Welfare Reform on the Web (October 2005): Community Regeneration and Development - UK

Community involvement in neighbourhood regeneration: who participates?

P. Hickman and J. Manning

Voluntary Action, vol.7, Winter/Spring 2005, p.43-59

In recent years the UK government has introduced a plethora of initiatives to promote community participation, particularly in regeneration programmes. Article explores the extent of community participation in the government's flagship New Deal for Communities (NDC). Drawing on a national survey of some 19,500 NDC area residents, it uses logistic regression modelling to identify who participates in NDC activities, and those factors that appear to be significantly related to resident participation. Results showed that the vast majority of residents had not engaged with the NDC in any way, but that:

• Older people were more likely to participate than young people
• Lone parents were more likely to participate than single people
• Women were more likely to participate than men
• Educated people were more likely to participate than those with no qualifications
• People who had previously engaged in voluntary work were more likely to participate than those who had not
• Trust in the programme encouraged involvement.

Information and communication technologies and their role in urban regeneration

A. Southern and A. Townsend

Local Economy, vol.20, 2005, p.266-279

Article evaluates the Connect @ Sunderland project which aimed to deliver ICT education, training and technical services to schools, local people and small firms by providing Internet access, PC control technologies, scanning facilities, digital photography and food technologies. However, a rapidly changing policy environment meant that other types of ICT initiative came on-stream before the project could firmly establish itself within its community. Schools acquired equivalent specialist hardware and software, and the project also failed to engage the local small business sector, which was originally considered a key stakeholder group.

Jobs and enterprise in deprived areas

Social Exclusion Unit

London: 2004

Key messages are that:

• Improvement in deprived areas needs more than central government action; solutions will be different in different places
• Local authorities, local managers and frontline workers will need to be given greater freedom to respond to area and individual client needs.
• To be effective, they will need to work together with other agencies, and respond to the needs of employers.
• Improved support for people with multiple disadvantages is required
• Support for self-employment and enterprise would help

Participation in anti-poverty and regeneration work and research: overcoming barriers and creating opportunities

P. Beresford and M. Hoban

Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2005

There is increasing interest in the participation of people with direct experience in anti-poverty and regeneration policy and practice. This report draws together lessons from seven key initiatives which have sought to involve people with direct experience of poverty. The study found:

• Powerlessness is central to people's experience of poverty.
• Conventional bureaucratic and managerial "top-down" approaches to participation have very limited success. People are more likely to get involved if they believe something tangible will come out of it.
• Supporting independent organisations which people themselves develop and control is a vital building block for effective participation.
• Capacity building to develop people's confidence, self-esteem and understanding supports their participation.
• Such capacity building is particularly helpful in ensuring the participation of black and minority ethnic groups.

URL: Available at the Foundation web site at http://www.jrf.org.uk/