Working with councillors is key to local project success

New research shows that community campaigns benefit greatly from the involvement of local councillors.

This new joint publication from bassac and Urban Forum, Local Action: The Handy Guide to Communities Working with Councillors, is full of examples that show that councillor involvement is key to the success of local community projects.

When researching for the guide both organisations were “inundated” with offers of case studies from local community groups. The publication includes examples such as a campaign to save a local nursery in Leicestershire and the creation of a residents’ group to represent local views on planning issues in Southwark, London.

With the government’s Big Society agenda urging people to get involved in their local communities, the Handy Guide looks at how to get local councillors involved in community projects and highlights the benefits that councillors can bring.

It finds that getting councillor support for a community project can greatly improve access to councils, attract publicity to a campaign, introduce valuable contacts, add credibility and help to secure funding. Community organisations have much to gain from taking a proactive approach and being effective participants in community politics.

The research finds that five key elements are required to enhance councillor involvement:

• Early contact, either in a project or soon after a councillor is elected.
• Seeking out councillors rather than waiting for them to notice you.
• Putting aside political affiliation – both the councillor and the community group will want what is best for the area.
• Establishing a clear role for the councillor to play and their level of involvement.
• Building trust and respect between the councillor and the community group.

bassac chief executive, Ben Hughes, said: “This is all about creating a two-way relationship. Our member organisations are rooted in their communities and are a rich resource for local councillors. But these organisations can’t just wait to be consulted. They need to be politically pro-active in their community – approaching local councillors, identifying key issues and explaining what they can offer. Through our Inspiring Democracy programme we are supporting our members to successfully lead community politics in their neighbourhood.”

Urban Forum Head of Policy and Research, Rachel Newton, said: “There has been a great deal of discussion about the ‘Big Society’, and what this could actually look like in reality. The missing piece of this discussion is the role that local councillors working with community groups play. If community organisations and volunteers are to have an even greater part to play in our daily life, then it is essential that they are linked up with councillors elected to represent their area.”

The guide is available from Urban Forum and bassac. Please contact Jo Shardlow jo@bassac.org.uk or Alistair Brown info@urbanforum.org.uk for a copy or download it.