When communities are given the tools, time and resources to build confidence and capacity locally, they don’t just survive – they thrive. This is one of the clearest lessons from decades of neighbourhood research, and from the direct experience of communities across England that have built capacity to act on their own terms. But what this looks like in practice, especially how residents, groups and local organisations can be best supported to secure the networks, resources and practical routes to transform local priorities into sustained action, is still to be ironed out.
That’s why, in February 2026, practitioners and leaders from local and central government, community organisations, funders, academics and civil society, came together to explore what it might take to put community capacity at the centre of the neighbourhood improvement agenda. Hosted by 3ni and ICON, the consultation began from the recognition that change is more lasting when local people play a genuine leadership role in designing and delivering on plans to improve and transform their neighbourhoods. Across two days in the historic St Georges House, Windsor Castle, participants explored four linked questions: what community capacity building means, how it relates to neighbourhood regeneration, what best or next practice looks like, and what this agenda demands of communities, the state and funders.
This report is a summary of the discussion that took place during the consultation, aiming to reflect the consensus that emerged from sessions rather than the detailed policy positions of all of the organisations that participated. It closes with practical steps for policymakers, practitioners and funders who want to start thinking seriously about community capacity and their contribution towards its development. These include recommendations that:
- National government and programme designers should set clear expectations that neighbourhood programmes involve a meaningful transfer of control and resources to residents and build accountability frameworks that reflect this, and; use the emerging neighbourhood governance and devolution reforms as potential mechanisms for community power.
- Local authorities and public services should use councils’ convening power to build neighbourhood ecosystems, as well as create no-agenda spaces, protect community workers and connectors, and support their staff to work relationally.
- Funders and partners should resource independent community power, particularly in areas without established local organisations, creating funding routes that leave space for new voices, informal groups and smaller associations.
- Communities and local organisations should start with what people care enough about to act on, while protecting space for disagreement, learning and failure as part of genuine local leadership.
Baroness Hilary Armstrong, Chair of ICON, the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods, said:
“I was delighted to participate in the brilliant discussion hosted by 3ni at St George’s House. Alongside leaders from government, civil society, academia and communities, it was clear to see the strong consensus on putting community capacity at the heart of the neighbourhood agenda.
This report is a clear and practical guide for how to achieve just that. I hope it will be as useful to policy makers, funders and community practitioners across the country as it has been to me”.
Cormac Russell, Author of Rekindling Democracy, and co-author of The Connected Community said:
“In a thriving liberal democracy, it’s clear that the power truly belongs to the people. With that in mind, this report emphasises the importance of enabling communities to lead their own neighbourhood improvements, with public services and Third Sector organisations supplementing, not supplanting, community self-determination. By genuinely recognising the neighbourhood as a crucial unit of change, we can foster greater community power, and more equitable public services close to where people live their daily lives.”
Dan Crowe, Director of 3ni said:
“For Pride in Place and the Community Wealth Fund to have a transformational impact in those neighbourhoods that haven’t received their fair share of resources, local residents need to be firmly in the driving seat. Evidence from past placed-based programmes such as Big Local shows how important access to the right sort support can be to building community capacity and leadership, and this report makes the case for this to be a key feature of future regeneration initiatives.”
You can read the report here.