunderland and Hastings. Join us to explore inspiring examples of community-led high streets and connect with peers. 🧵👇

3/4 📍 Sunderland | 22 Oct Hosted by Back on the Map in Hendon, Sunderland. Learn from local leaders and discover practical approaches to community-led regeneration and thriving town centres.

buff.lyStudy visits | Civic High Street Collective - Power to ChangeRegister your interest to join a visit to Bristol, Sunderland or Hastings to see the civic high street in action.

4/4 📍 Hastings | 10 Nov Hosted by Hastings Commons, explore one of the UK's most inspiring examples of community-led regeneration. Register your interest for a study visit: buff.ly/GXTGWd9

buff.lyStudy visits | Civic High Street Collective - Power to ChangeRegister your interest to join a visit to Bristol, Sunderland or Hastings to see the civic high street in action.

buff.lyStudy visits | Civic High Street Collective - Power to ChangeRegister your interest to join a visit to Bristol, Sunderland or Hastings to see the civic high street in action.

2/4 📍 Bristol | 30 Sept Hosted by Artspace Lifespace, this visit explores how culture, heritage, housing and local services can help create vibrant, community-focused high streets. buff.ly/GXTGWd9

buff.lyBriefing: The civic high street - Power to ChangeOur civic high street briefing offers recommendations for how government can deliver a transformative High Street Strategy, using policy and investment to d ...

5 practical steps for govt to unlock a resilient high street that goes beyond retail: 1️⃣ Tackle vacancy through new ownership models 2️⃣ Support councils to use existing powers 3️⃣ Improve data transparency 4️⃣ Reform meanwhile-use 5️⃣ Help communities move from temporary to long-term use 👇️ buff.ly/wxV1j8d

buff.lyParty conferences 2026: - Power to ChangeFind out how we’re backing community business at Labour, Liberal Democrat, and Green Party conferences in September and October 2026.

Communities with the power to shape their places are what creates resilient #highstreets and connected communities that can flex and respond to challenges. Join us at Party Conferences 2026 to explore how communities can play a bigger role in shaping places, public services & local economies👇

buff.lyA symbol of a British renaissance: the civic high streetAcross the country, communities are bringing high streets back to life. What will it take to make the civic high street the norm, not the exception?

22 Sept

📣 Heading to #LabourPartyConference? Join us for A symbol of a British renaissance: the civic high street. Delighted that Leigh Ingham MP will be joining the panel alongside Chris Curtis MP, Laura Onita (FT), Jo Cooper (Back on the Map), chaired by @jesscraig.bsky.social 👇️ buff.ly/oS3VrwF

17 Sept

How we talk about our high streets is changing. There's growing recognition that retail alone cannot save our town centres, but that civic-led high streets can foster the connection and community we need. More in September's newsletter, including ways to get involved. 👉️ bit.ly/4rhIPuV

17 Sept

Today, the PM is championing community power in an announcement of nearly £30m of funding for People’s Power projects. More on this from @nickplumb.bsky.social 👇

Nick Plumb@nickplumb.bsky.social

The PM links new announcements on community energy with broader devolution agenda, and the role of Number 10 North. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

powertochange.org.ukStudy visits | Civic High Street Collective - Power to ChangeRegister your interest to join a visit to Bristol, Sunderland or Hastings to see the civic high street in action.

15 Sept

Learn from organisations leading community-powered regeneration on the ground. Join one of our three study visits in collaboration with the Royal Society of Arts. You could visit: 🏬 Artspace Lifespace in Bristol 🏬 Back on the Map in Sunderland 🏬 Hastings Commons in Hastings buff.ly/Qfv5AHC

powertochange.org.ukParty conferences 2026: - Power to ChangeFind out how we’re backing community business at Labour, Liberal Democrat, and Green Party conferences in September and October 2026.

14 Sept

The #CommunityRighttoBuy showed what's possible when communities, campaigners and policymakers work together. So what's next for communities policy? Join us at #LabourPartyConference to discuss the next big ambition for community power. 📅 27 Sept, 4-5pm buff.ly/XlUT1AN

powertochange.org.ukParty conference events 2026: - Power to ChangeFind out how we’re backing community business at Labour, Liberal Democrat, and Green Party conferences in September and October 2026.

11 Sept

🏘️ Communities are bringing struggling high streets back to life. But what will it take to make the civic high street the norm, not the exception? Join us at #LabourPartyConference to discuss the future of our high streets. 📅 27 Sept, 1-2pm buff.ly/XlUT1AN

powertochange.org.ukWestminster Reception | Civic High Street Collective - Power to ChangeJoin us in Westminster for an evening reception celebrating the growing movement for the civic high street.

10 Sept

Do you imagine high streets that are designed around community life, not just retail? Join us in Westminster to celebrate the growing movement for the civic high street and connect with people driving change across the country. Sign up 👇👇 buff.ly/xJIzMZK

9 Sept

How can communities breathe new life into the spaces and heritage of our high streets? Join us at #FLIPIM for our High Street Innovators panel, exploring how communities are bringing empty and overlooked spaces back into use through creativity and local action. 🎟️ Register: https://bit.ly/4yhjHqx

powertochange.org.ukParty conferences 2026: community power from the margins to the centre - Power to ChangeFind out how we’re backing community business at Labour, Liberal Democrat, and Green Party conferences in September and October 2026.

9 Sept

Party conference season is nearly here, and the Power to Change team will be at #LabourConference, #Green, and #LibDem conferences, bringing community business voices into conversations about high streets, local power and communities policy. Join us at en event 👇 buff.ly/XlUT1AN

8 Sept

See the civic high street in action! We're running study visits to #Bristol, #Sunderland and #Hastings with the RSA as part of the Civic High Streets Collective. Learn from community-powered regeneration projects on the ground. Bristol EOIs close 14 Sept: buff.ly/Qfv5AHC

bit.lyHow to reinvent the British high streetWhy town centres need beetroots, bowling alleys and botox

7 Sept

Today's Arguably on why #highstreets need more than retail. A mixed-use civic model built around community, services and local identity is exactly the direction of travel. Great to see our Property Holding Vehicle proposal featured too ⬇️ https://bit.ly/4zUUvbf

Power to Change reposted

Community Shares Unit

@comshares.bsky.social

3 Sept

Free online training: Community Shares Finance Guide - managing community share capital. Next Thursday online, book now! www.uk.coop/events-and-t...

uk.coopTraining: Community Shares Finance Guide - managing community share capitalA session for societies using community shares capital to understand their legal responsibilities, and how to manage their members financial investments.

bit.lyCommunities at the heart of the high street 💛

3 Sept

👀 Haven't read our August newsletter yet? We explore what Andy Burnham's latest proposals could mean for #highstreets, and why giving communities genuine power over regeneration is essential to creating places that work for local people 👇 https://bit.ly/4zPHVty