Collaborating with communities

Strong, active and connected communities hold the solutions to many of the challenges we face.

Case studies

Many public sector organisations are asking themselves how they can collaborate with local people effectively and equitably and invest in the conditions that give people the opportunity and means to participate in their own services and communities. We help organisations understand why and how to collaborate with local people and service users, making space for others to exercise power and enable community-led action.

Insights

collaborating with communities

Sep 13th, 2023

Connecting people and places: how local authorities can work across place-based systems to alleviate loneliness

Darrell Gale, Director of Public Health for East Sussex, has just published his annual report ‘Connecting People and Places: Bringing communities together in East Sussex’….

Jan 9th, 2023

Beyond project funding: how can funders nurture healthy systems?

Collaborate has been working with the BSA to help them identify what a healthy system for public engagement with research looks like, and develop a funding programme to support this. This is the first in a series of blogs to share our learning so far.

Nov 8th, 2022

How flooding spurred a rethink of the relationship between citizen and state in Test Valley

In our recent work with Test Valley Council, we found it inspirational to learn about how they’ve developed relationships with local communities and embedded this…

5 min read Oct 17th, 2022

How can funders really shift power to communities? By losing control

Collaborate’s mission and work is focused on helping create a more collaborative and equitable society. In partnership with The Social Change Agency, Collaborate co-convenes the ‘Losing…

Feb 18th, 2022

Building a Collaborative Society: Reflections from Theodora Cadbury, founder of Xenia

In January we published our Manifesto for a Collaborative Society. Here we explore a ‘green shoot’ that helps demonstrate what a collaborative society looks like and…

May 23rd, 2019

Building a Collaborative Society: The power of community

Collaborate has a resolution for 2019: to be bold about the future we want to create. Specifically, what a Collaborative Society could look like, how you…

Feb 6th, 2017

The Critical Role of Community Action in Public Service Reform

Time to get serious, says Annabel Davidson Knight. Last week I was invited to contribute to a Co-operative Neighbourhoods workshop alongside a range of actors…