Footwork

We’re delighted to announce the ten innovators joining Footwork’s People and Place programme in 2025! 📣 These groups and individuals represent a growing movement of ambitious community leaders, galvanised by a shared determination to bring about locally-led neighbourhood transformation. In responding to a local challenge or social injustice, each innovator has become a community developer to help achieve their aim. This might mean taking on local assets such as land or vacant buildings for community benefit; it might be tackling barriers around how local people use or own facilities, resources, land and buildings, to unlock lasting positive change for people and place. In Grimsby they are retrofitting homes for local people; in Wigan, they are taking a holistic approach to becoming a self renovating neighbourhood; in Haggerston, London they are bringing premises into community ownership for London’s small businesses.    In the coming year, we look forward to journeying with these inspiring individuals and groups to help tell their story, to identify and overcome challenges and, crucially, to know their own power. Here’s to another year of inspiring community-led neighbourhood transformation! 🔗 follow the link to find out more https://lnkd.in/e_t5ppiw Meet all 10 amazing community innovators 👇 Simon in Stretford James, Marie and Ethan in Attercliffe, Sheffield Alan and Neil in Grimsby Pippa in Whitleigh, Plymouth Krissie and Len in Haggerston, London Amahra in Ladywood, Birmingham Alex in Bicester Leslie and Dhelia and Kilburn, London Paulette in Brent Cross, London Angela and Gill in Wigan

Last month Footwork and Platform Places peers convened in Liverpool City Region to learn from the city’s thriving community-led neighbourhood transformation initiatives. The morning was spent in the Baltic Triangle with Erika Rushton of Kindred LCR and Baltic Creative CIC, who walked us through her journey of revitalising a derelict warehouse into a vibrant space that now nurtures over 180 local enterprises. During the afternoon with Liam Kelly of Make CIC, peers toured their Make Hamilton space. Once an abandoned building, now repurposed into a vibrant community hub offering affordable studio spaces, workshops and event spaces for creatives. Both stories of the successes of community-led transformation, demonstrate the power of grassroots creativity. Peers witnessed firsthand how vision, resilience and community-led action can transform not only neighbourhoods, but lives. To read more, head to the link below 👇 https://lnkd.in/e8tsdRC4 #PeopleandPlace #LocalPropertyPartnerships

✨ An exciting moment for community-led neighbourhood transformation - our friends at Platform Places have launched their Local Property Partnerships Programme 🏘️ Over three years, in five neighbourhoods, local leaders will be facilitated to convene with local stakeholders to shift buildings into long-term local ownership ✨ A significant step for the movement, Footwork are behind you all the way!

Determination, empathy, trust, saying yes, story telling, willingness to share, stubbornness, passion, drum banging, hope and sustained impatience! Just some of the traits of the Mycelium Gang at the design sprint for a peer led Mycelium inspired network for organisations working on community ownership of land and buildings in neighbourhoods across the UK! From Liverpool to Hastings, Coalville to Plymouth on Monday they gathered at Footwork and today they were joined by some of the most forward thinking funders, those prepared to open their minds to new ways of working. Enjoyable two days and proud to represent Coalville in these gatherings of organisations that have been doing it for years! Watch this space... Thanks to Bex from Platform Places and Naomi Rubbra and Ellie Davies for keeping us all on track! and hosting the event! Stour Trust Dr Jess Steele, OBE brian dawe FRSA Hannah Sloggett YorSpace The Lankellychase Foundation Crispin Truman OBE The Rayne Foundation Power to Change The National Lottery Community Fund The Clothworkers' Foundation Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) GOOD ANCESTORS Kiki Mager Meena Bharadwa John Hitchin Matt McKeague Melanie Waters Carrina Gaffney Deana Bamford

⏰ Just one week left to apply to People and Place 2025! ⏰ Are you working on a project in your neighbourhood to ensure... 🏘️ facilities, land and buildings are used and/or owned by local people 📢 local people have a say or can act in how their neighbourhood is being transformed 🧱 local people can gain access to resources such as greener energy, materials or finance so they can live more sustainably and affordably …if so, Footwork’s programme of support may be just what you need People and Place, in the words of programme peers 👇 Reimagining Hillsborough, RivelinCo Based in Hillsborough, People and Place 2024 peers, Emily and Linda are creating a 'neighbourhood arts centre without walls' from their new space on the high street 🗣️ “The mentoring has been a game-changer for us. It's not something we would have been able to afford access to, and [our mentor] is such a good fit. Starting these conversations has inspired quite a radical shift to our programming and the way we work, and with that we are able to more confidently approach funders for the money we need to make it happen.” The Home Makers Project, Yodomo Based in Hackney, People and Place 2023 peer, Sophie is supporting low income families to insulate their homes and reduce household heating costs by providing unused textiles and engaging her community in the making and mending movement 🗣️ “When you're moving at a hundred miles an hour you sometimes forget about strategic thinking and just fire-fight the 'doing' - and this programme really gave me the chance to stop and really think.” 🔗 To find out more visit https://lnkd.in/e9dhJxZh Applications close a week today on Monday 9th September at 11:59pm.

Are you working to… 🧱 ensure local people can gain access to resources such as greener energy, materials or finance so they can live more sustainably and affordably 🔋Over in Walthamstow, Hilary Powell, Daniel Edelstyn and Leonie Rousham (https://lnkd.in/euXXKXqA) are working to turn their street into a power station, by providing free solar panels to homes to reduce bills and collectively reduce carbon emissions - sharing power in all its forms. A stone’s throw away in Hackney, Sophie Rochester, Yodomo is supporting low income families to insulate their homes and reduce household heating costs by providing unused textiles and engaging her community in the making and mending movement. Do these stories of locally-led neighbourhood transformation sound familiar? Then People and Place could be just the support for you. People and Place 2025 applications now open and will close on Monday 9th September at 11:59 ⏰ Find out more and apply here 👉 https://lnkd.in/e9dhJxZh Join us online on Monday 2nd September from 13:00 - 13:30 where together we will discuss what’s included in the programme. To book your spot, head to our Eventbrite 👉 https://lnkd.in/eGtXvdgH  

Are you working to… 📢 help local people have a say in how their neighbourhood is being transformed? 🧩 Over in South Woodford Jo Ashbridge, AzuKo is crafting an active green neighbourhood with a unique, community-led design code. 👥 Over the river the Southwark Planning Network are connecting community groups and residents to engage with planning developments across the borough. (https://lnkd.in/eVyCYsm3) Do these stories of locally-led neighbourhood transformation sound familiar? Then People and Place could be just the support for you. People and Place 2025 applications are now open and will close on Monday 9th September at 11:59pm ⏰ Find out more and apply here 👉 https://lnkd.in/e9dhJxZh Join us online on Monday 2nd September from 13:00 - 13:30 where together we will unpack what’s included in the programme. To book your spot, head to Eventbrite 👉 https://lnkd.in/eGtXvdgH

Are you working to… 🏘️ bring a local building, facility or piece of land into community ownership? 🏠 In York, Laurie Smith and James Neward of YorSpace are bringing a collective ownership model to the city’s housing market, to tackle the rising prices of homes that local incomes can’t accommodate 🏫 In Catford, Sister Midnight are turning a former working men’s club into a thriving community-owned music venue (https://lnkd.in/dqWQE9FE) 🏬 In Coalville, Deana Bamford of Coalville C.A.N is producing a plan on how to get Coalville CAN HQ into full community ownership Do these stories of locally-led neighbourhood transformation sound familiar? Then People and Place could be just the support for you. Join us online on Monday 2nd September from 13:00 - 13:30 where together we will unpack what’s included in the programme. To book your spot, head to Eventbrite 👉 https://lnkd.in/eGtXvdgH People and Place 2025 applications are now open and will close on Monday 9th September at 11:59pm ⏰

Are you working to… 🏘️ bring a local building, facility or piece of land into community ownership? 🏠 In York, Laurie Smith and James Neward of YorSpace are bringing a collective ownership model to the city’s housing market, to tackle the rising prices of homes that local incomes can’t accommodate 🏫 In Catford, Sister Midnight are turning a former working men’s club into a thriving community-owned music venue (https://lnkd.in/dqWQE9FE) 🏬 In Coalville, Deana Bamford of Coalville C.A.N is producing a plan on how to get Coalville CAN HQ into full community ownership Do these stories of locally-led neighbourhood transformation sound familiar? Then People and Place could be just the support for you. Join us online on Monday 2nd September from 13:00 - 13:30 where together we will unpack what’s included in the programme. To book your spot, head to Eventbrite 👉 https://lnkd.in/eGtXvdgH People and Place 2025 applications are now open and will close on Monday 9th September at 11:59pm ⏰

"Just having someone there saying we believe in you, and you can do it, makes such a huge difference when you are tackling challenging and seemingly impossible situations in your place." Community Innovator Considering applying to People and Place 2025? Come along to our lunchtime online session this Friday to find out more 👇 https://lnkd.in/egtJg_XP