Active Communities
Review of Community Participation
This document is published for archival/historical purposes. It will not be updated.
The Neighbourhood Renewal Unit (NRU) published a report summarising the 109 responses they received to a recent consultation paper. The paper proposed changes to funding arrangements for neighbourhood renewal community participation programmes. It was published in September 2003.
Title: Review of Community Participation
Author: Neighbourhood Renewal Unit (NRU)
Series: NRU Publications
Number of Pages: 36
Date Published: September 2003
With a total of 109 responses received by the NRU, 60% came from Community Empowerment Networks (CENs), Councils of Voluntary Service or other voluntary organisations directly involved in current arrangements. Many of the consultation responses provided a useful source of information about how CENs are currently operating, and the way in which the current 3 funds are being applied in different ways across England, being:
The Community Empowerment Fund (CEF)
The Community Chest (CC)
The Community Learning Chest (CLC).
The consultation paper made 3 main proposals:
to merge the 3 currently separate funds for community participation into a single programme under the direction of CENs through a single responsible body
for there to be an increased focus on activity at neighbourhood level
to introduce clear objectives and performance measures for the community participation programme.
The Neighbourhood Renewal Unit (NRU) within the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has responsibility for the Government's policies in relation to neighbourhood renewal and effective administration of neighbourhood renewal funding streams. The proposed review of its community participation strategy and funding programmes ensures the National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal's (NSNR) fundamental principle - that communities are at the heart of neighbourhood renewal - is reflected in enhancing community benefit through the work of the NRU.
The main conclusion drawn from the consultation was the need to simplify proposals for operating the new single programme. Recommendations concentrated upon ways to initiate this, but also suggested options for the implementation process. The main recommendations, discussed in Section 5, were:
Simplification of Strategies and Programme Objective proposals
The implementing of a graduated process of bringing all 88 NRF areas into the single programme by April 2004
Proposals for expenditure bands for the programme's Activity Streams be abandoned, and CENs be allowed to set expenditure levels appropriate to local circumstances
Government Offices should exercise maximum local discretion and flexibility in implementing the new arrangements
That the NRU seek to provide greater clarification on what is meant by, or involved in, supporting community participation at neighbourhood levels.
Download 'Review of Community Participation' 
PDF 336kb
Last update: Tuesday, August 26, 2008