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Peter Kyle MP: It’s time to say thank you this Public Service Day

21.06.19: Taking time to say thank you is one of the hidden pillars of a society. Being on the receiving end of some “thanks” can make communities feel respected, needed, and empowered. And of course, happy! But do we say it often enough? ...

How community-led initiatives can help save the housing shortage

19.06.19: Tom Chance, director at the National Community Land Trust Network, argues that community-led initiatives are a productive way of helping to solve the housing shortage. Collaboration, it is said, is the key to building more homes, designing...

Aberdeen's green transport fleet attracting international attention

19.06.19: Aberdeen City Council’s hydrogen spokesperson, councillor Philip Bell, highlights the Granite City’s determination to play a leading role in the fast-developing hydrogen sector. Aberdeen has enjoyed a rich economic history which...

A fifth of public sector workers have never received a thank you from the people they serve

13.06.19: A fifth of the country’s public sector workers say they have NEVER received a ‘thank you’ for doing their job as Public Service Day approaches. Almost 5.4 million people are employed in the public sector and civil service...

Thurrock Council: A council that gets business, does business and means business

11.06.19: Thurrock Council’s chief executive, Lyn Carpenter, discusses an exciting new £1bn regeneration scheme on the River Thames and its importance in setting the template for high quality, community-driven and infrastructure-led growth. ...

Time to build a truly northern powerhouse

11.06.19: Jack Hunter, a research fellow at think tank IPPR North, discusses how to use the Northern Powerhouse to encourage greater social purpose among businesses in the region – including proposals for a new Northern Powerhouse Community Fund. ...

Broken electoral system creating 'rotten boroughs'

10.06.19: The lack of candidates in recent elections is a worrying trend which impacts on communities and democracy. Willie Sullivan, a senior director at independent campaign organisation the Electoral Reform Society (ERS), provides some solutions which...

Learning our ABCD in Leeds

10.06.19: Mick Ward, chief officer of transformation and innovation, adults and health at Leeds City Council, provides an overview of the innovative ABCD model transforming care services. In Leeds, tackling loneliness, particularly for older people...

Building for the future amidst a growing affordability crisis

03.06.19: Cllr Philip Atkins, housing, infrastructure, and planning spokesman for the County Councils Network (CCN), reveals that county house prices are the most unaffordable in England outside of London. House prices are never far away from the hea...

Integration? Get these two things right first

29.05.19: Dr Charlotte Augst, chief executive of National Voices, a coalition of charities that stands for people being in control of their health and care, details how the integration between health and social care can be made more easily and effectively...

The new Dorset Council: Why we had to make a bold decision

29.05.19: In April, Dorset Council was officialy formed. One new unitary authority replaced six county, district and borough councils. Dorset Council now serves 377,000 people, making it one of the largest unitary authorities in the country. Matt Pro...

The alignment of vocational education and training

29.05.19: How can vocational education and training match workforce skills with the needs of the economy? Senior research fellow at the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) Anna Round reports. The alignment of vocational education and training...

Using the Spending Review to break the cycle

29.05.19: Can government use the Spending Review to get out of the cycle of short-termism, over-optimism, and silo decision-making? Antonia Gracie, audit manager at the National Audit Office, reports. For civil servants across Whitehall, amidst the i...

Cities as places of opportunity

29.04.19: Andrew Carter, chief executive of Centre for Cities, asks: if cities are places of opportunity for the low skilled, why are so many struggling? Those looking for Brexit respite had their prayers briefly answered recently as MPs paused to sc...

Shaping healthy places with district councils

29.04.19: District councils are achieving excellent outcomes by shifting health solutions from clinical settings to community ones. They have a significant role to play in public health and are improving people’s physical and mental wellbeing. Cllr...