Power to Change

APPLY NOW 💼 | Do you have stakeholder management experience within the social enterprise, community business or think tank sectors? We're looking for an External Affairs Officer to join our team. Bring your political awareness and knowledge of the UK policy landscape to help us shape the conditions for community business to thrive 🌟 See full job description 👇 https://lnkd.in/ePCm8TiG #vacancy #communitybiz #policyjobs #publicaffairsjobs #stakeholdermanagement #socialenteprisejobs

Choice lay at the heart of this Budget. It was political in choosing who would bear the burden of tax rises and where increases in spending would be prioritised. But as we work to ensure plans for the Spring Spending Review, government needs to recognise the important role community business can play in delivering change people can see and feel. Policy Manager Josh Westerling on what this Budget means for communities. https://lnkd.in/eFzmpc5U

Pre-#Budget2024, we identified £2.5bn of levelling up funding that was stuck in limbo. Ending the uncertainty and honouring the commitments made to communities is the right choice for government to make – one we commend them for making in difficult circumstances. Funding for MHCLG’s core levelling up projects will provide £1bn to revitalise high streets, town centres, and communities. Retaining and reforming the Long-Term Plan for Towns into a new regeneration programme honours the commitments to funding made to communities. However, communities are still awaiting confirmation that Round 4 of the Community Ownership Fund will be completed. Community businesses urgently need clarity on this. Government must keep listening to the public and make sure councils work with their local community to ensure the money is well spent on the things people care about. The move towards a new model of regeneration funding that is allocative and based on need is the right one. Today’s #Budget2024 also introduced plans to transform business rates, which will bring about a much-needed equalisation between brick and mortar and online business. In doing so, government will help bring life back to our struggling high streets. It’s important that the next stages of the Government’s business tax reform plans also recognise the wider contributions of the diverse community business sector in improving social and economic productivity of our high streets and providing a meeting place for local communities. But many community businesses cannot wait for long-term reforms. A similar interim rates relief is needed. This would ensure communities can do business on the high street and continue to reinvest in their local economies. For our full analysis of the £2.5bn of Levelling Ups funds no longer stuck in limbo: https://lnkd.in/eR3Tx2Du

Pre-#Budget2024, we identified £2.5bn of levelling up funding that was stuck in limbo. Ending the uncertainty and honouring the commitments made to communities is the right choice for government to make – one we commend them for making in difficult circumstances. Funding for MHCLG’s core levelling up projects will provide £1bn to revitalise high streets, town centres, and communities. Retaining and reforming the Long-Term Plan for Towns into a new regeneration programme honours the commitments to funding made to communities. However, communities are still awaiting confirmation that Round 4 of the Community Ownership Fund will be completed. Community businesses urgently need clarity on this. Government must keep listening to the public and make sure councils work with their local community to ensure the money is well spent on the things people care about. The move towards a new model of regeneration funding that is allocative and based on need is the right one. Today’s #Budget2024 also introduced plans to transform business rates, which will bring about a much-needed equalisation between brick and mortar and online business. In doing so, government will help bring life back to our struggling high streets. It’s important that the next stages of the Government’s business tax reform plans also recognise the wider contributions of the diverse community business sector in improving social and economic productivity of our high streets and providing a meeting place for local communities. But many community businesses cannot wait for long-term reforms. A similar interim rates relief is needed. This would ensure communities can do business on the high street and continue to reinvest in their local economies. For our full analysis of the £2.5bn of Levelling Ups funds no longer stuck in limbo: https://lnkd.in/eR3Tx2Du

Are you a community business or socially trading organisation in the North East? The Flexible Social Finance Fund with The North East Combined Authority and Big Issue Invest offers: 💰 flexible and tailored finance 💰 funding for organisations struggling to secure loans from traditional sources 💰 repayable finance options between £50k-£400k for community businesses looking to grow their social impact and improve self-sustainability. Find out more and apply 👇 👇 https://lnkd.in/eR64Ch4y

🚨 New analysis🚨 Ahead of the #AutumnBudget we've looked into Levelling Ups funds and found £2.5bn is stuck in limbo, yet to go to communities. See full findings 👇 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eR3Tx2Du Our new polling by More in Common shows a clear majority of the public back a significant or radical overhaul to how government approaches funding. The public are right to say a new approach is needed. Levelling up funding was too centralised, too fragmented, too short-term, unnecessarily competitive and onerous – leading to a significant amount of funding in limbo. Councils and communities whose funding was paused for the election - including the remainder of the Community Ownership Fund (COF) - now await their fate. The Budget will reveal decisions on these funds will be made. To show respect for people promised levelling up funding, we are calling for these commitments to be honoured where possible but for councils to work closely with the community to ensure it is well spent. See the full analysis: https://lnkd.in/eR3Tx2Du

NEWSLETTER 🗞️ | Did you catch October's newsletter? You can read about the new Flexible Finance Fund, as well as the latest thinking, resources and opportunities ⤵️ https://lnkd.in/esnWPx4B

A fascinating day last week with Power to Change in Bristol. Thanks Tim Davies-Pugh and Natalie White for hosting such an energetic, inspirational and thought provoking day. A great tour of WeCanMake factory unit - a people-led response to the housing crisis. Spending time with Melissa Mean and her impressive team, gave me a real sense of creative community-driven innovation working hard to tackle a real social challenge. I then had dedicated time with a range of community business leaders, really getting under the skin of the challenges they are collectively facing; and then finally onto ZION BRISTOL LTD - a real treat, and a clearly well-loved Community Cafe/Hub/Resource. You name it, they do it - well Emma Moore does! The The National Lottery Community Fund has a long standing partnership with Power to Change, and it was a privilege to hear about how they and these leaders are working to make it easier for people to get involved in community business, so that they can take the lead in local decisions, take buildings or green spaces into their ownership, or take on the running of local services. As we look to deliver on the ambitions of our strategy, #ItStartsWithCommunity, it's always good to see the impact of partnership working to support the building of community power, enabling communities to change what matters to them in their local area. Steve Sayers Sado Jirde @Alaistair Dale Jenny Howard Coles Martha King @Tom Newman Knowle West Media Centre Beth Wilson #NationalLottery #CommunityPower https://lnkd.in/esN3QXMb

📣 We’re pleased to sponsor the North East #SocialEnterpriseDay 2024, hosted by @JunctionPoint CIC! Join us on 21st November for a day focused on 'Money, Mindset & Making a Difference.' Expect inspiring speakers, insightful discussions, and valuable networking opportunities. 📅 Thursday, 21st November ✍️ Register 👇 https://lnkd.in/esRSrkZB #SED2024 #SocialEnterprise #PurposeDriven #Networking #CommunityImpact

NEW OPPORTUNITY 💼 | Do you have stakeholder management experience within the social enterprise, community business or think tank sectors? Bring your political awareness and knowledge of the UK policy landscape to help us shape the conditions for community business to thrive 🌟 See full job description 👇 https://lnkd.in/ePCm8TiG #vacancy #communitybiz #policyjobs #publicaffairsjobs #stakeholdermanagement #socialenteprisejobs