The official website for National Association for Neighbourhood Management
We have created a new page with all the presentations, downloads and links from our event on The State of Neighbourhood and Locality Working on Tuesday 14 June 2016, at The Bond Company, Birmingham
This event was all about the power of connecting and sharing – especially for those involved in neighborhood and locality working, who are under more pressure than ever before to demonstrate the value of what they do. 
You can now access all the outputs from the event on our post-event page HERE.
Thursday 12 March 2015, 10.30 – 16.00, Barnsley, South Yorkshire
The Scottish referendum has put devolution firmly back on the national political agenda. Should neighbourhood activists and managers be rejoicing?
The renewed interest in devolution across the United Kingdom is partly because of the promises that Westminster politicians made to the Scottish people in order to secure a ‘No’ vote, and the expectations that they have raised of similar deals with the other areas. But it is also a reflection of the stellar levels of engagement that the referendum achieved. With election turnout in general decline, and distrust of politicians growing, the 85% turnout was both a boost for advocates of greater devolution and a challenge to those who say that disengagement with politics is an unstoppable trend. In reality the Scottish referendum was not the start of the debate about greater regional devolution. Greater Manchester and Sheffield City Region have both recently agreed devolution deals with the national government, and other City regions are seeking to take on similar devolved powers.
But what will this sort of devolution mean for neighbourhoods? Will it reinvigorate arguments for ‘double-devolution’ and neighbourhood power? Or could it end up diverting attention away from community empowerment?
These are the sorts of questions we intend to explore in the latest NANM share and learn event, on 12 March.
We are delighted to be holding this event in Barnsley where the approach of the council is placing it firmly at the heart of the devolution debate.
Content and approach
Councillor Sir Stephen Houghton, Leader of Barnsley Council, has agreed to start discussions off by explaining how Barnsley is radically devolving real spending power beyond the Tower Hall to community level. Councillor Houghton also chairs the Sheffield City Region Combined Authority which has secured one of the Government’s recent devolution funding deals.
During the rest of the day there will be a variety of opportunities to discuss issues with a range of other contributors, each of whom is a champion for devolution in a different way. Most of these discussions will be in smaller parallel sessions.
The confirmed list of contributors includes:
As with all NANM events, a major focus of the day is the opportunity it provides to mix with, get to know and share experience with other colleagues. So the programme includes a mix of plenary presentations, smaller group discussions and time to network.
Download [download id=”69″]
Who should attend?
In short anyone who is interested in neighbourhoods and devolution. We hope that it will attract a mix of practitioners and policy makers, people working at a local level as well as people working at the national and regional levels. If it piques your interest it is for you.
What does it cost?
The event is free to attend, although we are asking for a voluntary contribution towards catering and logistics (the guide is £10). If payment is a problem do not let it put you off. The contribution is a genuinely voluntary one. If you are already a paid up member of NANM simply choose the ticket for NANM members.
How to book your place
There is an Eventbrite page for this event. This is the easiest way for us to take bookings. You will be offered the opportunity to make a voluntary contribution towards refreshments and logistics (and get 2 year NANM membership) as part of the booking process. Payment can be online using a credit card and PayPal or in cash at the event.
In case you have problems booking through Eventbrite, we are also accepting bookings by email or telephone.
[This event is now in the past, but we have left the the Eventbtrite page up in case it is still of interest.]
Business people, shopkeepers, hoteliers and independent traders in Eastbourne’s Devonshire West are getting together to form a new group to tackle issues that affect their area.
Brian Lawrence, one of the people behind the Traders Action Group, said “We know our area has its own set of problems that don’t always get noticed in discussions about the whole of Eastbourne, and we want to make sure our voice is heard”.
Set up of the group is being supported by Devonshire West Big Local.
Read more: Eastbourne Herald, 24 January 2015
This week’s open space in Bradford was a great start to a new kind of NANM-hosted gathering – of which we hope to host more. Firstly a huge thank you is due to @MichaelaHowell2 and her colleauges at Bradford Trident for hosting us.
Secondly, this post is just a snapshot of the discussion, if you were there, or just interested then please do comment or link to your own thoughts.
We chose the title Neighbourhoods and DIY local democracy because we thought it captured both the growth in different forms of local decision-making, and the fact that it is increasing up to communities not just what decisions they take, but how those decisions are taken. We also thought it was a useful place to start a discussion.
And so it was. [Read more…]
Telford & Wrekin Council has received £60,000 from the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) to take forward Neighbourhood Planning in three neighbourhoods. Waters Upton, Madeley and Ercall Magna Parish Councils will be among the first in the country to take part in the Neighbourhood Planning Front Runners Scheme. Read more
