02.12.15
New £500,000 fund for Community Organisers launched
The government has launched a new £500,000 fund to support Community Organisers in helping mobilise residents to create positive change in their local areas.
Twenty seven Community Organisers across England will benefit from the Community Organisers Mobilisation Fund, which will enable communities to shape the future of the places they live and work in.
Backed jointly by the Cabinet Office and DCLG, all of the communities benefiting from the Fund will be supported to use the powers available to them under the Localism Act 2011.
Rob Wilson, minister for Civil Society, said he was delighted that residents across England will benefit from the support of a Community Organiser.
As part of their work, Community Organisers will actively support communities to make the most of community rights, neighbourhood planning and other neighbourhood approaches. Different types of communities from across the country will benefit, whether it be from using the Community Right to Build with residents of Heaton in Newcastle to setting up community owned pubs in Brighton.
The Company of Community Organisers Ltd (COLtd) is managing the initiative on behalf of the Cabinet Office and DCLG.
Minister for local government, Marcus Jones, said it is an exciting opportunity for residents to take greater control of their local assets and planning for the future.
“It will encourage these neighbourhoods to consider how they can influence local decision making, improve local services and help them shape the place where they live,” he added.
Locality chief executive Tony Armstrong said that his organisation have been working very closely with COLtd, the Cabinet Office and the DCLG to bring this fund to fruition.
“We know from running both the Community Organisers and the Community Rights programmes that people care very deeply about issues which affect their local neighbourhoods so we’re delighted community organisers will be able to use this new fund to support people to use their rights under the Localism Act and create positive change in their areas,” he added.