In this blog, our Director Crispin Truman reflects on his assessment of the applications we received for the Where People Meet fund, and shares why we need to make the case for greater investment into community spaces.
We’ve recently assessed over 280 applications to our new ‘Where People Meet’ grant pilot and I’ve been lending a hand. We are distributing £2m in grants to raise the profile of, and attract new investment into, community spaces across the UK. The assessment process is a big job for our small team, but is in itself a valuable learning exercise and has given me a snapshot of the state of things and what needs to be done.
I have been struck by the high quality of the applications as well as, of course, the overwhelming level of need. This greatly exceeds our capacity to fund and illustrates starkly the loss and neglect of places for people to meet in UK communities, over many decades. The running down and closure of so many buildings of local public importance, sometimes resulting in a community literally having nowhere to come together, is in my view a grossly underrated cause of many of the social problems we are experiencing today.
Our report with New Local: ‘Where People Meet’ (alongside much other data and research)details how this has come about. I could certainly see the consequences of that failure of social policy in applications to our programme, which included many, very disadvantaged communities, struggling every year to find the meanest of funds they need to maintain and utilise a community space.
Amidst this story of the failure of our institutions – governmental and otherwise – to sustain local public buildings, is an inspirational picture of hope and resilience. As I assessed some of our grant applications and as we all talk to the many people in the UK concerned with this problem, it’s clear that communities in so many places are taking matters into their own hands and rescuing, rebuilding and regenerating local buildings, which the public and private sectors have forsaken.
Page after page spoke of the imagination, energy and achievement shown by communities and individuals across the country, who understand for themselves the vital importance of bringing people together and supporting the more vulnerable in their midst. Whether it’s through the arts, new ways of doing social provision or connecting to healthcare, access to nature, entrepreneurship or simply community-building, people are finding ways to turn things around.
Even in the areas of greatest need with the least funds and capacity, the story is clear. We don’t just rely on government (of whatever party) or our national institutions to provide solutions, the positive story of social change can come from people themselves.
But many communities do need help – the more disadvantaged they are, the more that is the case. So we need to make the case not only for massively increased investment in community places, from all sources, but also for a different attitude and approach from government and national/regional institutions. In the 21st century we must replace top-down thinking with an enabling approach, focussed on nurturing, enhancing and where necessary actively supporting communities as they develop better solutions to their needs for space to come together and for responsive services. I could see that need in spades as I read the stories of the communities applying to us, and I know that’s only the tip of the iceberg.
I also know that there are lots of good things happening – organisations with extensive knowledge and experience in the world of community development and asset transfer for example – and new government initiatives such as Pride in Place and the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods to name just a few.
So now is the time – and we want to play our small part by working with others to bring more philanthropy to the cause and to make the case once and for all, for all communities’ right to have a great place to meet.