Power to Change

We’re so pleased to welcome four new trustees Lara Carmona, Dr Neil Bentley-Gockmann OBE, Paul Jenkins, and Solomon Elliott to Power to Change.     🗨️ Our CEO, Tim Davies-Pugh, said: Our new trustees bring a wealth of experience and insights to making community-led change happen. At Power to Change, we believe in the strength of people working together to transform local places — and our new board members will be key partners in driving that vision forward.”    🗨️ Our Chair, Tony Burton, said: “Each of our new trustees brings valuable experience, perspectives and skills to the Power to Change Board. All four will help us continue to strengthen our mission and champion community business across the country. They join the Board as we prepare to say farewell to Anne-Marie Harris, Ian Hempseed and Leonie Austin in December. We thank them for their dedication and guidance, and know they will continue to be great advocates for community business in the future.”    We’re excited about what lies ahead – and collectively, continuing to shine a light on the important role community business plays in creating more resilient places that are better to live and work in for everyone.    Thanks to Green Park for their support in bringing our new trustees on board.     👉 Read the full news story here: https://buff.ly/TjQA7ye

This month we visit Edberts House in Gateshead. After piloting a programme with a local GP surgery – where Edberts House placed a community worker within the surgery – they found that one in three patients visiting the GP did not have a clinical issue, but a social one. A physical bedrock of the community, and a literal next-door neighbour on the estate for many, they're pioneering community-led health and wellbeing through prevention and connection. Read the story: https://lnkd.in/e9AXci6D #PowertoChange10 We're partnering with Edberts House to celebrate Community Business Week this 29 November to 5 December 2025. Find out more: https://lnkd.in/eAynmmdh

As division deepens and trust in politics falls, community power is the solution we should all be talking about. The ideas that can revitalise our country can be found in every neighbourhood across the country – within the big hearts and deep knowledge of community organisers, groups of neighbours, and grassroots movements. But their hands are tied by bureaucracy and red tape. Communities desperately need more power and rights to create real change – from the ground up. 🎥 Share the We're Right Here film if you support community power. Read the story behind the film: https://lnkd.in/eGhenh6X #CommunityPoweredPolitics #CommunityPower #Devolution

Are you a community leader, council officer, funder or property owner looking to support community-led regeneration? 🏘️ Join us for a practical online session to help you seed a Local Property Partnership in your neighbourhood 🖥️ This a tried-and-tested approach to bring town centre buildings into community use and ownership for the long term, and transform them for social justice and climate resilience. You'll hear from local partnership leaders across Bristol, London, Newcastle and Liverpool City Region who are doing this work as part of our pilot programme funded by The National Lottery Community Fund, including the brilliant Shiza N., @Brendan Conway, Kindred LCR, Andy Haddon & Lucy Warin ✨ It’s free – but places are limited ⌛ Book your spot: https://lnkd.in/enRteJkX #LocalPropertyPartnerships #CommunityAssets #NeighbourhoodTransformation #HighStreetProperty #UKHighStreets #UKTownCentres Power to Change The Architectural Heritage Fund Social Investment Business

Hannah Sloggett, Co-Director of Nudge Community Builders, joined this year's Labour Party Conference with Power to Change. Two weeks on, she reflects on why community voices must be heard in national policy debates, to shape policies that actually serve people on the ground. 💬 Hannah shared, "I left feeling a renewed sense of responsibility to be part of the change we want to see. I’ve always managed upwards and I suppose this is no different." 👉 Read her full reflections here: https://buff.ly/SSedghG

💭 Each month this year, we've been sharing essays from thought leaders as part of our campaign celebrating ten years of backing community business. They include: 🌍 James Plunkett asking what would happen if we treated community as seriously as we treat digital transformation — proposing a bold reimagining of civic life and government. https://lnkd.in/e5hJqSBq 🍽️ Bex Trevalyan sharing how grassroots collaboration between councils, communities, and property owners is breathing new life into high streets through imaginative placemaking. https://lnkd.in/eKywiSYB 🏚️ Erika Rushton telling the story of Kindred in Liverpool City Region — a radical experiment in economic redesign led by those excluded from traditional systems of power. https://lnkd.in/gs2F8-Am 📚 Read the collection so far and explore bold ideas shaping the future of communities: https://lnkd.in/efNfxNDV

Our wonderful Policy Manager Jessica Craig is a nominee for Smart Thinking's Think Tanker of the Year 👏 Jess has led some of our most impactful work this year—challenging conventional thinking and putting community business at the heart of policy conversations. Take a look at her work: 🛍️ Department Stories – how communities are reimagining empty department stores into vibrant hubs for local life: https://lnkd.in/eimAKC5S 🏚️ Shuttered Front – on the political consequences of high street decline: https://lnkd.in/eVq_kgSK 📈 Lessons in Local Growth – ten steps for strategic authorities to grow inclusive regional economies: https://lnkd.in/epahWx3T

💼 Last chance to join our Policy & Insight Team as Head of Policy and Research, helping us shape the conditions for community business to thrive. 💼 Applications close: 17 October 💼 Find out more and apply: https://lnkd.in/ePCm8TiG

Did you catch our last newsletter edition? Get the lowdown from party conferences, discover what our new polling told us about unlocking national renewal, and hear about the latest events and opportunities in the community business world 👇 http://bit.ly/3VGrQ6M