Links
Listed below are links to organisations and institutions working on sustainable communities. Other sites providing links to key policy documents and relevant information on subjects related to the project are also provided. These sites will open in new windows and BRASS is not responsible for the content of these sites.
Academy of sustainable communities- the national centre for delivering the skills and knowledge needed to deliver and maintain sustainable communities across the country
Communities and Local Government – sets UK policy on local government, housing, urban regeneration, planning and fire and rescue.
http://www.communities.gov.uk/communities/
http://www.communities.gov.uk/communities/sustainablecommunities/
Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) - UK’s leading research funding and training agency addressing economic and social concerns
ESRC/ASC skills and knowledge for sustainable communities initiative -funds independent, high quality, research and links new thinking, ideas, and knowledge to the development of skills and practice in the sustainable communities field. The focus is on enhancing the skills and knowledge that are needed to create and maintain better places, now and in the future. Other projects funded under this initiative include:
· The Challenge of Learning from what works in the Development of Sustainable Communities: Closing the Skills Gap by Raising Competencies. Dr Mark Deakin, Napier University
· Capacity Building for Sustainable Communities in Contested Space. Dr Frank Gaffikin, Queen's University Belfast.
· Environmental Skills and Knowledge for Sustainable Rural Communities: Problems and Prospects for the Inclusion of Young People. Dr Michael Leyshon, University of Exeter.
· Skills for Managing Spatial Diversity. Dr Brendan Murtagh, Queen's University Belfast.
· Assessing the Practice and Potential of Situated Learning in the Work of Building Sustainable Communities. Dr Ian Smith, University of the West of England.
· Exploring the Role of Schools in the Development of Sustainable Communities. Dr Barry Percy-Smith, University of the West of England.
· Engaging with Rivers in a Period of Uncertainty. Professor Paul Selman, University of Sheffield.
· SAKS: Skills and Knowledge Builder for Sustainable Communities. Ms Ann Hockey, Anglia Ruskin University.
· Developing the Learning Potential of Appraisal in Spatial Planning. Ms Sue Kidd, University of Liverpool.
· Enabling Sustainable Communities: Supporting Effective Skills Development for Current and Future Core Built Environment Professionals. Professor Sarah Sayce, Kingston University.
Local Government Association- voluntary lobbying organisation that promotes better local government.
The Neighbourhood Renewal Unit (NRU) is part of the Dept for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and is responsible for overseeing the Government’s comprehensive neighbourhood renewal strategy. It also oversees and supports local strategic partnerships in the 86 most deprived districts in England.
COMMUNITY GROUPS AND RELATED ASSOCIATIONS
bassac is a national network of multi-purpose community based organisations, dedicated to tackling the causes and effects of poverty, exclusion and discrimination.
Community Alliance: An alliance of three national organisations: bassac, Community Matters, and the Development Trusts Association (DTA). All three organisations share a common vision of sustainable communities and work to promote the role of development trusts and other neighbourhood organisations in service delivery and asset building.
Community Matters is the National Federation for Community Organisations.
The Community Sector Coalition’s mission is to be a credible and authoritative independent voice for the community sector.
The Development Trusts Association is a community-based regeneration network. A chief objective is the promotion and exchange of practitioner skills and experience. They also seek to join with others to attract investment and support for the community enterprise movement
Encams is an environmental charity who campaign directly to the public. They are best known for their ‘Keep Britain Tidy’ campaign.
Federation for Community Development Learning is a UK-wide network for community development training
The Community Development Foundation is a leading source of intelligence, guidance and delivery on community development in England and across the UK. CDF is a non-departmental public body and a registered charity supported by Communities and Local Government (CLG)
Community Development Exchange (CDX) is the UK-wide membership organisation for community development.CDX works to ensure that community development is recognised and supported as a powerful way of tackling inequality and achieving social justice.
RELEVANT DOCUMENTS, POLICIES, AND STUDIES
Action Plan for Community Empowerment: Building on success (2007): brings together the actions that Communities and Local Government is taking to enable more people to play an active role in the decisions that affect their communities; from participatory budgeting and measures to strengthen the role of local councillors, to the empowerment of young people and calls for action through petitions and other forms of participation
The Egan Review: Skills for Sustainable Communities (2004)
EIPRO (Environmental Impact of Products) study (2006): This study supports the development of an EU Integrated Product Policy by clarifying which products that are consumed in the EU have the greatest environmental impacts from a life-cycle perspective.
Place Matters (2007) sets out Communities and Local Government's role in the management of place, including the nature and implications of a place focused approach for the Department
The Sustainable Communities Plan (2003): Sustainable Communities: Building for the Future (Summary, main document and regional action plans)
Securing the Future: UK Government’s sustainable development Strategy (2005)- one of the four key priorities for UK action of ‘sustainable communities’. A key strategy to engage communities in the pursuit of sustainability is ‘Every Action Counts: Together we can Secure the Future’.
