Community involvement UK

An empowered, self-actualized community of active citizens enriches and sustains the quality of life of all who live there. Community involvement is used here as a deliberatly broad term to include for example Participatory ^W and Deliberative democracy ^W. This page is the beginnings of a portal for Community involvement UK. As with all of our community involvement pages or sections, this is about involvement from the point of view of CANs (community agency networks) or community groups themselves. The majority of our information about this is collated via our place pages...Near you.

• Community involvement UK resources is a separate article.

We're Right Here – Campaign Film

Authors: We're Right Here, 2.54 mins.

Date: 2025-10-20

2025 Birmingham Museums Citizens' Jury

Authors: DemocracyNext, 1.55 mins.

Date: 2025-04-18

Retrofit Reimagined: The Future Is Already Here

Authors: CIVIC SQUARE

Date: 2024-07-03

Frome Neighbourhood Network - Growing neighbourhood democracy

Authors: (uploader) Opus Independents, September 20, 2023

Why Trust the People?

Authors: Trust The People, Jun 18, 2021

Simon Duffy on Neighbourhood Democracy for Plena Inclusion

Authors: Centre for Welfare Reform, Feb 17, 2021

FLATPACK DEMOCRACY

Authors: XR Future Democracy

Date: 2019-10-05

• 'Don't Go Back To Norma', "a movement of people who commit to change every corner of their lives, and build a movement around these changes. Each divestment from the old normal and each transition to a new platform or service or subscription brings all of us closer to the new world that is possible, and is reachable in this pandemic."

"Now is the time for breaking out of our usual habits and siloed issue areas. We must re-imagine every corner of society, from food systems to education to how we use technology, how we do waste, how we generate energy, and the rhythms and behaviours with which we live our lives. We must do this so that we #dontgobacktonormal." added 08:50, 16 January 2022 (UTC) / dead link removed 21:12, 15 August 2022 (UTC)

• Neighbourhood Democracy Movement, added 18:20, 24 December 2021 (UTC)
• Trust The People, movement of community builders committed to building a real democracy from the grassroots up. "We believe that by stepping into our agency and working with others in our neighbourhoods, we can shape our society into one that serves the needs of all." added 14:55, 25 October 2021 (UTC)
• Community Chartering Network
• PB Network, independent body advocating for learning and innovation in Participatory Budgeting
• UK Open Government Network
• The Unfinished Revolution, "It's time for real democracy!", added 16:35, 25 May 2020 (UTC)
• Citizens UK, community organising group ^W
• The Democratic Society
• Eden Project Communities
• Electoral Reform Society, independent campaigning organisation working to champion the rights of voters and build a better democracy in Great Britain and Northern Ireland
• The Glass-House
• Involve, think tank and charity specialising in public participation. Video: Involve on youtube.com ^W
• New Citizenship Project, "a social innovation lab, using creative strategy to promote the role of the citizen and encourage better participation in society."
• NHS Citizen, building a way for everyone to have a say in NHS England decision-making.
• Talk Shop
• UNGOV,...put your ideas forward

"There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about" Margaret Wheatley...The Alternative UK

From Wikipedia:Independents for Frome § Flatpack democracy and its influences

The ideas that lead to the establishment of Independents for Frome were described as "flatpack democracy" by Peter Macfadyen, one of the group's founders and first town councillors. In 2014 the ideas were developed in booklet form as Flatpack Democracy: A DIY Guide to Independent Politics. Flatpack democracy was reported in 2015 as having been directly responsible for the election successes of similarly independent groups in Arlesey, Bedfordshire and in Buckfastleigh, Devon. A further book, Flatpack Democracy 2.0: Powertools for reclaiming local politics, followed in September 2019.

Independents for Frome's flatpack democracy approach has been credited with being the 'crucible' of a new independent approach to local government. Local successes were reported by 2019 in places in South-West England, Yorkshire and County Durham, and in New Zealand. Specific examples in addition to Buckfastleigh include Dartmouth, Devon, Queen's Park, London and Alderley Edge, Cheshire.

From Wikipedia:Independents for Frome

Independents for Frome (ifF) is a local political grouping based in Frome, Somerset, UK. It is known for its independent and non party-political approach and for its espousal of a series of ideas that have become known as "flatpack democracy". Independent councillors elected under the banner of ifF have been in control of Frome Town Council since 2011.

Independents for Frome's development of the town council has been credited with being the 'crucible' of a new independent approach to local government, and is reported as having been directly responsible for the election successes of a number of similarly independent groups elsewhere in England.

The grouping, and the way in which it has run the town council since 2011, has been the focus of several academic research studies. One study reviewed how the council has used techniques of normative social influence to increase political diversity. Others have assessed its wider importance, concluding that Frome is becoming increasingly renowned for its thriving independent political and economic identity, and that it is becoming a mentor for other places that seek to replicate conditions for independent, post-party politics.

See also

• Frome
• Community involvement UK news

External links

• Flatpack Democracy, DIY guide to creating independent politics
• Independents for Frome: A different kind of local politics, demsoc.org/public-square/case-studies date not found
• The Isle of Wight Independent group: Framework for Change, the equivalent of Frome's Ways of Working and Principles rolled into one: [1]

• TTP Manual, date not found, added 14:12, 18 May 2021 (UTC),...see also XR and future democracy, Community involvement UK resources

• Our House, Build a People’s Charter to shape a democracy that works for everyone, added 20:05, 6 May 2026 (UTC)

"Community Charters are rights-based documents which set out things in a local area which residents have agreed to be fundamental to the present and future health of their community, and related rights and responsibilities."...communitychartering.org

The UK's first Community Charter was developed by residents of Falkirk, Scotland, in response to the UK's first application to commercialise unconventional gas. The St Ives Community Charter was launched in 2017. The Community Chartering Network is currently providing support for similar initiatives in North Yorkshire, Dartington, and for communities along the river Dart.

The Community Chartering Network is a UK-wide network with a shared commitment to community empowerment and responsible environmental stewardship. It was set up to explore and establish new models for community engagement and rejuvenation around shared lived experiences of place, and essential rights and responsibilities. Its mission is to support communities who wish to ensure genuinely sustainable local development. In achieving this, its aim is to enable truly resident-led outcomes through collective decision-making approaches which are open, transparent and inclusive, and tailored to specific local objectives, issues, needs and context.

• Community Covenants: Redefining local power in Market Drayton, right-here.org (May 01, 2026) — (date not found)
• How a Welsh village saved its forest … and its future, theguardian.com (Feb 22, 2026)
• Give us a chance and we’ll give you community power, powertochange.org.uk (Apr 10, 2025)
• How might we shift Council Culture so that local governments work with citizens to make places better? New Citizen Project, linkedin.com (Feb 26, 2025)

• Do With, network of people and organisations calling for a radical shift in the public sector from ‘doing to’ to ‘doing with’. "Radical and hopeful change in how public services work with people and communities is urgently needed." added 17:42, 31 January 2025 (UTC)
• We're Right Here, campaign for a Community Power Act, added 14:28, 7 December 2021 (UTC), Petition: sign the letter: actionnetwork.org, added 11:10, 5 July 2025 (UTC)
• Petition for fair voting system for local elections in England and Wales, action.electoral-reform.org.uk, added 11:29, 28 November 2020 (UTC)

Unlock Democracy, campaigns for a more participatory democracy in Britain. It continues to work with and support other organizations such as Local Works on the Sustainable Communities Act. ^W

In the UK, three out of five – 60.3% of the voting population, (Jan 2020) – are unhappy with the functioning of our democracy. In 2005, levels of democratic dissatisfaction in the UK stood at 32.8%, despite the Iraq war...theguardian.com

"The Understanding Society Survey in 2015 showed that only 3% of people in the UK are involved in neighbourhood projects, while nearly 60% agreed, or strongly agreed, that they wanted to work together to improve their neighbourhood." Designing participation systems around people, not institutions, Tessy Britton, Feb 24, 2021...tessybritton.medium.com

See also: XR and future democracy, People's Plan for Nature, Quotes about community action and the power of community, Rural sustainability UK, Towards sustainable economies UK, Urban sustainability UK, Neighbourhood Planning

local information can be found, or shared, via our many UK location pages