The UK government is committed to the creation of a UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) to replace European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) when the UK leaves the European Union.
The UKSPF is “specifically designed to reduce inequalities between communities” and to “help deliver sustainable, inclusive growth”, but there is still much uncertainty around the exact nature of the successor fund, including how much it will be, its purpose and structure.
Now, Locality – which supports local community organisations to be strong and successful so that local communities can thrive – has launched a new paper that sets key principles for how replacing EU funding can unlock the power of community. Central to this will be effectively supporting the work of community organisations.
In its briefing, Locality says: ‘We believe that local community organisations provide solutions to many of today’s complex economic and social problems. They know the place, the problems, the people and they care. They bring local people together. They are adaptable, cost-effective and responsive.
‘But too often, the policy environment hinders rather than helps them to transform lives. In particular, mega contracts and complex funding arrangements have been crowding local community organisations out the picture. It prevents them from doing what they do best: providing the services the community needs in spaces where everyone belongs.’
The ‘Future Places’ paper explores how the UKSPF can unlock the power of community, tackle inequality and help create a fairer society.
You can download the full report by clicking here.
If you would like to find out more about how Civil Society Involvement can help you, please contact info@civilscoietyinvolvement.com.
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