Generating

CHANGETo simply inspire. to train and enable. but to guideandsupport, Never to dothingsfor people ondelivery.judged To bedriven bydreams and not anempire. we believe in–butto buildanetwork, To beambitiousfor thework that lives, butthesumof themall. of ouractivities thatchange complex To collaborate, itisn’t because some thatdiminishusall. the inequalities andchallenge enriches oursociety To celebrate thediversity that to butnever teach stop learning. To butthinkglobal, act local voices to beheard. it best andto helpthesmaller experience aproblem understand To appreciate thatthosewho to give aswell asto receive. To thatwe recognise allneed to findsolutionsnot palliatives. To not tacklesymptoms, causes To generate change. Foreword

At the Calouste Gulbenkian Reflecting on the past to prepare for the future This book details a number of Community Foundation, we have a long is a valuable tool. This 40th anniversary allows Links’ national projects. One notable example us a timely occasion to reflect on the journey is its work in the early 1980s on unsafe tower history of supporting community of Community Links, and an opportunity to blocks. The campaign resulted in 144,000 development work, helping to learn from the methods and core principles homes being demolished or made safe. establish the emerging sector in outlined in this book. This emphasises that the horrifying events of June 14th 2017 were predicted decades the 1960s and 1970s by providing At the heart of the organisation remains an ago and underlines the crucial importance some of the necessary funding and unshakeable commitment to local insight. of organisations like Community Links in advocacy. Our work supporting Community Links is a remarkable example of supporting local communities to campaign on an organisation that has a significant national vitally important issues. Community Links was one of our presence, whilst remaining local to Newham, first ventures in this realm. We East London. In part, this has been achieved We are grateful for this unique review of the are pleased to have supported by consistently placing people at the forefront strength and journey of an organisation it at several key stages in its of its work, recognising early on that trust that we have supported, on and off, over 40 is essential to working within a community. years. There are certainly lessons that we development and of the force that This is an ethos that we can all learn from. By will take away regarding how best to nurture it has become within the sector. taking this approach, Community Links has and support initiatives. In particular, its story been able to identify and tackle root causes speaks to the value of taking calculated risks of social issues, rather than symptoms, merely and pushing boundaries. In the first chapter, putting bandages on wounds. David Robinson asks,

The local work in Newham informs the Who would close us down first if “national work” of Community Links; the we tried to do the same today? broader, more political branch of lobbying and “ advocacy work. This dual-action technique This book demonstrates that each decade” has is a consistent reminder that we should not work locally without understanding the wider brought its own trials and unique challenges national context, nor should we try to tackle to Community Links. The current backdrop problems nationally without understanding is continuing austerity and increasing how they play out at the local level. pressure on social organisations with ever- limited resources. More than ever, we need In concluding, David Robinson highlights to remember and speak for the value of a the value of working in partnership; within community-centred approach to development an organisation, within a community, with and problem-solving. In these difficult times, funders, between sectors, even with people Community Links is a voice for community. We that might have an opposing viewpoint or hope that despite or perhaps because of this approach to one’s own. By doing so, we can difficult context, this book inspires you to do connect different perspectives, different skills and support great work. and assets. Partnership is the fundamental tenet of our work at the Calouste Gulbenkian Andrew Barnett Foundation. I would further emphasise Director that there is value to communication and Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (UK Branch) collaboration within our sector. As evident from this book, there are lessons that we can learn from each other, from our histories and different experiences.

02 03 Preface Contents

For four decades now Community Indeed, it was the everyday insights of people Chapter 1, Pages 06 - 13 Links has demonstrated something living in tower blocks in the East End, of people Community Links, Without Borders attempting to move on from the informal David Robinson which ought to be obvious, but economy, of people on the sharp end of often is not. That big national benefits sanctions, which in each case was the Chapter 2, Pages 14 - 27 change is not the exclusive province foundation on which Community Links was The Tower Blocks Campaign able to build both local and national change, Aurora Percannella of Whitehall or Westminster. That and the stories of how that happened are set some of the best ideas can be out in this book. Chapter 3, Pages 28 - 35 found outside of think-tanks and Connecting our neighbourhood action to the Action Match Aurora Percannella universities. And that people who national policy framework was never simply experience problems in our society desirable, but always an imperative. From the Chapter 4, Pages 36 - 43 are usually best placed to produce beginning, the declared intention of Community The Social Enterprise Zone the solutions. Links was to tackle causes not symptoms, find solutions not palliatives. Community Links asked Aurora Percannella the big question, what can be done not just to tackle the problems we see around us, but also Chapter 5, Pages 44 - 53 prevent the problems arising in the first place? Need NOT Greed Our answers, including the concepts of Deep Aurora Percannella Value Relationships, and Early Action, are today influencing public service design, legislative Chapter 6, Pages 54 - 63 change, and funding practice right across the Telling The Stories country. Aurora Percannella

And so, over these four decades, Community Chapter 7, Pages 64 - 79 Links has shown what can be achieved by a The Prime Minister’s Council On Social Action small East London community organisation Aurora Percannella willing to act local but think global. We hope you will enjoy reading this book, and that it will Chapter 8, Pages 80 - 85 encourage and inform your own action. We Are What We Do / Shift Aurora Percannella It will certainly encourage and inform Community Links ourselves as we move Chapter 9, Pages 86 - 95 forward into the next phase of our work, in partnership with Catch22. We will do our The Early Action Taskforce very best to remain true to the spirit of the Aurora Percannella last 40 years: telling stories which resonate Chapter 10, Pages 96 - 110 because they are authentic, never criticising without a solution, never giving praise without The Learning From The Doing a challenge, and always building unlikely David Robinson coalitions of the willing and the brave.

Steve Wyler OBE Chair, Community Links

04 05 Chapter 1

Taking stock Our journey began on a bus

I have no idea how many people, adults and Newham in the late 1970s still had docks but children, we with have worked with over the very little trade. Huge cargo ships were once Community last 40 years, but it would be many tens of tethered three deep on either side of the thousands over many hundreds of thousands Royals – the biggest enclosed docks in the of hours. world. Now the heavy cranes hanging high across the vacant water seldom moved. We have welcomed Prime Ministers, Links, Chancellors and three members of the royal Related industries had thrived for generations in the family, publicly and privately, and some more vicinity but they were relocating quickly or dying than once. a slow death. Only Tate & Lyle found new ways to flourish in an increasingly barren landscape. We have met the bailiffs on various occasions and endured several arson attacks, two major The people remained but regeneration had yet Without fires, a devastating road accident, numerous to begin and unsurprisingly Newham was at burglaries and an armed robbery. the bottom, or very close to the bottom, of all the league tables – high unemployment, low Mostly what we do is one to one or in small educational attainment, poor housing, and groups helping people in east London to dismal prospects. overcome the obstacles in their lives, to thrive Borders independently and to contribute collectively. A group of us, mostly 16- and 17-year-olds, formed around the loose idea that we might do something Sometimes we encounter wider issues, common that was constructive, useful and fun. Kevin was concerns, and we bring people together. We then a local sixth former. He would go on to lead develop practical responses unlimited by our children’s work with enormous skill, dedication geography or a rigid operating model and we and energy for more than four decades. share the solutions further afield. Others were also to remain involved for many This book is a collection of accounts about years. Sandy Davies, for example, the Principal those wider projects. It is not a history of our of Education Links, our now independent organisation. If it were, the principal characters alternative provision free school, was another would be people like Stan Harris and Kevin early member of the group. Jenkins, both part of the founding group and hugely important leaders ever since, Stan as chair We’d heard interesting things about a Play of our trustees for 25 years and Kevin as director Bus in Islington and tried to copy the idea of our children’s and youth work programme. running some events, raising £360 and spending it all on an ageing Routemaster. Even within these narrow confines it isn’t complete; We unscrewed the seats, sold them and there wasn’t space for everything and everyone bought some art materials, knocked in but big birthdays are a time for reviewing the big some benches, a couple of moveable picture and for taking stock. Here, at 40, we look tables and even a used caravan toilet, back, we reflect and we look ahead. although thankfully no one ever used it again. Second-hand games, a stair gate, a sand-pit and dressing up clothes were all donated.

06 CHAPTER 1 _07 Community Links, Without Borders

We were too young to drive, so an By the end of the 1970s we had a permanent That didn’t mean, however, that there was Local and national became the basis of our exceptionally dedicated social worker called base as well as the Bus, a tiny lock-up shop nothing useful to be done beyond the limits of operating model – developing and delivering Mike Lucas, an enthusiastic driving instructor in East Ham, and a sharper sense of purpose: the borough. We talked about how the London first-class services in and with our local called Pat Woods and volunteers from Plaistow “We all need help at some time in our lives, we Hospital just down the road met local needs community whilst also using that experience to Bus Garage were recruited to take the Bus to all have something to contribute. Community day in, day out, but also built out from that help practitioners and influence policy-makers regular sites in holiday times, evenings and Links will work on developing practical new experience to learn more, to research and further afield. Local delivery would always weekends. From here we ran play sessions and ways of tackling our local problems and involve invent and to teach. Here it wasn’t a question occupy more than 90% of our staff team and youth activities typically involving 120 to 140 the whole community in the process.” of whether the hospital was local or national. It the overwhelming majority of our budget, but young people every time. was clearly local and national. The relationship the mix, and the synergy between the two, was At first there was no expectation that any was symbiotic – one fed off the other. to be at the heart of an approach that was Lighting and even an erratic and feeble of this activity would be of interest or value captured in our “Statement of Purpose” and heating system would suck the batteries dry beyond east London but word began to We came to see in our own field that the brave that has underpinned our work ever since. on cold, dark winter afternoons. Thirty 9- and spread, people visited from elsewhere and it pioneering, bottom-up approaches of some 10-year-olds, maybe more, would be needed gradually dawned that some of the learning of the old settlements like Cambridge House, to push start us back to our borrowed home in might be useful to others. Might we aspire to Toynbee Hall or Blackfriars offered more the Council depot. As the engine juddered into be a national organisation? useful inspiration than the top-down national life and the bus wobbled down the road, all 30 charities. Taking risks, developing new ideas cheering children, maybe more, would fall on The question was more philosophical than and spreading them was deep in their DNA. top of one another on the icy tarmac. practical. Most of the organisations that “Fear not to sow because of the birds” ran the we admired at the time and to some extent embroidered maxim above the hearth in the Who would close us down first if we tried to sought to emulate – the Young Volunteer home of Samuel Barnett, Toynbee’s founder, do the same today? Force Foundation (subsequently renamed the more than 100 years ago. Community Development Foundation, recently Somehow the project survived, indeed thrived. wound up), Make Children Happy (also wound Why? Because in essence it worked. Kids up) or CSV (recently renamed Volunteering Statement of purpose came. Parents got involved. Communities Matters) – began with a national purpose and cooperated. Relationships materialised. reached down. Our origins were different, but it wasn’t impossible to imagine that we might To generate change. To tackle causes not symptoms, find solutions not Certainly there was a simplicity about what grow sideways and similarly deposit activities palliatives.“ To recognise that we all need to give as well as to receive and we might now call the “business model” but I in other localities. Policy-makers would now call to appreciate that those who experience a problem understand it best. To don’t think our priorities were wrong. A recent this “scaling up”, and the issue that they wrestle study by the World Bank and others split small with today is the one that we first encountered act local but think global, teach but never stop learning. To distinguish businesses in West Africa into three groups. more than 30 years ago – essentially, how do between the diversity that enriches our society and the inequalities that The first was a control, the second was given you maintain fidelity to a successful model diminish it. To grow – but all to build a network not an empire. To be conventional “business training”, the third under different conditions when results depend driven by dreams, judged on delivery. To never do things for people received “personal initiative” training. The on something as personal and as individual as psychologically stronger group performed human relationships? but to guide and support, to train and enable, to simply inspire. significantly better than the others. We decided that plonking down in Glasgow or ” Likewise we got stronger. Bigger things Birmingham a project that was conceived, honed happened. Community Links had begun. and, in every sense, owned in Canning Town or Custom House probably wouldn’t work and definitely wouldn’t exploit the unique local assets, the distinctive experiences and the special talents which had made the Bus, despite its multiple flaws and inadequacies, a successful exercise in community development.

08 CHAPTER 1 _09 Community Links, Without Borders

Alongside the docks, and of course the excellent As Community Links got bigger, separate staff In the early 1980s, for example, there were two a support group, then a network of support football team, Newham is probably best teams and management forums were needed issues repeatedly presented at our open advice groups, some training and, ultimately, an known for Stratford’s Theatre Royal. Its finely and it was logical to distinguish between the sessions and for which there were no simple advice service run for and by the women. By renovated Victorian façade is now inscribed Local and the National. answers. The first concerned the tower blocks now the initial group had become a separately with the words of its moving spirit, the rebellious – Newham had more than any other housing constituted charity – Apna Ghar – based at and profoundly influential Joan Littlewood: “My A range of titles have been tried over the authority, many of them were overcrowded, Community Links and substantially supported life is built on the rock of change”. years: At first “National” seemed a bit damp or unsafe, and most were unsuitable by the bigger organisation, but run for and by grand for a handful of projects, so we tried places for growing families. the women themselves. At first glance the idea of change as a various permutations of Publications, Policy, permanent underpinning for the life’s work of Development, Consultancy and Research. Guided by the insights of tenants, we developed When the service expanded to include a 24- an individual or an organisation seems almost In the twenty noughties when the work practical services in and around tower blocks hour telephone line it was no longer just used by contradictory, but just as it once drove Joan, programme was bigger than it had ever been but this wasn’t an adequate response when the women who could walk to the Centre. Should it still drives Community Links. “To generate we settled on Links UK. As the team contracted blocks themselves were fundamentally unsound. it then become a national project? One of the change” reads the top line of our Statement. alongside the wider contraction of Community The Newham Tower Blocks Campaign emerged. major sponsors of the work, Barclays Capital, Change in the lives of those with whom we work Links in more recent years we have reverted to As it became evident that demolition was the only were eager to support such a development. They and change in the systems, structures and the Policy moniker, although the brief remains long-term answer, it also became increasingly helped to test out the feasibility and devise a cultures that disadvantage some and not others. wider than this title implies. In this book we will obvious that the government would need to be plan and they even offered a tempting funding describe the work as National because every involved and that tower blocks in other places package, but Apna Ghar decided to stay What is “national work”? project covered here is rooted in east London were equally problematic. The Newham issue local. Its services were nothing if not personal. but has ambitions which extend beyond the couldn’t be fully addressed without a national There were no advantages for the women of The projects which are remembered in this purely local; it is Community Links, work approach, so the National Tower Blocks Network east London in going national, lots of risks and little book are very varied but all are about without borders. was set up. That blocks were then demolished in anyway a service in a distant city would be changing something that could work much Birmingham, Glasgow and Manchester was the better delivered by women who lived there. better to the benefit of us all. Local MP and Importantly, “national work” at Community very welcome consequence but not the objective Thirty-five years on, Apna Ghar, now called former government minister Stephen Timms Links is not another way of saying “public when Community Links set out on this work. Aanchal, has been independent of Community has called this outlook a “restless pursuit”. affairs”. It is not about our producer interests Tragically, that work is now hideously relevant Links for many years. It still thrives with Su (now Sometimes that pursuit has been contentious and not focused on promoting or protecting our again as the inquiry into the Grenfell Tower Su Bhuhi MBE) at the helm, and although no and combative, often willing and collaborative organisation. These are necessary but different disaster begins to unfold. woman is turned away its focus remains on but always rooted in the lived experience of functions. Like our colleagues working on our London and on Newham in particular. Community Links and the people who come local projects, our work without borders is The second issue concerned Asian women through our doors seeking help. focused on delivery and on generating change. who were experiencing domestic violence. It The Tower Blocks Campaign became part of wasn’t that there was necessarily more abuse our national work and features in this book We are not a think tank. We don’t have the Big or small, we have always used the assets in these families than any other, but the Asian (chapter 2) because the issues it addressed expertise of a university or the resources of a around us to respond to the needs on our community here was growing very fast and could not be resolved without looking further big consultancy. We do have, if not uniquely doorstep. Being serious about listening and the existing advice services, including our afield. Aanchal, though equally pioneering, then certainly unusually, the wisdom of learning, about real change, and about own, were not ready to deal with different is not included in this collection because experience topped up every day. It is this involving everybody in the process involves languages and especially different cultural the power to make the change wasn’t precious asset that informs the choices we surrendering fidelity to a fixed typology. expectations. Legal advice about separation somewhere else; it was in the family and make about the issues we pursue and about Sometimes a practical service is the most or court orders was not, initially at least, a very close to home. the ways that we pursue them. effective response, sometimes it’s a campaign, relevant or helpful response. an event, a product. Sometimes it’s a hybrid At first we didn’t have a word for it. The and sometimes (like We Are What We Do) Community Links Advice worker Su Bhuhi National Tower Blocks Network and Action it’s something that defies all the existing began to draw together some of the women Match were just two more projects, alongside categories. Whatever it is, if it reaches beyond who were trapped in abusive relationships children’s play schemes, the Pensioners Group east London we think of it as within the purview but felt entirely dependent on the man, and and the Women’s Advice Service. of this team. especially on the extended family, who largely supported him. These conversations led to

010 CHAPTER 1 _11 Community Links, Without Borders

There are no instructions on the bottom of the action one of its three key priorities at the start 4) Community groups notoriously reinvent. neighbourhoods and engage with young box for this kind of work. The projects in our of 2017, it opened up important opportunities for Henry Ford didn’t use a faithful facsimile people” (Guardian, 25/11/11). That very clearly national portfolio have been pieced together Community Links and for our service users. Big of the first wheel on the Model T but nor was an exaggeration (!) but we have tried to from the available assets. They look different Society Capital and the City Bridge Trust are the did he need to reinvent the concept. test and learn and “write as we go”, sharing and the theories of change have all been latest major funders to adopt a similar focus. A Principles travel, lessons can be adapted, experience good and bad in the belief that individual, but a set of common core principles further 60-plus funders are now in membership protocols can be taught and ideas can reflection and dissemination at the very least has remained consistent over time: of the Early Action Funders Alliance which we be shared. As we sought to learn from informs internal review and at best inspires started in 2015. others we realised that we also had and drives wider change. The common core learning to share and that there was This huge expansion in independent funding for benefit for everyone, including ourselves, As Community Links approaches its 40th early action, like many other policy changes in aggregating knowledge. Publications birthday this publication is the next contribution Essentially all our national work … that have started here, works well for our and events became another important to that canon but it emphatically is not a community and it improves lives across the part of our national work, with leading complete history of Community Links. It is a 1) Starts with local insight. UK. The benefit is everywhere and not least for projects like the Ideas Annuals or Chain telling of stories about some of our projects 2) Is shaped in response to local needs and funders who recognise two bangs for their buck: Reaction or, most recently, the Gallery with national reach – a small proportion assets – form follows function. of Case Studies which is being compiled of what we do and have done – in vaguely 3) Seeks to generate a change that will by the Early Action Task Force. In all this chronological order and as recalled by some benefit our community. Community Links always seek to work we don’t claim that every featured who were there at the time. The recollections 4) Goes wherever it may take us, invariably maximise the return for beneficiaries idea is brand new, ours or anybody have been compiled by Aurora Percannella. Her outside of our own organisation and “ and funders, and the insights from else’s. Nor do we say that these are the work was funded by a grant from the Calouste outside of east London. only examples or even the best ones. We Gulbenkian Foundation. In the final chapter I 5) Supports progress everywhere but their work have an impact both in just say, “here is a useful story; we’ve offer some headline observations on the lessons always expects to feel the impact where their community and across the UK learnt from it; we think you might too. we have learnt. the job began. … we are constantly impressed Now tell us yours.” Way back in 1978 the Trust for London, then These principles have played out in many forms: said Dawn Austwick, Chief Executive, Big” This book called the City Parochial Foundation, boldly Lottery Fund in March 2017. pledged to pay the rent on our first little shop. 1) As we learnt with the tower blocks work, So committed were they, but so uncertain government action, local or national, is Attribution is difficult. We have tried to neither 2) Sometimes the necessary outcome isn’t of our future, that we agreed an unusual sometimes essential. Recent and current over claim nor under claim for achievements about policy, but a new service or even arrangement: The grant would be released work on benefit sanctions is another in this book. Every chapter is built around the a new product. We Are What We Do, for quarterly on receipt of a dated, signed three- clear example. Community Links advisers comments of others, so hopefully there is at example, began from considering how word note printed on headed paper: cannot prevent the distress and destitution volunteering had changed at Community least a measure of objectivity but in the end caused by the random and unjust Links over our first 25 years. Those insights these are personal judgements. I don’t think it application of benefit sanctions without led us into behavioural change and the is ever possible in our kind of work to say that We’re still here changing the policy, but relevant policies product-focused approach of what we, and we alone, achieved a certain outcome. don’t all reside in government so sometimes ultimately became Shift. I do think it should be possible to say that “Forty years on we’re still” “still here”. our policy fire must be directed elsewhere. without our contribution, maybe alongside Much has changed around us, but 3) Occasionally, the local insights from our others more or less important, but without our many of the issues that we were In 2013 we noted that we could only manage the day-to-day activity haven’t been about contribution it would not have happened, or founded to address continue to queue for our advice services by reducing need, individual problems. Action Match, for at least would not have happened when it did impoverish lives across the UK. As but we could not divert resources into prevention instance, began from the experience or how it did. We don’t need to know that our long as the cause endures, this book without abandoning the most desperate. We of raising funding for our front-line work is unique, and it shouldn’t be exclusive, is less a reminiscence, more a call concluded that we couldn’t resolve this dilemma services, and the Early Action Task Force but we do need to know that it matters. to arms. We hope it’s useful. without persuading major independent funders (EATF) from thinking about an operating to provide additional funding for earlier action. environment that so often obstructs rather Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger once said, This became a major focus for our work. When than supports the preventative approach “the legendary Community Links wrote the Big Lottery Fund agreed and made early that is so important to Community Links. the book on how to regenerate deprived

12 CHAPTER 1 _13 Chapter 2

We could start this book in lots And with this expansion, Community Links’ of different places. Projects ran vision broadened. If, at first, the main purpose of the initiative was to provide services for concurrently. Some led to others. Some tower block residents, new priorities emerged. The Tower took off in a direction of their own. The campaign had to mean more than the We’ve chosen two pieces of work – the immediate satisfaction of a multitude of individual interests. Of course, cockroach Tower Blocks Campaign and Action infestations had to be eliminated, derelict Match – because they were the first community rooms had to be renovated projects to have a real significance and put to use again, safe play areas for Blocks children had to be introduced, but wider outside of east London and because policy changes were needed too, be it at the although they were underpinned by local or national level. Relevant institutions the same values and the same sense had to provide remedies for the failures of purpose, they could not have been caused by the post-war wave of cheap Campaign housing construction: they had to invest in more different in style and content. strengthening existing blocks and commit to building humane, structurally sound estates. The Tower Blocks Campaign was the earliest Growing out of the need to find practical example of Community Links’ willingness responses to local concerns in a collaborative manner, the campaign adapted flexibly [Following the collapse of Ronan Point, Our promise [is] to make the demolition of and desire to engage with the broader policy as it was exposed to new challenges, gaps residents of the Beckton clearance area Ronan Point open to public scrutiny at all implications arising from its local action. and perspectives, ultimately engaging with launched a] petition [which] stated “under times; so any lessons to be learned could systemic issues to try and shift mainstream present conditions we will flatly refuse to be revealed to the world for the benefit of Although initially involving only the tenants of political thinking. leave our present [Victorian] slums to enter future house building and the quality of the high-rise estates on which the organisation modern slums” (i.e. newly built tower blocks), life for future generations, which has been was offering individual advice services in the In order to fully convey the organic evolution to which a letter from the Town Clerk replied, denied [to] those that lived and died in this 1980s, the initiative grew quickly; soon, it came to of the movement, why it was significant and “whether the blocks become slums or not will monument to human frailty. include the wider, crowded network of Newham the role of catalyst played by Community depend on the people who live in them”. tower block residents who could no longer Links, this chapter narrates in some detail the (Fred Jones, Leader of the Council of Newham, bear their living conditions and wished to fight story of the tower blocks through the eyes (Patrick Dunleavy, “Ronan Point: Crisis of speaking at the technical presentation of the for fairer social housing solutions. Cockroach and voices of some of the people involved legitimation”, in The Politics of Mass Housing in dismantling of Ronan Point, 2 October 1986) infestations, lack of safe spaces for children to in the campaign. The story begins in 1968, Britain, 1945–1975, p.244) play, derelict community rooms and the resulting feeling of being forgotten by formal institutions approximately nine years before the birth of Community Links, with the collapse of I wish to highlight the fact that [tower blocks had all contributed to exacerbating the social Ronan Point. are] not only a London problem. [They isolation felt by tower block tenants, motivating are] a national problem and, indeed, an many to ask Community Links for support in international one. Outside Paris there is a developing a comprehensive campaign. district called Sarcelles which has had the tower block problem for some years. There is Once started, the action didn’t exhaust itself at a new disease in France now called malade the borough level. Fuelled by Community Links’ Sarcelles, which is mental disturbance ability to bring together a powerful network caused through living in tower blocks. of local knowledge, journalists, architects, councillors, government officials and high- (Mr Tony Durant, MP for Reading North, 24 rise tenants experiencing similar problems, it May 1974) gradually extended to other parts of London and cities across the UK.

14 CHAPTER 2 _15 The Tower Blocks Campaign

Think how you pump a bicycle… “Ronan Point was like a symbol for everything that Community Links was soon approached by playschemes, we supported people in a whole was wrong”, concludes Sam. But it would be a one of April Merrin’s friends, Sue McDowell, range of ways, as well as campaigning.” “It was 5.45am on a late spring day in 1968 ” further 13 years before the start of the campaign who wanted Newham tower block tenants In particular, the charity established a when Ivy Hodge struck a match to light the which would eventually lead to its demolition. to organise. She asked for help in setting up community room within Gannon Point, one stove for her morning cup of tea. She had just a campaign. Pulling together the feedback of the blocks on the Freemasons estate – to moved into a flat on the 18th floor of Ronan April Merrin and Sue McDowell from the survey and the desire for change and which Ronan Point also belonged. “This led to Point, a 22-storey tower block on Butchers working with a group of April’s neighbours who a breakthrough in our work there”, explains Road in Newham that had been completed In the early 1980s, Frances Clarke was running wished to fight against the misery of high-rise Frances. “We had identified the high-rise and handed over to the Council a couple of a variety of projects across different Newham living, Community Links was able to assist estate as one of the worst in Newham as months prior, on 11 March 1968. Three weeks estates from the Community Links’ double- tenants with planning coordinated meetings virtually everyone wanted to move out.” after the first tenants had moved in almost decker bus. “We were providing different on both estates. “About 50 people came to all flats were occupied. As the woman lit up services, including advice on benefits, debt, and each meeting. At that time, it was certainly far By the beginning of 1982 the campaign the match, a sudden explosion occurred. This immigration. Because Newham had built so many more than we’d expected”, reflects Frances. involved four estates; each had its own board, caused an entire corner of the brand new tower blocks – 114 – they seemed like the ideal The Newham Tower Block Tenants Campaign and representatives from these met regularly high-rise building to collapse progressively, places to work. We’d just park up on the estate (NTBTC) was born. in a borough-wide committee. Borough-wide like a house of cards. Ivy Hodge miraculously and offer advice – this was a way of finding out campaigns were organised to draw attention survived, but five people were killed and 17 what the issues were”, explains Frances. Through Once we realised that this was to particular problems: for instance, heating these encounters and conversations, unexpected days, cockroach days and a children’s week injured that day, as some of the load-bearing really going somewhere, we applied walls of her apartment were blown out and challenges that were specific to this form of “ of action (after a toddler fell from a balcony). could no longer support the structure housing started to emerge. for funding from the GLC [Greater Participation was high because the issues (http://www.newhamstory.com/node/1061). London Council]. They agreed touched upon were experienced across the “We went to a high-rise estate in Plaistow, the and we employed a tower blocks borough and beyond. Ultimately, it was that Brooks estate. We expected that the people would sense of isolation that seemed to accompany The inquiry that followed established that – campaign worker far from being unpredictable or particularly come to us and talk about benefits or debt, on the every instance of low-quality, high-rise living violent – the blast could have caused one of basis of our general Community Links experience, that Community Links and the Campaign were but actually what came was a whole range of says Frances, noting also” “how different it attempting to tackle head on. the load-bearing walls to fail at an internal was back then”, when it was possible to get pressure of 1.4 lb per square inch. To put this housing problems, like cockroach infestations mainstream funding for grassroots work which, figure into perspective, Sam Webb, the architect or water coming up out of the drain or out of In order to amplify the voices of tower block due to its very nature, would probably fail who dedicated his career to fighting for the the toilet. At times water was not running at all, residents, the Campaign worked closely with the to pass the now rigid thresholds that define demolition of Ronan Point, says: “Think how you or there was damp and mould. Security was a media. “We kept them fully involved in all our measurable impact. “Mandy Wilson, our newly pump a bicycle tyre – you would need anything big issue too, as the front door was just like an activities – Hugh Muir [now of the Guardian] in appointed campaign worker, was a brilliant in between 50 and 500 lb per square inch.” internal door and somebody could easily kick it particular. He was a reporter for the Newham open”, remembers Frances. “So we decided to do asset and hugely increased our capacity in Recorder at the time. He managed to sell ways that we would not have imagined when After the inquiry reported, the government a survey. We door- knocked every flat and asked that local story to a national newspaper”, we first applied for the money.” ordered councils to turn the gas off in all the people about their issues.” says Frances. “By constantly approaching similar tower blocks throughout the country. journalists, the people involved in the In April 1981, 13 years after the collapse of “The Campaign was a mix of community Campaign came to be regarded as the Ronan Point, April Merrin, a young woman who activities, bringing people together and sources to speak to when opinions were These buildings were built like lived in one of the blocks on the Carpenters supporting them”, continues Frances. “When sought.” As part of this strategy, on 7 castles of cards estate in Stratford, committed suicide after the architects had envisaged these new November 1983 Frances published an “ trying desperately to obtain a housing communities, they had developed community article in the Guardian in which she notes the architect. Once” flats in Ronan Point transfer. She had, Frances says, told “social flats for spontaneously organised community voiced the concerns and demands were fitted with electric cookers and gas was services, housing and the local papers, over activities. But they weren’t working, as people of the NTBTC for the newspaper’s disconnected, tenants were told that their and over again, that she could not bear life on were isolated, conditions were awful and these national audience. The story homes were now safe and they could move the 21st floor. She used to go to the housing spaces were derelict. So we campaigned for caught, once again, the attention back (http://www.community-links.org/linksuk/ department every day.” permission to lease several of these rooms and of architect Sam Webb. wp-content/PDF/RonanPoint.pdf). we got a couple of them to reopen. We ran a bulk-buying food club, bingo and summer

16 CHAPTER 2 _17 The Tower Blocks Campaign

“I came across the article in Autumn 83”, partners. The legacy of that is why we are here Working with these residents, Community Links The existence of these gaps means remembers Sam. “Frances was announcing a today”, said Sam at the conference. The UK and a team of students, Sam surveyed 50 flats that the blocks no longer comply National Tower Blocks Conference. I phoned had invested heavily in systems constructed and the main staircase. Here, he found cracks in her up and said, ‘I’ve done all this research on out of prefabricated panels that could be the panels. “The lower I got, the worse the cracks with Fire Regulations. Ronan Point, They invited me to speak at the assembled quickly, without employing skilled were. In my opinion, this was because the block The regulations assume that” “you are safe conference.” labour and which could save space if piled up was swaying in the wind.” In one flat, he tried to put into high-rise buildings. “Ronan Point was just a 10p coin up against the wall and let it slide down. inside your house for an hour”, explains Turning points one example of the Larsen-Nielsen system of “It disappeared. We went downstairs and we could Frances. “So the fire brigade expect they have construction which was used very widely in see it coming out of the ceiling in the flat below.” one hour to get people out. But as those flats the 60s and 70s by Taylor Woodrow-Anglian.” were not properly sealed units we guessed that The conference was held on Sunday, 23 This system was developed in Denmark in the Cllr Fred Jones, the then Chair of Newham’s they would not contain the flames for anything October 1982. It was a turning point for 1940s. It is “composed of precast concrete Housing Committee, agreed to take the findings like that length of time.” the Campaign, which was now starting to components designed to minimize on-site to a special meeting of the Housing Committee gather national momentum. “A lot of people construction work. Walls, floors and stairways on 27 April 1984. “One hundred and thirty tenants Sam remembers standing outside Ronan Point came, from all over the country”, remembers are all precast and all units are load bearing.” packed into the meeting”, recalls Frances. “Far during the fire test and watching the flat burn, Sam. “Far more than we’d expected”, agrees This means that some of the walls on each too many for the public gallery to accommodate. supposedly in a controlled manner. Within 10 Frances. “So many that we had to bus floor support those directly above and if the The overspill forced their way into the Council minutes it was evident that the third floor unit people out to other venues for the break-out wall panels of one of the units fail – as it was Chamber and sat with the councillors. Many more used for the test could not contain the blaze. sessions. We had Members of Parliament, the case with Ronan Point after the explosion – gathered outside. The pressure was enormous.” The fire brigade had to intervene immediately. councillors, engineers, architects, housing the entire structure will progressively collapse. If they hadn’t, the whole block would have people”, continues Sam, “and lots of radio The meeting unanimously agreed that Ronan burnt down or collapsed. and TV coverage.” In the UK this structural frailty was exacerbated Point should be evacuated immediately. This by reckless interpretations of space maximisation was a great leap forward, but the Campaign It was at that point that Sam Webb introduced We were embedded in the and cost-effectiveness. According to the designers didn’t end there. to the public the idea that, besides being community of the Larsen-Nielsen system, only buildings of “ undesirable, grim and isolating, many of the up to four storeys were robust enough to prevent With Ronan Point now empty, NTBC continued to tower blocks that were frantically built to This was irrefutable” proof. Ronan Point was never disproportionate collapse without additional put pressure on the local council to perform tests respond to the post-war housing crisis were occupied again and was eventually demolished reinforcement. But unlike their Danish counterparts, which would further corroborate the evidence also structurally unstable. Analysing the Ronan in 1986, together with its eight sister blocks on the joints of the far higher Ronan Point and the found by the architect. Ronan Point was handed Point tragedy from an entirely new perspective, the Freemasons estate. Liz Lowe, Social Work other 22-storey tower blocks of similar design over to the Building Research Establishment who Sam wrote in his conference notes: Team Leader, recalls, “over a thousand families, “were only nominally reinforced and could not pledged to “test it to destruction”. The decisive representing four to five thousand people resist collapse”, writes Sam in his notes. “Bags, step was a fire test carried out in the summer were rehoused within the Borough within a After the Ivy Hodge’s incident, polystyrene, cardboard, wood, cigarette ends and of 1984. “If that 10p coin had been fire”, Sam short period, some permanently and some gas became the major culprit tin cans” were found tucked in the joints instead of had told the tenants, “it would have spread placed temporarily but all with the option “ cement. When the final tests on Ronan Point were down the building, through the gaps, and would and the scapegoat. In fact this of returning. Newham Council set up the carried out before its demolition three years later, have gone from tenancy to tenancy.” The South Canning Town and Custom House was a red herring. It didn’t matter Sam was astonished at “the sheer scale of bad Housing Committee, in its report announcing the Project to support local tenants in the what caused the explosion. The workmanship”; “not a single joint was correct”. evacuation of Ronan Point, had similarly written: process of emptying the blocks and then structural principle on which Ronan redesigning the area once the blocks During the conference, a couple of Ronan Point were demolished. The Council seconded Point was built was unsound. tenants mentioned that they could smell the Dust, noise, etc. can travel from one flat to those above and below a senior officer to this Project from food being cooked many floors below and hear “ every council department and opened But how could that be and what did that” mean televisions and people talking. In conversation through these gaps. In the event of a dedicated local drop-in office in an for the other blocks built to a similar design? with them, the architect mentioned that he a fire in one flat, smoke and fumes empty school caretaker’s house in believed that this indicated that “there were Freemasons Road.” “In the 1950s and 60s ... this country achieved gaps between walls and floors through which might be communicated in the its building output at 75% of the cost of its EEC smoke would pass”. same way....

18 CHAPTER 2 _19 The Tower Blocks Campaign

The nine grim, tall high-rise buildings were organisations, this means being rooted in major triumph, not just for the tenants from According to Frances, “Strong evidence replaced with terraced housing. “Shaped by the the communities that you are attempting Canning Town but those from all over London is really important in getting people to tenants a local plan was developed and consulted to engage with. “If you’re not”, continues who were there that day.” understand your case and to form a good on. This community consultation process resulted Frances, “you come up with all sorts of strange relationship with you … That’s why the in a low-rise estate into which displaced tenants conclusions. Policy-makers could have an idea “It was the first time I saw involvement on Campaign ensured that press, radio and could be rehoused, with a range of services and implement a project at a rather elevated that scale”, observes Frances, as she notes, television were constantly involved. We hand including: leisure, family and under-fives and level, but if it isn’t rooted in the community, it too, how many of those who took part in the delivered frequent press releases, running community health”, says Liz Lowe. doesn’t have much relevance.” campaign gained confidence and went on down Fleet Street (there was no email in to be more active in the community. “Later those days!) making personal contact and The tenants’ Campaign and Community “We were embedded in the community, we on, I saw the names of people who had been tipping off journalists just enough to keep Links had achieved their goal – safe, socially weren’t political agitators who’d come in involved in the tower blocks listed as members them engaged, but not too much either, so adequate housing for every resident. Experts from outside and were trying to get people of parent-teacher associations, health panels that the tenants group wouldn’t accidentally played a part but it was the scale of the tenant to follow a line”, explains Frances. Talking and governing bodies … Because of how lose ownership over their demands and, involvement and the mobilisation of the people specifically about the Campaign, Sam the Campaign was organised in those little consequently, weaken their negotiating voice.” who had experienced the problem first-hand notes how they “could involve people very committees, people became familiar with how that eventually delivered a just outcome 18 quickly because they trusted us, because governing bodies work. Many people played a Importantly, the campaigners included various years after Ronan Point first made the news. we ran a whole range of projects; we weren’t part – friendly experts, politicians, journalists contacts on press releases: there were tenants, just a campaigning group.” In this sense, – but it was the drive, the determination, the community workers, architects and Housing Tower block tenants had often been dismissed Community Links was able to act as catalyst, deep understanding of Sue, the other leaders Chair, Fred Jones. “This enabled us to appear as apathetic, but Community Links showed listening to the issues of tower block residents, and their neighbours, that carried the day. reasonable and confident of our argument”, that this disempowering rhetoric was encouraging them to take action, enabling Nearly 1,000 families actively participated.” reports Frances. “We succeeded in convincing inaccurate as the vast majority of Freemasons the formation of a powerful web of key people the media of the credibility of our claims and estate residents recognised that this was and successfully channelling the voices of a Stephen Timms, the current Labour MP for developed many productive relationships. their opportunity to improve their lives. “We previously disempowered community. East Ham who at the time was a young Over the months, members of the press and TV leafleted and door knocked to explain the member of Newham’s Housing Committee interviewers came to know the issues as well as situation”, said Frances. “The loud hailer and an ally of the Campaign, doesn’t we did. Many came to identify with us and, I became our most prized possession. Door I think we changed people’s lives. believe that tower blocks would have been think secretly, to support our case.” knocking and loud hailing for several hours We“ contributed to giving tenants questioned, tested and then demolished if prior to every meeting became the set immense self-confidence Community Links hadn’t worked so hard to Hugh Muir is now Associate Editor at the pattern.” And this simple, grassroots approach apply community-wide pressure on officials. Guardian, but at the time he worked for worked. “We had meetings where hundreds reflects Sam. “I’m thinking of tenants’” leader “The issue would have just been dismissed, I the Newham Recorder. He remembers that of people came”, remembers Sam. Many were Sue McDowell, for example. Just after Ronan think, as it had been before. Community Links “back in the 1980s, it was simply impossible outdoors because the community rooms were Point was evacuated, we were invited to a was able to bring people together, provide to predict the rise of social media or the too small to contain them. Block and borough- big housing conference at Kensington Town a forum for people.” And the organisation’s sophisticated public relations that drives wide meetings, tenants’ petitions, lobbying of Hall. I was asked to be the keynote speaker. ability to develop a diverse network of experts social campaigns today. But it was the Housing Committee and high attendance I said Sue should do it. She protested and and tenants made waves locally, nationally important then as now to engage the in Council meetings became increasingly said she had never spoken in public before and even globally. public, to humanise advocacy in a way ordinary phenomena. and wouldn’t know what to say. So I said that can engage and move the public. she should tell them about how she became They can design them, they can The Newham Tower Block Tenants Campaign clearly understood that. This showed the power of involved with the campaign, what it was like build them, they can pay for them, local people living in a tower block – not just for her, but “ “ for her friends and especially the children. As but nobody will ever know what she spoke, you could have heard a pin drop. a tower block is like until they’ve Frances reflects” now, 32 years later. “It was a campaign led by the local community. People were visibly moved by what she said. actually lived in one It showed that people are absolutely not She realised, as she was speaking, that what apathetic; you just need to offer them she was saying was important. You could ” an opportunity that works for them.” For see her grow in stature. She changed after that and it rubbed off on everyone. It was a

20 CHAPTER 2 _21 The Tower Blocks Campaign

“There was a notable trajectory. Stories might ‘The Blockbusters’ – the Newham Tower Block support and creating change locally; it was also to gather and share tower block information begin with me or my colleague Pat Coughtrey Tenants’ Campaign. This is the story of their tackling a national and indeed global issue. nationally. A series of National Tower Blocks in the Newham Recorder. I passed many of constant fight against the misery and terror of Directories were produced, sponsored by the the stronger ones up the line to Thames News, tower block life – and the lessons they learnt in Community Links’ decision to organise a National Gulbenkian Foundation and produced by then the ITV news programme for London. the process.” Tower Blocks Conference in the midst of the local Community Links. They were divided into two Some were fed to national papers. Some were campaign was motivated by some of this growing sections: the first part included an alphabetical human interest stories. Others, informed by long Looking back, “I think the biggest achievement awareness. The intention behind the event was list of the main organisations involved in conversations with the ever knowledgeable, is that we probably changed people’s attitudes”, to “draw attention to the social and structural tower block issues, both landlords and tenant always accommodating architect Sam sums up Sam, particularly by engaging with problems of Britain’s tower block homes, to share organisations. The second part featured DIY, Webb, dealt with wider structural concerns. the media and “putting the issue on national information about local activities and to consider community-based examples of good practice One in particular gained media traction. On television. I think what we did do was piece it all ways of building on these experiences”, Frances that could inspire new ways of tackling examination, a load-bearing joint from the together in an explainable way, so we always had explains. Community Links had understood that common problems, from forming and training refurbished Ronan Point was found to have been the advantage because people would understand the group’s action could potentially bring about tenants’ co-ops to eliminating cockroach stuffed with an old copy of the Daily Mirror. what we were saying. We became reliable, trusted broader change, and although it could then infestations to building community gardens and sources of information. People would call from all hardly hope to influence governmental policy on play areas in council estates, as well as wider “The story of Ronan Point and the Freemasons over the country to ask questions.” its own, it could instead attempt to “build links”, or reflections on tower block living. estate highlighted many things about the establish a network of key knowledge and people relationship between the media and government, that would help them do so. “We hope that this publication will enable local about local journalism and the link it should have These problems will only be groups, professionals and decision makers to solved by increased spending on to communities, about political accountability. It “ Of course, at the time, the organisation’s learn from the experiences of one another and changed lives. It may have saved some. humane housing vision wasn’t as linear as the narrative we can to work together in improving the quality of compose with the benefit of hindsight. Much of life for high-rise tenants everywhere”, declared But most of all it showed By sharing information” about this local work the organisation’s action during the Campaign Frances in the introduction. To ensure that the Community Links had found a deep gap in was moved by this sense of possibility, together National Tower Blocks Network would continue how ordinary people – focused, “ housing policy that no newspaper was talking with a stubborn determination to keep up the to grow and consolidate after the conference, informed; determined and about, no organisation was engaging with and momentum gained around these issues. For the Campaign also launched a national strategic – really can seek and no policy-maker was promising to remedy. The this reason, while some of these initiatives were quarterly newsletter, The View. issues experienced by Newham tower block achieve momentous change. developed consciously and strategically, others residents weren’t unique to this portion of east happened on a more spontaneous level, and it This local victory is to be used to London; thousands of other tenants across the would be difficult to accurately disentangle the On 22 November 1984, BBC Two produced” full effect country lived in similar conditions. two. What’s interesting, however, looking back, a 30-minute TV programme called The “ is noticing how these elements interacted and Blockbusters in collaboration with the tenants, ” “Pursuing this to its logical conclusion”, writes shaped the story of the Campaign. Since the “When we started compiling the Directories, who wrote large parts of it and suggested the Frances, “we then sought to draw attention to network evolved out of people’s lived experience, I visited cities all over the place and title. The accompanying tagline was: “They the inadequacy of resources which had created it was primarily pushed by pragmatic concerns, found similarities”, remembers Frances. can design them, they can build them, they many of the problems in the first place. ... These not necessarily by a conscious desire to develop “In Waltham Forest,” declared the can pay for them, but nobody will ever know could only be solved by greatly increased these into something more. Community Links’ Campaign in a press release dated 26 what a tower block is like until they’ve actually spending on sound, humane housing.” The unique contribution lay in the audacity and September 1986, “there are 22-storey lived in one.” On the day, the programme’s Campaign had ultimately grasped and flexibility it lent to the project, broadening what blocks of flats with a gas supply. synopsis included in the TV listings announced: embraced the national dimension of the issues was originally a narrow perspective then actively They do not meet the minimum “Housing authorities can no longer paper over it was trying to tackle. Until then, Community gathering awareness, learning and deliberately requirements for structure laid down the cracks of the 60s social disaster, system- Links and the tenants had mainly engaged pushing initiatives one step further, always for gas. Other high system blocks built tower blocks that are literally splitting at with the national level as a necessary step to lacking the certainty that something would be with gas have been found in the seams. Setting an alarming precedent, east bring about change for the local patch. By achieved but always determined to try. Camden, Glasgow and Sheffield. London’s Newham Council has ordered the continuing to involve the people of Newham Not one of them could stand a total evacuation of tenants from a nine-block while also reaching out to tenants everywhere, The National Tower Blocks Network, launched gas explosion.” estate [the Freemasons estate]. It’s a victory for Community Links was no longer merely offering at the conference in October 1983, would go on reason – but only after concerted pressure from

22 CHAPTER 2 _23 The Tower Blocks Campaign

Many local authorities didn’t have the drawings something was missing from such standards, Everybody’s contribution They had understood lived experience, observed of their tower blocks, mostly because the licence and the term “disproportionate collapse” finally the system in its entirety and identified what counted agreement between Danish company Larsen found its way into global building regulations; “ needed to change. The Campaign “illustrated & Nielsen and Taylor Woodrow-Anglian, which the notion, that is, that even if a structure the link between local and the national: that Sam emphasises” that Community Links’ had built many of the large-panel systems in suffers local damage, the system as a whole there’s no point in working at one level and not the UK, provided for all “methods and practices, should be able to sustain it and remain stable, approach was, above all, collaborative. Wherever the other”, reflects Frances. documents, drawings and information concerning to avoid a repeat of the phenomenon that possible it sought to build a willing coalition, construction and prefabrication to be kept secret”. caused Ronan Point to crumble on an early but there were too many vested interests to When councils did have access to drawings, spring morning almost 50 years ago. imagine that this would always be possible. That’s certainly something that following Ronan Point, it was impossible to predict The Campaign was merciless in its pursuit of Community Links has always tried public officials; some would say it went too far. “ whether the highest standards of construction to do and that’s what we did then. had been respected in assembling the buildings Newham used to be a hotbed of Sometimes meetings were very angry. “Poverty on site. “The repercussions of our action were Masonry brutalises”, said Frances. “If you ignore people We helped people to realise they “ for many years and treat them badly it is huge nationally”, notes Frances. “We shared can have some impact, that they information, organised training events about The Campaign” also left its mark on local unsurprising that working together, patiently and can influence things. structural defects and other people started to institutions. “We formed an alliance with tolerantly, can sometimes be a struggle.” get funding to do tower blocks work. When the the people who wanted a change”, reflects ” Community Links had just started to grasp government became aware of the issue, they Sam. Frances explains: “Newham council was Others, not involved in the Campaign, began the unique space it could occupy. Deeply started surveying large-panel system blocks, dominated by Freemasons whose decisions to feel that their needs were ignored. Families in touch with the local reality and directly and those blocks would either be strengthened at the time lacked both transparency and who had been on council waiting lists for a exposed to the issues experienced by the local or demolished.” accountability.” Indeed the Independent noted long time, many “temporarily” housed in very population through its community services, the that it was “a hotbed of masonry”. low-grade bed and breakfast hotels, started organisation had now found a way to make This eventually persuaded the government to complain to Community Links that they the ripples of change it created travel beyond to instruct the Building Research The name of the Freemasons estate to which would cheerfully trade in their place in grim Newham. Engaging with the tenants pushed Establishment to survey 144,000 flats Ronan Point belonged (itself named after local lodgings for a tower block home no matter the team to adjust goals and vision and to build across England and Wales. councillor Harry Ronan) and the Freemasons how risky it might be. As this lobby became a diverse network of people and knowledge, Road that still runs through the area bear witness increasingly angry and active, Community Community Links had come to understand With the failure of Ronan Point and other to the confident power of the Masonic influence. It Links decided that it wasn’t its role to rank that its primary strength lay in facilitating, blocks across the country, large-panel systems was widely believed that “the chair and vice-chair needs and nor could it stand by whilst one mediating and, ultimately, liberating gradually became obsolete. “If we hadn’t of the Housing Committee were Masons, as were desperate group pitted its case against the connections. Its role of enabler informed the exposed their frailty, we would have many, the Director and Assistant Director of the Housing needs of another. Everybody had a right to a network’s action, and the latter shaped its many still”, Sam believes. “The Campaign Department”, writes Frances in Talking Point (the decent, safe home. This led Community Links identity in turn. Far from presenting itself as discredited them. We changed housing Tower Blocks Campaign newsletter). “Fred Jones, to run advice sessions for people in B&Bs, then the sole driving force behind the Campaign, policy at the national level.” The levels of poor who later became chair of housing, was not a a Family Day Centre and ultimately the No Community Links became a conscious workmanship found in the joints of Ronan Freemason”, explains Sam. “He wanted a change. Home Campaign. The development of this promoter of a collaborative approach to Point and the awareness that the system was So we were supporting new, young councillors local work wasn’t consciously modelled on the change-making, in which everybody susceptible to progressive collapse, apart who wanted a change to come forward and tower blocks work, but we can see that it made involved felt that they had some level of from leading to the demolition of blocks in the they were supporting us.” This reintroduced the same progression from essential support individual ownership over the initiative UK and abroad, also shaped practice and transparency into a council that had struggled services through to coalition building and the and its achievements. Everybody’s building regulations throughout the world – to remain accountable to the local population, facilitation of a campaign led by people with contribution counted. from Canada and the US to the then socialist particularly in relation to housing matters. Some living experience. It’s a story for another day, People’s Republic of Hungary. When the blocks decisions were very difficult to understand. but the lessons are similar. were first assembled, they were thought to be Post script All the Freemasons tenants obtained their innovative, cost-effective and safe. “We do not Sam remembers the extraordinary public meeting Tell that to the consider that in its present form Ronan Point is in which Housing Chair Fred Jones proclaimed housing transfers, but Community Links and an acceptable building,” states the report of the that “this isn’t just the end of Ronan Point, ‘it is the the network it had put together hadn’t just been tenants“ post-1968 collapse inquiry, “yet it was designed end of this kind of politics in Newham’”. able to give practical answers and solutions to the needs of a group of Newham residents. ” to comply with statutory standards”. Evidently,

24 CHAPTER 2 _25 The Tower Blocks Campaign

Frances Clarke writes in July 2017: The Grenfell drawn attention to this when she accidentally groups in other parts of the country submitted families of six people. These families were not Tower fire on 14 June 2017 is a brutal reminder spilt paint which reappeared in a flat two fire safety information about their blocks. A safe in their flats for one hour. Sam Webb once that although our Campaign won many victories floors below. Once again we saw that tenants’ picture emerged of structural defects, shoddy again represented tenants and once again in the 80s and 90s, we didn’t win enough. The experience could highlight vital issues. Tenants maintenance and cuts in fire-testing. pleaded for a change in the Fire Regulations. Campaign ensured that the defects inherent insisted that these Reema blocks be structurally The inquest advised installing sprinklers in all in the Ronan Point style large-panel system surveyed, and their fears were proved right Examples of conflicting priorities also arose, blocks but nothing changed. blocks were widely known. The nine blocks were when all were found to be outside of building conflicts that jeopardise fire safety, for demolished and government instructions were regulations and had to be demolished. example, when fire stopping behind cladding As the truth about Grenfell gradually emerges, issued to local authorities across the country is considered less important than aiding air we hear many echoes of the Ronan Point to check all similar blocks and deal with the During the course of our research we found circulation in order to prevent dampness and experience: It was a small gas explosion in structural issues. The Ronan Point campaign that fire safety was a widespread and growing condensation. Similar conflicts arise when gas 1968 that triggered the collapse but it was had a national impact; 144,000 flats around the concern to tower block tenants. is present in tower blocks – gas pipes must be the design and workmanship that caused country were reinforced or demolished. vented to avoid explosions and vertical fire- the disaster. In 2017 it was a small fridge that Fires should not spread in tower blocks. stopping may not be used as it could interfere sparked the blaze but it was the cladding that We wanted to seek to fill the gap in knowledge The Building Regulations are based on the with this venting. drove the devastation. Newham tenants were about tower blocks and to share information that assumption that each flat is a sealed unit told to stay put in the event of fire. The same tenants and tower block owners would find useful. that will not allow the spread of flames or In some cases the tenants were able to advice was still being conveyed in 2017. And, at Through the National Tower Blocks Network we fumes for at least one hour. The rest of the use our spot safety check information to the heart of it all, tenants knew all along that sought to gather and share information about design is predicated on this presumption. If it effectively highlight their issues. Tenants in they were living with danger but their voices the social and structural problems of tower blocks is undermined, perhaps by refurbishments or Kedge House in Tower Hamlets, for instance, were routinely ignored. and to promote solutions to these problems. We poor maintenance, the Fire Service will not be successfully campaigned to be rehoused due had found early on that owners of blocks and able to rescue everybody. There is often only to lack of fire safety. Tenants of Ronan Point were puzzled as to why even the Department of the Environment knew one staircase and no sprinklers; fire brigade they could smell the food cooking many floors little about the stock. Original drawings were often ladders cannot reach the upper floors; dry We were able to support tenants’ groups in away; tenants of Royston Hill wondered why spilt not available, perhaps never kept, perhaps lost or risers may not be functioning. All this was particular areas to deal with the problems they paint would reappear in a flat two floors below. destroyed, perhaps kept secret. Log books and known, not least by the tenants, long before identified, and tenants from across the country These everyday puzzles led to the identification records of alterations and refurbishment works the Grenfell tragedy. came together to share their knowledge. of serious structural issues which required blocks were not maintained. to be demolished because they could have A tenant died as the result of a fire spreading However, overall our concerns relating to fire collapsed or burnt down. We, the least “expert” people, became the source over six floors in Merry Hill Court, Smethwick 27 safety were not addressed. The problems of much knowledge. In a meeting between years ago. The gaps between flats were found that had been identified in the early 1990s If Grenfell residents had been listened to, if tenants’ representatives and the Department of to be filled with newspaper, and the fire spread went on to be added to by the policies of tenants had had a mechanism by which they the Environment, we were told by officials that no along the floors and between the flats through austerity, local authority funding cuts and a could be heard, investigations could have Reema large-panel blocks existed that were more ducting that held the gas pipes. The pipes Conservative government’s commitment to de- taken place and the terrible death toll could than 19 storeys high. “Tell that to the tenants of had been boxed in plywood and there was no regulation. The fire risks grew. have been avoided. A tenants’ voice needs the 25th floor of Royston Hill”, shouted Eileen fire-proofing of the pipes or ducting. The dry to be built into the democratic system, McCloy, Glasgow tenants’ leader. risers had failed to work. In Knowsley Heights in As the risks grew, the voices of the tenants and those making the decisions about Merseyside, in the following year, a fire spread and their allies were diminished. Public other people’s lives need to be more The National Tower Blocks Network was able to rapidly up the rainscreen cladding. Horizontal sector cuts meant that organisations like the accountable and more humble, for support tenants’ groups nationally and we saw fire breaks had been omitted in order to give National Tower Blocks Network were no longer they have not got it right. The image that the council responses to problems varied; ventilation and address problems of dampness, funded, and legal aid was slashed. Ownership of babies thrown desperately out some councils responded quickly while others condensation and energy efficiency. and management of housing became of windows and of phones blinking required pressure from their tenants to face more complex and less transparent, less their silent mayday is seared into up to tackling the risks. In Glasgow, tenants of In 1990 the National Tower Blocks Network accountable and open to tenant pressure. our memories. Those responsible Royston B identified fire safety as a risk when carried out a “Spot Fire Safety Survey”. Architect may eventually be held to account they realised that their flats would not be able Sam Webb inspected estates in London, In 2009 a fire in Lakanal House, in Southwark, but is that enough to stop it to contain a fire for one hour. A tenant had Sheffield and Manchester, and 30 tenants’ spread rapidly up the cladding killing two happening again?

26 CHAPTER 2 _27 Chapter 3

To put the hyperbole in context, Scott “I vividly remember visiting the Community and Wilding wrote those breathless Links building, which would have been in High Street South at the time. It was a sort lines in 1986 when Community Links’ of biggish Newham terrace house, end- Action entire turnover was less than £200k. of-terrace, and it was just full of activities, It is, however, true that corporate heaps of paper, people coming and going and I went up to the first floor and it had like sponsorship was the largest single every other terrace house in Newham three source of income then and had been bedrooms and I remember in the middle of since Tate & Lyle first supported these three bedrooms it said on the door ‘the Match Marks & Spencer room’ or something like that. the Bus project in the earliest days And that was in a way quite a subversive of Community Links. Like many thing because Newham was a Labour big businesses, Tate & Lyle have council, struggling with all these things, and undergone huge changes in 40 here was a bit of a critique coming from an organisation that was getting funding years, but to this day the company’s from businesses. And that was quite new ... support has never wavered. corporate social responsibility, that was a very new aspect, it probably hadn’t been At the time Tate & Lyle were the borough’s invented at that stage. Sport (sponsorship) has grown massively Community Links is clearly moving towards biggest employer, operating from two very “So the way in which Community Links was but nowhere nearly as much as social and a position where no self-respecting local large refineries in the borough. When asked able to harvest links with businesses and in some small way that was down to the enterprise can afford not to be seen to house the Community Links bus they not funding from businesses to try and address vision and bravery that Community Links has sponsoring some aspect of its work. … As only agreed, but also undertook regular some of these very pressing social issues was shown throughout its life. you visit Community Links commercial maintenance, provided first aid training brand new. And, you know, from the point sponsorship is obvious. Each interior door for the young volunteers and helped with of view of a Labour council, at the time, that (Giles Gibbons CEO, Good Business, 2016) has a plaque which says “This room is fundraising. Community Links found that was slightly troubling, subversive. Something sponsored by…” anyone from a small local business leaders were more open to an … You know, if this had been a general Inside the Marks & Spencer room there were business to London Weekend TV, Laura innovative and entrepreneurial approach and workers’ union room or something, that would desks heaving with paper, books, it all looked Ashley and Shell UK. more comfortable with the risk than almost have been very comfortable, but the fact very un-Marks & Spencerish. all the charitable trusts and statutory bodies it was a Marks & Spencer room, that was (Duncan Scott and Paul Wilding, Manchester that they approached. From those beginnings quite confusing. This would have been the (The Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP, 2016) University, Sponsoring Voluntary Action: Rhetoric they were emboldened to seek help from mid-1980s. Inside the Marks & Spencer or Reality, 1986) other businesses and also to begin to explore the potential for mutual benefit. room, there were desks heaving with paper, books, it all looked very un-Marks This radical approach to fundraising was & Spencerish”. surprising, even, at the time, countercultural. Stephen Timms was the Newham council leader at the time, soon to be an MP and ultimately a government minister. He is and has always been a strong supporter of Community Links but recently remembered a vague feeling of discomfort when he visited 105 Barking Road:

28 CHAPTER 3 _29 Action Match

Ford UK, just down the A13 in Dagenham, easily be bought in any other way. They began Action Match was first introduced at a press Action Match gave me the were also very large local employers. They to argue in fundraising materials and on wider event addressed by Stuart Turner and Home opportunity to learn how to train a too became supporters and, like Tate & Lyle, platforms that “businesses that are concerned office minister John Patten and attended “ actively contributed to the development of to be seen must be seen to be concerned” – a by journalists, business leaders and charity group. This was the chance to learn the early thinking. At the time around £250m line that would later be borrowed by Business directors. It was improbably but effectively on the job so to speak, hoping the was spent on corporate sponsorship in the UK, in the Community. The group set to work on chaired by Valerie Singleton, who was then group would gain overall. Facilitating, most of it on sport with about £25m on the crafting offers that would meet the needs of primarily known as the Blue Peter presenter. arts. Almost all this money went into high end, Ford and of other companies. Most were tiny; As David says, “I can’t remember much about mediating, mentoring and leading professional businesses, leading institutions this was after all uncharted territory. Whilst it how Val came to be chosen to sprinkle the idea generating are all best ‘taught’ and elite teams. The market was growing at was reasonable to pitch for a modest punt, it stardust, but I don’t think it involved very by actually doing. I am indebted to 15% per annum and Ford were market leaders, wasn’t reasonable at that stage to seek major careful deliberation. Someone knew someone heavily involved in sponsoring motor sport long-term commitments. Nonetheless, as Scott who knew her and no one else knew anyone Action Match for this experience. across the world. and Wilding observed, some big names picked who was more famous. Anyway, she did it well In its promotional materials at the time Action” up the invitation. and the Minister was very pleased!” One day Stuart Turner, their then Director Match began to argue that “social sponsorship of Marketing and Sponsorship, lunched at Social sponsorship will exceed In Mr Patten’s speech that morning he offers good value for money. It enhances the Community Links and asked a simple question predicted that “social sponsorship will exceed corporate image, gives access to the media, sports and arts sponsorship as the – if Ford were to sponsor football, which teams “ sports and arts sponsorship as the fastest and a range of practical benefits to customers would we pick? fastest growing marketing technique growing marketing technique of the 1990s”. and workers, provides links with celebrities, of the 1990s It sounded like a bold aspiration, but given politicians and opinion formers, offers David remembers the Community Links team the Manchester University conclusion that opportunities for creative product promotions and is good for the tax bill …. It raises the suggesting Manchester United or Arsenal – the Community Links” hadn’t intended to break the total spend on social sponsorship in charity profile, and can have a range of knock biggest names in the game. new ground, just to meet their own needs, the UK at the time amounted to less than on benefits for fundraising, campaigning or but this approach to fundraising made the £200k, a growth rate target was largely other agency activities.” “No”, said Stuart, “you’re not understanding young agency, according to the Manchester meaningless. Instead, the Action Match why I might want to do it. You are not thinking University team, “a rare bird”. In fact, Scott team set themselves the goal of placing Of course there were limitations, and the about the problem I am trying to solve: Global and Wilding couldn’t find any other examples. social sponsorship alongside arts and sports recognition isn’t a problem for Ford. Everybody sponsorship as recognisable marketing project team were very clear about these too: “some voluntary sector activities are better knows our business. We don’t need Match The £25m spent on the arts had grown out of techniques that were widely understood. They suited to social sponsorship than others of the Day. Our problem is that customers almost nothing over the preceding decade – hoped that it would be regularly deployed and some companies are not acceptable think we are too big, we don’t care anymore just £0.5m in 1977. With the whole sponsorship by marketing directors, and alongside partners. ... it isn’t easy money. It demands and customers don’t matter. That’s why our market apparently expanding fast, and with fundraising events and individual giving time, care, imagination and persistence to new corporate slogan will say FORD CARES arts sponsorship as the precedent, perhaps as fundraising methods that were similarly construct a deal that is profitable for both FOR PEOPLE AND THEIR CARS. If we want “social sponsorship” could be the next big accepted and adopted by the charity sector. partners and true to the ideals of the to get into football sponsorship we will go for thing? Community Links coined the phrase agency but the experience of sport and lower league teams, several of them, maybe and suggested to the Home Office, who then Josephine Seccombe had just stepped down the arts and international comparisons youth teams or an entire league. Then people led on the government’s relationship with the from Saatchi & Saatchi, then the UK’s leading demonstrate that the local voluntary will say isn’t it nice of Ford to care about our voluntary sector, that with a small grant, the ad agency. She joined Stuart Turner as an sector isn’t getting nearly as much team. Offer me that goodwill here in east group might popularise the concept. It was external adviser and as Chair of an advisory as it could from British businesses London, multiply it up with similar deals across the first time that Community Links, hitherto board that included leaders from all sides largely because it appears to offer the country and the aggregated benefit will exclusively focused on east London, asked a of the table. In keeping with the sponsorship so little in return.” exceed anything I could gain from tying up national funder to support a national project. philosophy of mutual benefit, the team with a single big name.” suggested to board members that they, as A two-year grant was ultimately awarded well as Community Links, could benefit from Community Links gobbled up the insights. for a team of three people, and Action an involvement with this work. Josephine They realised that an association with their Match was launched. recalls that she did benefit personally as well work offered a level of goodwill that couldn’t as contribute:

30 CHAPTER 3 _31 Action Match

Little of this would be contested in 2017, but In practice, this was the most erratic aspect “Steve Hilton and I had a theory that in order to “Why, we asked? Because we haven’t been it is interesting to recall how controversial it of the project. The scheme never achieved be a successful business in the 21st century, it strategic, he said, we are still only getting the was 30 years ago. David remembers with a sufficient scale to guarantee success; would be as critical how you actually behave as chairman’s wife’s fund. To succeed we must show shudder the applause for the Chief Executive of sometimes brilliant matches could be made an organisation as what you actually sell. Success businesses why we are relevant to their success a leading children’s charity who responded to and sometimes they had nothing to offer. would come from being a ‘Good Business’ – where and how we could partner to make things better. his presentation at a charity conference with a values are as important as value. withering “it might work for snooker tournaments, • A good practice programme shared “Standing in the shadow of the shiny new but never for my organisation”. With some very through a quarterly, full colour magazine “Was the idea good enough to leave our safe Canary Wharf, looking across the second notable exceptions, businesses were generally – the only national magazine focusing jobs at Saatchi & Saatchi? poorest neighbourhood in Europe, it was clear more open to the thinking and faster to the table exclusively on social sponsorship – for the Wharf to succeed, so the communities than the charities. and also a series of practical booklets “We went to talk to business leaders. Many around it need to as well. They had a strategic highlighting successful practice and of them said the same thing, we are jolly nice rationale to make it work. David showed us explaining the mechanics. people, we support many charities (normally Action Match. A way to take great solutions Action Match developed a under the auspices of the chairman’s wife’s that were working here and trying to do them three-part strategy: By the end of year one the influential Mintel fund). These were mostly charities of little elsewhere with partner businesses included. Report was reporting on the advent and relevance to the business in question. We went “notable rise” of “Social sponsorship [which] away slightly depressed but also motivated, “We left that seminal meeting knowing we • A promotional programme included an in addition to the benefits it offers as a thinking if only we could persuade them to be weren’t crack pots and with the confidence to Awards Scheme, a business breakfast marketing tool has added PR potential. That more strategic in how they supported society start Good Business. programme and a media campaign. is the projection of a caring image through through their business, not only could they do Action Match authored a monthly page contribution to charitable causes and therefore more good, but they could help themselves too “And look what has happened since. Charities for the industry magazine Sponsorship to the quality of life in the community.” – the food company that helps the farmers and and business work hand in hand to make society News, compiled a training pack published their communities in their supply chain, or a better delivering on mutual objectives. WWF by the Directory of Social Change health insurance company inspires people to be works with Coca Cola on water replenishment and contributed to numerous other more active … schemes around the world; The Shard works publications. The team spoke at seminars Did it work? with community partners to train local people to and conferences hosted by Marketing “This made sense to us but did it make sense deliver new jobs. The Sports Shoe Manufacturer magazine and charity events convened Looking back, there were several learning to the people already helping those in society? works with community sports organisations by partners as disparate as the Institute points which will reoccur in different contexts Again we thought we should talk to some charity getting kids off the streets and into sport. The list of International Research, Mencap, throughout this book. CEOs. The charities, said they didn’t really care. is endless. The combinations are multiplying. the National Alliance of Women’s As long as they got the money, they didn’t mind Organisations and the Scottish Council The imprecise expectations at the outset – all whether it was strategic or irrelevant to the “We have come so far that new UN Sustainable of Voluntary Organisations. aspirations, no numbers – and the absence of business. Having to be strategic might even limit Development Goals, 17 ambitious goals formal monitoring throughout make it difficult where they might be able to get their money to improve the world, will only be met by • A support programme helped both to judge the impact of the work so many years from. More depression ensued … Government, NGOs & Businesses working businesses and charities make social later. Did it work? Giles Gibbons, then a Saatchi together to that end. sponsorship work for them. This included a & Saatchi employee, now CEO of Good Business “Then we ended up in Canning Town to meet training programme for small and medium and one of the world’s leading practitioners and a guy called David Robinson, the boss of “Thirty years later, if we relook at David’s sized charities in 26 cities throughout the thinkers on the relationship between business Community Links. It didn’t look like it was going chart and review social, cultural & sport UK. One hundred and twenty organisations and the wider community, thinks it did. In a to be worth all the effort of cycling to East sponsorship again – two things would attended the two-day programme in the first recollection for this book he wrote: London! How wrong we were. He showed us stand out. year. A consultancy service for companies a chart that compared the growth of social, was sponsored by Royal Insurance enabling “How many meetings do we have in our careers? cultural and sporting sponsorship in the previous Action Match to assess existing corporate Rough calculations gets me to 50,000. How 50 years, the visual was astonishing. Sport marketing strategies and suggest ways of many do you really remember? Meetings that had grown off the chart, culture too, a massive including social sponsorship and, as the changed the course of your career, probably no growth; social, minimal growth. data base built up, ambitious plans were more than 50. One of those for me was meeting developed for a Matching Service. David Robinson many years ago.

32 CHAPTER 3 _33 Action Match

Josephine Seccombe agrees: David Robinson remembers it the other way round: Would a reputable funder now take little more The success of Action Match demonstrates than the instincts of a handful of outlying that even very small organisations can have “First, how difficult it would be to measure “Marketing managers were accustomed to practitioners and the slender “evidence” of one big ideas and can light a slow fuse. It is social impact: so much of the delivery is not spotting the opportunities in sport or the arts project and support an idea (it was no more than exponentially easier in 2017 but it is hard to in cash but through the business actions and were apparently comfortable with the that) like Action Match today? Giles’ account of identify the practitioner-led movements that itself it would be impossible to measure – but unpredictability of advertising – but most his first impressions reveals the improbability of have caught fire faster. If it isn’t that the sector assuming you could, yes sport has grown at first struggled with social sponsorship. It the endeavour – “It didn’t look like it was going to doesn’t have the technical capacity, could it massively but nowhere nearly as much as wasn’t the lack of evidence that bothered be worth all the effort of cycling to East London!” be that it no longer has the appetite for risk, social and in some small way that was down to them but just the sheer novelty. As we’ve the funding for experimentation or even the the vision and bravery that Community Links seen subsequently with other, quite different Flair, instinct, trust, freedom, discretion, belief that an idea shared is an idea doubled? has shown throughout its life.” projects you can argue the case until you are flexibility have been replaced by certainty, These are all questions to which we will return. blue in the face but it is case studies – real- systems, measurement, accountability, life examples of success – that ultimately control. Neither perfect state is ideal. In the “There is no question that the arrival of Action swing the argument.” right context, there is a place for both. Match forced voluntary sector workers to look at this new approach of raising funds from 2) It is an obvious point, but as in so many a new source in a new way. The match was What was learnt? other areas of our lives it is hard to overstate between the customer of the product or service the impact of the internet. Sharing good and the end aim of the charity, e.g. the local 1) Social sponsorship certainly took off, but practice in the 1980s and building a network parents’ charity seeking a sponsor for their it is difficult to properly evaluate the scale meant a costly magazine, expensively guide for new parents. They sold the idea as of the Action Match contribution from the posted to relatively few people. The total part of a package that would be distributed surviving evidence. It is unimaginable that unit cost for each magazine, excluding by the midwifery service – a package that any serious funder would enter into an labour, was around £2. Today the labour included the Guide and also the baby arrangement now that involved so little costs would be similar but costs would be far products produced by the sponsor. measurement and so much trust. At the lower. Magazines get passed on laboriously time, of course, this was not unusual, but to maybe half a dozen others, one by one, The newness was the approach attitudes and protocols have subsequently and then they fall apart. Emails and pdfs to the marketing budget not the changed on both sides. It would no more are instantly and continuously relayed and “ occur to Community Links to pitch a stored indefinitely. charitable trust source, which was project on this basis today than it would different again from the Saatchi occur to most government agencies or At around the same time as Community Links style help-in-kind offer for creative other public bodies to fund it. Instinctively was building Action Match, it was also developing this feels like progress but it is worth the National Tower Blocks Network and about products like new headed paper or pausing on this first project to reflect to start work on the first Ideas Annual. Again, leaflets. Action Match truly broke on what might have been lost from the these were all painstaking processes and quite new ground. subsequent professionalisation of the different from the subsequent, more successful grant-making process: and much easier experience of the Early Action ” Task Force which has similarly attempted to Would a tiny community group stumbling on a spread an idea, build a practitioner network bright idea ever have had the chance to make and share learning. The Action Match brokerage it grow and to share it if precise outcomes had service never fulfilled its potential, and didn’t to be predicted at the outset and delivered by survive because it was just too big a job to reach the quarter date? the necessary critical mass. In 2017 such an undertaking could be vastly faster and cheaper. Would an entrepreneurial movement ever have emerged, adapting and shaping itself to the opportunities and pitfalls it encountered if the milestones were carved before a penny spent?

34 CHAPTER 3 _35 Chapter 4

The next big opportunity to engage Smerdon further describes. But despite all these with ambitious policy ideas presented investments, Newham seemed to still do badly on all the league tables. Was it because money itself when the organisation developed wasn’t being spent well? Or because it was The Social a new model for neighbourhood being spent on the wrong things? Community development: the Social Enterprise Links began to realise that, although large amounts were allocated to these high-profile Zone. This is the story of how regeneration programmes, the sums were still Community Links sought to regenerate relatively small compared to the sums that were Newham with the sort of local spent on benefits or housing in the same area. Enterprise As large as it seemed to be, the regeneration exceptionalism that Margaret Thatcher spend was tinkering at the margins. had granted the big businesses in Canary Wharf a decade earlier, failed In 1998, Community Links estimated that about to obtain the necessary permissions 60–70% of the gross domestic product in the Zone Borough of Newham came directly from the to do so and somehow, along the way, public sector. Of this amount, some 2% was ended up playing a key role in the for urban regeneration; the other 98% went implementation of tax credits instead. into mainstream programmes, such as housing and benefits. To illustrate this, Community Links analysed the spending for the New Deal How could you create a sort of for Communities in West Ham and Plaistow, a Business Enterprise Zone to develop regeneration programme worth £50 million over “ 10 years. They calculated that if benefit payments human capital? were to remain the same over the same period of time, they would amount to £1.2bn – a sum that In the mid-1990s, Community” Links began to was 24 times bigger than the £50 million which ask why it was that, despite all the regeneration was specifically dedicated to regeneration. Staff Action at the centre does not always funding that Newham was receiving from began to think about how they could help to translate into action locally. government, the borough consistently featured change the ways in which the benefits budget among the worst performing and most deprived and other mainstream funds were being spent. (Government secondee to SEZ) areas in the UK. “We realised that significant sums were spent on regeneration and that For inspiration, the charity had to look no Without approaches ... that ensure policy Newham had benefited substantially from further than across the River Lea, in the is driven by practical experience of the these government programmes. We used to direction of Canary Wharf, where the problems, evidence-based policy offers say to people that we could go on the roof of tall towers and skyscrapers of the city’s no inherent guarantee that it will produce our centre in Canning Town and see, within financial district powerfully remind east policies that work. walking distance, examples of every generation Londoners of what can happen when a of government-sponsored regeneration since neighbourhood is granted some level (Enduring Change report, Community Links, the earliest urban programmes of the 1960s”, of exceptionalism. An idea started to 2004, p.27) remembers David Robinson. take shape: what if a similar concept were to be applied to Newham? “We could see gleaming new Jubilee Line trains What if less bureaucracy meant on their way from the rejuvenated Stratford that the borough could experiment town centre to central London; passenger jets with different arrangements and shuttling to and from City Airport; London’s come up with alternative models largest new conference centre, ExCel”, a 2004 that would lift it out of poverty? report co-authored by David and Matthew

36 CHAPTER 4 _37 The Social Enterprise Zone

“We realised that the Business Enterprise all the resources – not just the little bits that are Don’t tell me what’s wrong with your Tell me your dreams and Zone, which the then government had used available for regenerations – and use them to life, tell me your vision to improve it to develop Canary Wharf by encouraging address all these different barriers.” “ aspirations,“ your vision for the business to locate there, was all about altering next five years. ... Don’t tell me “When the SEZ was launched, it was in the” hope tax and planning regulations for companies”, In areas such as Newham, Community what’s wrong, tell me what’s right continues David. “They weren’t just offering Links hoped, the establishment of a Social that we would secure for this area considerable relatively modest capital investment; they Enterprise Zone could bring about a different flexibility in using budgets like Jobseeker’s and what’s your vision to improve were transforming mainstream programmes way of doing things. People would collaborate Allowance”, explains Matthew. “But”, he your life, what are the barriers that to release a different kind of development. more. Ideas could be tested through pilot continues, “we weren’t given that permission, so right from the start we had to rethink what the prevent you from achieving this and We started thinking, ‘How could you create a programmes. Mainstream public funding what are your solutions to bring sort of Business Enterprise Zone but apply it could be invested in locally led regeneration project was trying to do. It became much more to the development of human capital rather initiatives. All this would likely tackle problems about how to engage people who experience about the change you want. than the physical capital?’” In short, explains at the root, in a systemic manner. a problem in generating ideas for using Aaron Barbour, who first joined Community mainstream budgets in more effective ways. In Looking back on it, Aaron reflects: “It’s” a Links as a researcher to support and expand That, at least, is what the organisation had that sense, I think it nicely captured the spirit liberating approach. I’ve taken that on into this programme, Community Links took “the initially envisioned. Government was less of Community Links around the phrase ‘people my work at Katherine Low Settlement” (where principle to try to develop the social equivalent keen. John Prescott, the Secretary of State who experience a problem know it best’. he is now the CEO), “because it’s much more of Canary Wharf”. It was similarly hoping to for the Environment, had initially spoken with positive; you can really engage and have set in motion a new, more holistic process of enthusiasm at the launch and referenced the “We ran a lot of exercises with [local residents] some interesting discussions with people; they regeneration in Newham by attempting to project, with approval, in a parliamentary to generate themes, then we worked together go away quite thoughtful and they’ll come negotiate exceptions to all those rules that had debate, but as the detailed work began to be on ideas that had originated through that back to you with ‘Oh I’ve had another idea!’ It so far stifled change. developed, all the ideas for wider discretion process and developed them into either [pilots] really sparks that kind of thought process and were rejected. It became increasingly evident or [suggestions] for broader policy change. It generates a whole bunch of different ideas. We The idea and corresponding experiment that something truly radical and systemic was a useful distinction; we thought it wasn’t talked about all sorts of things – issues around took the name of Social Enterprise Zone was not going to happen in the way that just about big policy change, but also about employment, unemployment, the informal (SEZ). In its Social Enterprise Zones: Building Community Links had intended. what we could do locally.” cash-in-hand economy, stuff to do with the innovation into regeneration report in 1998, benefits system, housing, health. At the time, Community Links defined the SEZ as “an area From the initial bold, human-centred The SEZ was funded through a local government the idea was to then go, research those issues in which local communities and agencies can reinterpretation of Thatcher’s financial vision, budget that covered Forest Gate and Plaistow in and set up some practical demonstration come together to change relevant rules or the SEZ shifted its focus into influencing the way Newham. For the organisation, this meant that projects – some pilots – to see how we could laws wherever more flexibility could have a individual public resources were spent. In order most actions and initiatives, before anything change those things.” positive impact on both social and economic to do this, potential government allies had to else, had to show that they would deliver local regeneration”. The purpose of this experiment be selected for each initiative and approached change. “We were held to account by that local These dialogues were conducted by two was, therefore, to create an environment strategically, with a list of specific, relevant regeneration body,” says Matthew, “but we also employees who lived locally and that free from suffocating bureaucracy in places policy proposals. These ideas could only be wanted to amplify that experience and make Community Links itself had trained. This where several competing factors – from developed by involving the local community, some wider points.” The regeneration body way, because they were familiar with unemployment to poor health services – had and should be tested and monitored locally granted the SEZ unusually flexible outcomes. This the particular problems affecting the caused long-term deprivation. before being recommended to central enabled the charity to also engage in systemic neighbourhood, they could engage government. It was a subtle but disappointing thinking and generate broader ideas. residents more effectively. To eliminate “One of the first things I did was look at a map pivot and a step back from the ambition of the distance and liberate confidence and of multiple disadvantage for Canning Town”, original vision but, once again, just as in the Community Links developed a particular ideas, “What If” conversations were remembers Matthew. “If you were a local National Tower Blocks Campaign, Community mechanism to collect the thoughts and also structured in a way that would resident, there were all sorts of barriers you Links was building networks to channel the local concerns of Newham residents. “It was an encourage participants to shape faced that were interlinked and self-reinforcing. knowledge and using that knowledge to pioneer idea-generating process which we called What content and direction. [At the heart of the work on Social Enterprise working solutions on the ground. If”, explains Matthew. “The methodology was Zones] was the idea that if you’re really going based around three questions and it started to try and change an area, you need to harness from a positive perspective”, says Aaron.

38 CHAPTER 4 _39 The Social Enterprise Zone

“The [What If] message”, concluded Over £2 million was distributed among families At the end of this experience, many of “We would say: ‘Look, local discretion in Community Links’ Enduring Change report at and individuals in need, but the benefits of this them moved on to paid positions within the Newham is actually bringing about quite a the time, “is that there is a wealth of knowledge initiative extended far beyond the lives of the Jobcentre. “There was something like a six- lot of changes; you should give district areas and commitment stored in communities all over people who were directly involved in it. After this week delay in processing time [when we first more flexibility.’ Because you know your local the UK, but without mechanisms to capture it, it collaboration, the Inland Revenue established started]”, remembers Aaron. “We managed to area, you know what’s going on, you’ve got a remains largely untapped.” a new department dedicated exclusively to reduce that – in a few months – to three days. much better angle on this. You should be able developing partnerships with the voluntary The error rate went from 76% to less than 9%.” to make some decisions at that local level. And Once the blurred contours of an idea had sector, and it grew determined to roll out the Social Enterprise Zone proved it.” emerged through a “What If” conversation, the scheme across the UK. A few years later, At first and immediately after the experiment Community Links would apply what it had Community Links was also able to exploit its ended, a lot was achieved: Jobcentre Plus These ideas incubated by the Social Enterprise learnt from past experience: it wasn’t enough to by now well-established relationship with the agreed to take the funding for the local Zone highlighted areas into which central just outline recommendations; to create policy Inland Revenue to explore potential pathways service into their mainstream budget, and government had to intervene, often guiding change, ideas had to be linked back to current between the informal and formal economies. the findings from the pilot were discussed at policy action and reform. The broader reach priorities in central government. This would the Treasury. The then Chancellor agreed to of this work inaugurated a new phase in maximise the chances of any suggestion being People have ideas. We need to the establishment of “a new fund of £8 million the development of the organisation’s self- picked up. If the ultimate goal was systemic over the next two years to help Jobcentre Plus find ways to build on those awareness, as Community Links began to change, some of these ideas had to be tested, “ managers to [introduce] specialist advisers in realise that its front-line activities, the networks so that working alternatives could be found areas with high ethnic minority populations”. it was building within government and its At the same time, the “What If” process” and introduced with confidence to relevant ability to unite the two could enable it to make threw up another issue: Newham residents government departments. At this stage, ideas In the end, however, Jobcentre Plus didn’t use a unique contribution to policy-making. for pilots had to pass a triple threshold in order were going into their local Jobcentre and, the money to extend the service. “On that because many of them couldn’t speak very to be selected: they had to be beneficial to one, we failed”, considers Matthew now, but “We engaged with bigger themes, particularly good English, they couldn’t tackle benefit Newham; they had to contain the potential to something positive still came out of it all: as with around the informal economy; it was such application forms. “Newham is so diverse; bring about mainstream change; and they had the work with the Inland Revenue the newly built a significant factor in our local area that we at the time there were more than a hundred to include partnerships between local agencies partnership between the charity and Jobcentre needed to do some broader thinking about it”, different languages being spoken in the and central government. Plus would be of enduring value. explains Matthew. The most significant piece borough”, says Aaron. “These people were of work done by the organisation at the time, getting [the applications] wrong and so One of the first chances to interact with “We had really good relationships with he says, focused on a report about the hidden they were getting massive delays in benefit Whitehall and use the SEZ as a lab came when local managers and individuals within the morality of informal work. It was written by Dr payments and ultimately eviction notices the government started developing tax credits. agency; that’s why our work regenerated and Andrew Travers, an academic at the University because the other half of the system hadn’t “We arranged for a secondee from Revenue developed”, remembers Aaron. “We started of Exeter, and it pointed out that people paid them in time.” and Customs to spend some time with us, developing new ideas, such as a Discretionary working informally often do it for “positive looking at the practical implications of how we Payment Fund for people who needed reasons”: to feed their family, to be busy, to could introduce tax credits.” Before officially Together we came up with the small sums of money to be able to cover, for feel productive, to build wider networks, to implementing the current tax credits system in idea that we should work with local instance, transport costs in order to attend job learn new skills. “You’ve got all these very April 2003, the Treasury and Inland Revenue “ interviews.” Again, this small, locally generated positive reasons which aren’t reflected people, who’ve got all these amazing were looking for ways to raise awareness of this idea ended up reaching national policy- in the way in which government deals imminent change to welfare legislation among language skills, train them in form makers: in April 2003, the Budget provided with the informal economy, which is to vulnerable communities. Invited and supported filling and put them in the Jobcentre for a new discretionary fund that would give criminalise it”, continues Matthew. by Community Links, the Inland Revenue set to translate and help others. Jobcentre Plus managers more flexibility to up a pilot in Newham in 2002 and collaborated direct resources towards the specific priorities, with the organisation to disseminate information challenges and needs of the local community. A pilot was launched in 2002 in Stratford.” and help people on low incomes complete Soon, the experiment was extended across applications. When the project ended, the Inland All the small initiatives developed under the the borough. One hundred volunteers were Revenue reported that Newham had “the highest SEZ umbrella didn’t just have a narrow, local recruited to assist Jobcentres with their number of tax credit claimants in all the inner ambition. “We always took all these findings language skills. They were mainly people who London boroughs” (Enduring Change, p.13). back to government”, explains Aaron. were struggling to get into paid employment.

40 CHAPTER 4 _41 The Social Enterprise Zone

Before pitching proposals to government, in “Looking back on it, that original ambition wasn’t Stephen Timms was a Treasury minister at this case Community Links collaborated with achieved – a zone where you could flex all these the time, and speaking in 2016 particularly an academic to better understand the reasons resources and systems”, says Matthew. “We remembered the work on the informal economy: behind individual decisions to work informally, wanted to bring together public sector leaders to explore public attitudes around this reality and local people, break down some of the barriers and to clearly highlight why government between them and redirect mainstream budgets What’s impressive about policy in this area needed re-thinking. Only by at scale. That didn’t work out. Without firm “Community Links is that it’s been building on the learning gathered at the local instruction from the centre or a new budget, it was able to keep its Newham focus while level could the organisation hope to effectively difficult to get people to abandon the way they’d getting involved in very fruitful policy influence central policy-making. done things for decades.” work with government. When I was After this initial stage, Community Links made In the years that followed the SEZ experiment, at the Treasury, Links was trying to strategic use of the relationship it had already Community Links reflected a lot on how to come up with ideas on how to bring developed with the Inland Revenue and shared revolutionise the siloed ways in which the its ideas and thoughts directly with them; public sector tends to operate. “I think it is people who were making a living – the Inland Revenue responded with a new difficult to do”, says David. “There have been pretty entrepreneurially but illegally secondment to further investigate the issue several attempts; some, like Total Place have – into the legitimate economy. The and interrogate the ideas. This time, the project been government led but progress has been was directly linked into senior management to very slow. In more recent times, with the Early Treasury took this work very seriously striking effect: the secondee had to regularly Action work we have begun to talk about the and with great interest. I do think the report her findings to the Inland Revenue board ‘magic triangle’ – leadership, systems, culture; Council on Social Action emerged as the placement unfolded. At the end she was trying to pick off one point on the triangle promoted and given a budget to develop new and not the other two is unlikely to work. The from the value that [Community Links] policies on the informal economy across the UK. SEZ addressed systems. To a limited extent we exhibited at the Treasury then. worked on the cultural influences. Leadership Effectively, Community Links had begun support was patchy. You have to succeed on Besides opening new avenues for action,” some to come up with its own brand of evidence- all three to create sustainable change.” of the mechanisms, ideas and relationships based policy-making, which at the time was the organisation had developed while being heavily promoted at the national level “We tried to bring to life the idea that ‘people experimenting with the Social Enterprise Zone by Tony Blair and others as a way to increase who experience a problem understand it best’”, helped to shape Community Links’ belief in a the accountability of public institutions. The says Matthew. “And we put some ideas into the different type of policy-making: one based on organisation was pushing for a type of policy public domain that were taken up on a broader collaboration across interests and sectors; one driven by close insights into social issues as scale, such as the focus on area-based policy, solidly founded upon the insights of change- experienced by local communities; once again on decentralising power, on working together, makers on the ground; one able to put people the lived experience was right at the heart of building around existing local resources, and their stories at the centre of every new the work. The ultimate goal, articulated in the establishing mechanisms to effectively gather conversation. And that’s how the charity began Enduring Change report, was to include these people’s voices, opinions, perceptions and to engage more systematically with issues communities and front-line staff not just in solutions, while, at the same time, engaging whose impact was felt at the local level but the process of gathering evidence, but also in with top officials, national budgets and that were considerably broader than Newham, interpreting it, deciding what works and what regulations. Although the SEZ didn’t become such as the informal economy and an overly would work better. what the organisation had initially hoped, it complex welfare system. showed what we were good at, the power of We were looking for discretionary user insight and the importance of the lived experience in developing new ideas. Later on, power at the local level … “ when we were involved in the Council on Social ” Action, we were building on this.”

42 CHAPTER 4 _43 Chapter 5

The Social Enterprise Zone had repeatedly shown that operating in an area where many residents depended on state funds to survive, meant that Community Links was engaging simultaneously with local needs and issues of national relevance. Need NOT The gap between taking care of local priorities and attempting to solve them in a holistic way – by involving the right institutions – was a narrow one. If the organisation wished to help someone who had paid a visit to its advice desk because they were at risk of homelessness after losing their housing benefit, Greed for example, any sustainable solution would also entail getting the relevant public agency to change the way it worked. It was never just about offering one vulnerable person immediate assistance; it was also about tackling big injustices at the root. After the SEZ had come to an end, Community Links continued to work on some of the broader issues that had surfaced from local conversations, learning more about them as it went along, keen to inspire wider policy changes. This chapter traces that journey, focusing in particular on the work on the informal economy and the germination of universal credit.

We were thinking, “Well, why not? Let’s Sharon has been running her own mobile They were stories from the The grassroots nature of the publications was tackle the informal economy in the UK. Let’s beauty therapy business for three years mirrored in the way they were disseminated: ground up reform the welfare system.” And actually, a .... On average, she declares around 50 “ Community Links never sold them, but made lot of these things did happen. It was about percent of her business for tax purposes. them immediately available for download, Much of the policy” work that came out of being optimistic; about making something However, this varies in accordance with her blogged about them and organised events to radically different. earnings. Sharon’s approach is to declare the Social Enterprise Zone was collected in a launch each one of them. Now the idea of a free the maximum she can afford to, after first series of publications called Evidence Papers. download is established practice, but at the (Maeve McGoldrick, interview) ensuring that she can pay her rent and feed These contained ideas, highlighted problems time is was unusual. her family. That way, she feels she is not and suggested solutions derived from local taking a penny more of state support than experience, but their main purpose wasn’t to “The Papers felt like they were uncovering she needs for her basic living costs. She simply record that knowledge; the organisation a hidden story, a bit like [developing] an takes quite a strict approach to minimising wanted to use the series strategically, as a academic working paper; [they were] based her state dependency and abiding by her tool to start informed conversations on specific on facts, statistical evidence and lived own moral code, distinguishing this radically issues with those in power. experience, [but they didn’t require] a full- from “real benefit scroungers”. scale research and writing-up process, so “The Evidence Papers were rigorous, but they they got content moving quickly.” Most (From Self-employed people in the informal weren’t academic publications”, explains Richard importantly, they “served a purpose: economy – cheats or contributors? Community McKeever, who edited the series. “We wanted to they informed action and projects that Links report, 2004) write something that felt like a feature, a proper were happening in the same building. analysis of an issue, and to put that out as a way It wasn’t abstract research that you of generating interest and creating a story. Very never saw or heard of again.” importantly, each of those Evidence Papers had to include comments by the people who were affected by that issue, [consider the latter’s] impact and what could be done differently. They were stories from the ground up.”

44 CHAPTER 5 _45 Need NOT Greed

The Evidence Papers were an expression, in we’re not just making it up’. And the solutions are truly knew how many people lived here.” At “We decided that we had nothing to apologise print, of what Community Links had learnt with derived from this. That was always the key thing, the time, Community Links estimated that the for”, remembers David. “We were doing the Social Enterprise Zone. They were about with all the parts of the work we did: it was based uncounted population in east London was at exactly what we are here to do: uncovering uncovering different stories on the ground on practical, on-the-ground work. We’re not a least as large as the population of Norwich, and a major issue through our front-line services, and sharing them with policy-makers; about think tank. It’s [all] born of years and years of probably approaching the size of Milton Keynes. investigating more thoroughly and suggesting challenging traditional, simplistic ideas of what experience working with local communities – and solutions. However,” he adds, “lessons were constitutes evidence and what doesn’t; and about for me that makes it doubly, triply strong.” Following this discovery, Community Links learnt from how the findings were used: we sharing a deeper level of understanding, inspiring embarked on a more rigorous investigation, should have taken them to the authorities new views and reframing old conversations. The uncounted population in speaking to front-line staff in a wide range before they were published and said, ‘These of organisations, to service managers and, in east London was as large as the are the facts, what can we do about this For Aaron Barbour, head of policy and research “ particular, to the uncounted. “This led to the together?’ We missed an important stage, and at the time of the Social Enterprise Zone, the population of Norwich realisation that if official counts routinely fail to that was naïve and disrespectful.” Evidence Papers were representative of the include those at the bottom, decisions about the particular type of policy-making that Community The first paper, “The Uncounted”,” was published allocation of resources consistently underestimate In the end, “The Uncounted” successfully Links wished to mainstream: “It was an evidence- around the time of the census – in 2001. The the scale of the need”, explains David. This brought to the surface an issue which was based approach to policy-making rather than, phrase was coined by Community Links to meant two things: first, as the advice workers had subsequently recognised and addressed, ‘Oh, I’ve got a good idea! Let’s test it through the describe people who were living in Newham but initially observed, significant numbers of the most although still not completely resolved. Official various different media outlets and find a winner, weren’t officially on the census. “This continues excluded were missing out on important services figures are now better aligned, efforts are then we’ll put some flesh on it and develop a to be an issue”, says Richard now. “People live in like GP registration and school places; second, if made to identify and count these hidden policy properly.’ A lot of policy is made like that.” informal accommodation, sheds, above shops facilities like the new local hospital were based on communities, and to allow for the fact that – unrecorded. We did a triangulation of data population numbers that were considerably lower they exist even when officials cannot be The interpretation of evidence at the heart of this with the number of people who were registered than they should have been, both the counted precise about the exact numbers. process was different from what civil servants with the GP versus the number of people who and the uncounted were short-changed. This might have expected. It was deeply qualitative: were on the electoral roll, all sorts of things which insight was particularly pertinent at the time, as “Would the uncounted have come to light it focused on people, their problems and their indicated that there were far more people living Newham’s new A&E provision was proving to be without our work?” wonders David now. aspirations. It placed policy ideas in context, in the area than were officially registered. [And inadequate and a cause of much local concern. “Possibly eventually, but it wouldn’t have portraying how these might fit in the lives of a this] has an impact on services – [such as] the happened when it did. Maybe that’s what community stuck for decades at the bottom of health service, so [for example] the number of As a result of this piece of work, the Cabinet organisations like ours really contribute. all deprivation rankings. “We could say, ‘This beds in hospitals for that population is incorrect.” Office contacted Community Links to learn Plenty of good people in authorities, local and policy works in practice; now you should roll it more about the findings. The organisation national, would arrive at the same conclusions out and develop it’”, continues Aaron. “And I think The subject matter was inspired, once again, automatically assumed that the local authority as we do but big systems and structures are civil servants appreciated this. We weren’t just through direct interactions with local residents. would be similarly interested in them, as this often opaque, even to those who work in saying, ‘Here’s a problem, it’s [bad], fix it’; we “[Our] advice workers were seeing increasing could attract more funding to the area. However, them. ‘To see what’s in front of one’s nose is were actually saying, ‘This could be better and numbers of asylum seekers and refugees, the LBN Chief Executive publicly dismissed the a constant struggle’, said George Orwell. here’s how you could do it’. So [the series] was homeless people, and travellers”, explains report and privately demanded a retraction We see things from a different perspective very solutions-focused and it genuinely grew out David Robinson. “Some of these people were and an apology, saying that Community Links’ and we talk about it. We prod and of the research we were doing on the ground.” in the UK illegally or wanted to preserve their behaviour undermined “all the good work of the disrupt and challenge and change anonymity for particular reasons, but the council” and was “disloyal”. Council leaders happens faster.” The target audience for each paper changed overwhelming majority had nothing to hide.” argued that Newham was widely regarded in every time, as the organisation tried to Whitehall as a successful and effective authority. For many, choosing to strategically identify the most relevant Eventually, Community Links started to realise All the official criteria showed that local need work in the cash-in-hand interlocutors in government for each new topic, that the east London population was significantly was going down and performance was going up. “ sharing with them stories and testimony that bigger than the census had suggested and, Government rewarded leading authorities with economy was a survival could shift policy and opinions. More than in their therefore, that deprivation could be more extreme additional funds, pilot programmes and special strategy instrumental nature, however, according to Aaron, than anything revealed in the official numbers. privileges. Revealing hidden need spoilt those the value of the Evidence Papers lay in their The census had recorded that 610,000 people trends and threatened that reputation, showing ” pragmatism: “They gave you the authority to then lived in the area, yet GP registrations numbered that Newham wasn’t doing so well after all. go on and say, ‘Look, there is evidence for this, 710,000. “The truth”, notes David, “is that nobody

46 CHAPTER 5 _47 Need NOT Greed

Further exploring the invisibility that often In the foreword to one of these reports, “Self- Gradually this angle seemed to grow in the second one was looking at formalisation accompanies poverty, some of the Evidence employed people in the informal economy relevance, and the connection between services, particularly around self-employment; Papers focused on the extensive work that – cheats or contributors?” (2004 ), Sir David poverty, benefits and the widespread need the third was [encouraging government Community Links was doing at the time on Walker, then chairman of Morgan Stanley to supplement these minimal sums of public to adopt] a more nuanced approach to the cash-in-hand economy and the people International and regular government adviser, money in times of hardship by accepting enforcement. At the time those posters were all involved in it. Richard remembers, “there was welcomed the organisation’s in-depth cash-in-hand jobs became increasingly over the country and there were adverts on TV a cycle where we were learning from people exploration of the reasons why people end up evident. Scaremongering campaigns by the – really threatening ones – ‘we are watching with that lived experience, we were writing it up working informally. “In poorer countries of the Department of Work and Pensions targeted at you and we’ll find you’. We wanted to say, and producing policy recommendations. We world, ‘micro-entrepreneurs’ trading informally benefit fraudsters began to make appearances ‘Yes, benefit fraud is happening, but we should were dealing with it in a way that a think tank are praised for their initiative, enterprise and across many of the most deprived areas in the have a more positive approach.’ We realised or university research department wouldn’t: the sheer hard work”, he wrote. “Their stories country, including Newham. “Made to pay we needed to do a lot more about the stigma same people were involved in experiencing the are held up as examples of courage in the back the benefit I stole”, said one humiliating of people on benefits.” issue, thinking about it, understanding it and face of adversity. Our government provides poster on a phone box outside Community then doing something about it.” substantial aid to programmes which support Links, office. “And he thought he’d never be But when Community Links tried to do this, it them. And yet, in our own country, we seem caught”, threatened the official comment encountered its first challenge: “We quickly In many of the “What If” conversations that to [view] their efforts to improve their situation printed at the bottom. realised that our reports, with all their results, Community Links had conducted with local only in a criminal light.” stats and figures didn’t contain sufficient residents, employment issues had been The charity felt it had to take urgent action to personal narratives or human stories”, says repeatedly raised, and the organisation was According to Walker, the informal economy reframe the conversation and invert people’s Maeve. These were particularly important, as determined to make good use of its editorial “is a prevalent force in many communities attitudes; it had to introduce a different narrative. the campaign was perceived as controversial output to channel, elaborate on and share the throughout the UK. It often provides an “Where people take on [low-paid] informal work by several key actors. “It was very difficult reality of everyday living in this deprived area essential mechanism for people to support out of need, the decision ... is different from that to get across in the media, the government of London. If the “What If” mechanism served themselves and their families, become more of someone who is avoiding taxes out of greed”, and even the third sector. Charities [didn’t to gather the local knowledge and understand financially independent and less reliant on explained one Evidence Paper at the time. The feel comfortable] talking about this publicly the most pressing challenges affecting the state support. It gives them the capacity to perspective was simple but unique; the potential because they spent a lot of time trying to neighbourhood, the Evidence Papers were the work, and with that [come] self-esteem and for change huge. A campaign was needed. help people off benefits, whilst this campaign tools through which the organisation could personal dignity, a sense of contributing to indicated that these people had to stay on, hope to influence central policy-making, society, and perhaps the only opportunity The slogan: Need NOT Greed. but out of survival – out of poverty.” collecting stories on the ground as evidence available to them to acquire the necessary and shaping recommendations around them. skills and experience to move into mainstream We’ve shown how much of the The best way to break through this layer of suspicion was to have people as the face of business or employment.” fraud in the benefits system is Through the work on the SEZ, the charity had “ the campaign. “But it was so difficult to find started looking at why some people in Newham This means that the cash-in-hand economy perpetrated out of need, not greed people who were willing to talk to us about were choosing to work in the cash-in-hand remains a grey area, one in which judgements their situation; understandably, they were economy. It gradually discovered that this had cannot be made without understanding the In 2008, Maeve McGoldrick joined Community” scared”, continues Maeve. “I remember more to do with survival rather than with greed. intentions and motives behind the behaviour. Links to work on this campaign. “[The I got a call from the BBC saying, ‘We “It was a coping mechanism, a survival strategy “With ‘The Uncounted’ and this piece of organisation] had a substantial evidence really want to cover the story and for feeding their family. It was a reaction to work we were going back to the Tower Blocks base around the informal economy, but talk to some of these people.’ I was poverty. If people couldn’t get mainstream jobs Campaign, operating at the margins of recognised that they needed to change desperately trying to find case studies or develop a career, they had to do what they what the council and government wanted us government policy. We needed more proactive for them, but I couldn’t and we lost could to get by – taking bits and pieces of work to be doing”, says David now. “It was quite campaigning and lobbying”, remembers that opportunity. After work that and getting paid in cash”, explains Aaron. “When controversial, as the popular opinion would be Maeve. “Initially, I had to refine policy day I walked up and down Barking we started looking into this area, there was very that people in the informal economy should recommendations, build up support for them Road just asking people if they little research in the UK around the impact that be punished; [instead, we were pushing for] and do some profile work in parliament and knew someone... I was terrified cash-in-hand work has on poverty or prospects. an understanding of the circumstances and of with the media. As the campaign grew, we of how to put it. They all walked The issue had come out of the ‘What Ifs’. We what’s in the interest of wider society.” got it down to three big policy areas to make away. I hadn’t quite appreciated did policy research around it and eventually it more effective: one was around ending the the challenges of the campaign produced about 20 reports over several years.” need for informal work through welfare reform; and the fear people had.”

48 CHAPTER 5 _49 Need NOT Greed

Although Maeve didn’t find anyone who was was really keen to work with us. We’d won him over solutions”, explains Maeve. Among participants, version of what we were asking for”, says Maeve prepared to talk on the record that day, by that stage and we’d won Hazel Blears – who the challenges of the labour market and the now. These changes were worked up in detail by eventually, by working closely with their own was the Department for Communities and Local inflexibility of the benefits system appeared to the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) – a think tank service users and with other organisations, Government minister working on regeneration be recurring concerns. As well as a chance to set up by Iain Duncan Smith. The CSJ called on Community Links identified people who were and tackling poverty. Then, shortly afterwards, influence national policy-making from the bottom, government to simplify working-age benefits by willing to talk. “Trust was essential”, says Maeve. both Ministers resigned! The piece of learning we as Community Links had done in the past, the replacing them all with Universal Credit. “I remember discovering this little community – had to take forward was don’t rely on one or two experience was a chance for the organisation it’s called Gamesley – a really deprived area, very senior people; build out from those leaders as to engage with a broader dimension, as the There were common threads linking this piece of with very few opportunities, just cash-in-hand soon as possible. Campaigns can have long lives Need NOT Greed team attended events in research and Community Links’ conclusions, as work. We discovered over 30 people who were and many of them. Ministers often don’t.” Brussels and met with other European actors to in the meanwhile Deven had secured the post of freely talking about doing bits and pieces of join forces against poverty across the region. senior researcher at the CSJ. Maeve, who is now informal work. We ended up with eight people However, the campaign had touched James Head of Policy and Campaigns at Crisis UK, notes who [agreed to share their experiences publicly Purnell in a way that had caught his attention Gradually, the campaign became no longer just that Iain Duncan Smith had conducted research and attend] the launch of Need NOT Greed.” beyond the scope of his official role. “He met with about raising awareness on the informal economy on dynamic benefits for years, but that, thanks to me in his flat after that and he said he was not but also about identifying and highlighting those Community Links, “he incorporated the informal We are living with a complex able to talk officially because he wasn’t secretary barriers that prevented workers from entering the economy into his proposals and, when he became anymore, but that he thought this was the most system formal economy. “We’ve shown before how much Secretary of State, part of the universal credit “ inspirational campaign he’d ever encountered – it of the fraud in the benefit system is perpetrated design focused particularly on additional revenue was the impact of people’s voices, hearing about out of need, not greed”, wrote Will Horwitz, former to formalise informal activities. The principles were It was early” 2009 when Community Links brought real lives. It really had an effect on him and he Communications Coordinator at Community Links, very much the same. It’s what we were asking these people and others with experience of gave us some advice on how best to approach it: in a blog post. “Obviously there are those who are for and we strongly believed that would reduce cash-in-hand work to Westminster and officially don’t go public but go behind the scenes, because greedily playing the system, and they make for informal work.” launched the campaign. At the event, there were it’s a controversial topic and even if the Secretary great newspaper headlines, but in our experience MPs, Lords and the then Secretary of State James of State wants to help you, they can’t be seen to many people on benefits do a bit of work on the Will, who is currently a civil servant for the Purnell. “[They were all very interested in] personal be endorsing benefits fraud. It was incredible but side because they need to. Reforming the benefits Department for Work and Pensions and was experiences and people’s personal motives”, says that’s why my job changed, from Campaigns system so that people are able to do small amounts involved in the design of universal credit, Maeve now. “[I remember] this story of a mum Coordinator to Policy and Public Affairs Manager. of work as a first step back towards the job market also says that he’s noticed evidence of the who ended up in prison [and] was prosecuted We recognised that we needed more of a would lead to higher employment and fewer people Community Links impact on the DWP. In for [fraud]. She said she never regretted it; she public affairs approach and we realised how working in the informal economy. Ultimately, less particular, he identifies elements of Deep Value mentioned her daughter, she said that she was important it was to build strong, trusting fraud and a smaller welfare budget”, he concluded. (the importance of relationships in public able to make enough money to educate her and relationships if we wanted to have the kind of services as theorised by Community Links) the daughter now had a really good job, so her influence that we needed.” The conversations with some of the people who that were then attached to welfare reform: sacrifice was worth it. James Purnell [in particular] felt they had no choice but to sell their services “there’s definitely an aspiration amongst was very moved. He invited us to meet later with By that time it was 2010, and Community Links and skills on the informal market were all pointing the senior leadership to base the delivery him, the head of the Department for Work and saw an opportunity to expand some of this work towards the need for welfare reform. “We began to of universal credit around the relationship Pensions fraud team and the head of benefit by applying alongside the Department for Work steer Need NOT Greed into modernising the welfare between a work coach and a claimant. policy. It was the morning that the MPs’ expenses and Pensions to run the UK programme for the system [and how this could have a positive impact It’s the claimant commitment – now a scandal first made the news. I sat there with them European Year against Poverty and Social Exclusion. on] formalisation activities”, explains Maeve. At that core part of how the DWP operates.” while the Secretary of State was on the phone to Winning the bid meant that the organisation could time Deven Ghelani had started volunteering with And, perhaps more than anything else, the media trying to explain why he wasn’t fiddling continue to research the ways in which poverty Community Links. He had recently experienced the it’s precisely this focus on human his expenses, and I heard exactly the same line and the informal economy were connected, while benefits system and was interested in contributing interactions that Community Links we were telling MPs, ‘We are living with a complex strengthening its network beyond Newham and suggestions for welfare reform. “Deven worked attempted to contribute to the system.’ This was exactly the same line [that can even beyond the UK. “We applied that ‘What If’ on a tapered benefits proposal which was later initial design for welfare reform, be read] in our research findings – people don’t methodology across the country and fed back ideas presented to the minister”, remembers Maeve. alongside the wealth of grassroots understand the benefits system [and can too into mainstream policy”, says Aaron. This wasn’t a new idea; many other voices were knowledge that had filtered for easily be accused of fraud] because it’s [all] overly simultaneously calling for change, but the timing decades through its regular complex. We thought he was going to call off the “We involved over a hundred people on benefits in was perfect. “Shortly afterwards Iain Duncan Smith interactions with the front line. meeting”, she continues, “but we [talked] and he workshops to identify obstacles and come up with introduced dynamic benefits – basically a bigger

50 CHAPTER 5 _51 Need NOT Greed

We took the experiences of It falls apart, though, when it has to respond At the time of the campaign, Community The attitude of HMRC changed. “They were to fluctuating incomes or rapid changes in Links had calculated that more than 150 the local people to the House of no longer just saying, ‘We’re going to catch “ people’s circumstances. minor changes had been made to the housing you and lock you up.’ They recognised that Commons, suggesting solutions but benefit system since it was introduced and the that approach alone just drove the problem then working with civil servants to “McGoldrick says the majority of benefit number was continuing to rise. “It’s evident to further underground. They understood that it look at the different implications claimants are now going into unstable jobs. anybody who looks at the system that it’s in was shades of grey rather than binary black They may be commission-based, or agency need of an overhaul, and certainly some way of and white – informal is bad, formal is good work, or zero-hour contracts. ... Jobs aren’t pulling some of those things together, making it – and so their response should involve more explains Aaron. “[For example,] we supported” what they were. The government and the much, much simpler”, David adds. That’s what respect, more education, more support, more the work around universal credit – at the welfare system tend to talk and act as if Need NOT Greed was arguing for. It was an encouragement and more understanding of time we thought it would be the best option finding work is the end of the problem, and increasingly common view. That’s the context in real lives and of the subtleties of tax morality”, – because we could see [in Newham that] as if happy jobseekers will have nothing which the organisation ended up supporting the says Aaron. the benefits system wasn’t working. So [for left to think about except the gold watch work on universal credit enthusiastically, even instance,] we analysed the data to understand they’ll receive when they retire. But many backing – for a while – some of the changes It was Community Links’ local experience that why people were coming to see us for advice. jobs on offer, particularly those advertised that the CSJ was advocating for. But in the end, had shaped this knowledge and motivated A lot of it had to do with delays within the in jobcentres, are precarious, temporary or “the details of the government’s implementation the organisation to pursue a wider culture benefits system. We could then take that to part-time, or have uncertain hours. Leaving fell well short of what was necessary”, says shift – not the other way round. The charity the DWP and say ‘Look, 73% of people come the security of benefits for jobs like these is David. “When the government introduced a had first encountered these issues through to us because of housing, because of the like stepping out onto cracking ice. ... Trying benefit cap, the objectives of universal credit local conversations; it had then invested administrative delays. You need to improve to deal with that sends benefit offices into were discredited and contradicted”, similarly resources in listening to – and collaborating that policy.’ Our involvement in universal credit meltdown. ... If [people’s] incomes fluctuate concludes Maeve. with – people who had personally experienced grew out of this. We could see the changes from week to week, so will their entitlement, the challenges of an overly complex benefits needed and we developed those [ideas] over a and the system can’t keep up. Weekly changes Although the final design was not what system. Throughout the process, it reframed number of years.” must be reported, and it can take weeks Community Links had envisioned when it had the focus, narrative and perspective of its for each claim to be processed. Meanwhile, first started talking about the modernisation campaign to fine-tune relevance, scope But the collaboration with Ghelani offered panicking claimants may find that their of the welfare system, by the end of the and reach, it proposed systemic change more than a claim to influence over housing benefit has been cut or suspended, on campaign political opinions on the informal and it continuously challenged the cultural mainstream policy-making. As a direct result of the assumption that what they earned three economy had begun to shift – as the presumptions which underpinned the policies. this work, the demands of the Need NOT Greed weeks ago is what they’re earning now.” government’s decision to allocate resources campaign acquired more focus and relevance, to the formalisation of cash-in-hand activities In the end, the work on the informal economy as the organisation now had a clear picture of What was needed was a simpler welfare demonstrated. “Politicians understood that and welfare reform came to represent the how the welfare system should be improved for system, flexible enough to accommodate all the picture is mixed; that while certainly some organisation’s preferred approach to the benefit of people who had been struggling modern work arrangements and realities; not people are serial fraudsters, the considerable policy-making. Listen to grassroots voices. because of its intricacies. one that was rigid and increasingly difficult majority in our view were motivated by the Embed these insights into every stage of to navigate. right reasons, trying to do their best for their the thinking when attempting to develop “Maeve McGoldrick of the charity Community families and themselves; with the right kind of solutions. Conduct research, shape Links says the benefits system simply can’t “I remember that right at the beginning of system we could enable that to work for the proposals and develop a narrative cope with modern working life”, wrote Jenni Community Links one of the first things we did benefit of the state as well as for the benefit which actively engages popular Russell in the Guardian in August 2009, in [our] little shop was a welfare rights course”, of the individual. These people weren’t getting opinion and conventional wisdom summing up what the campaign now wished says David, “It ran for four half days – so two rich; they were trying to get into the formal without ever losing sight of real lives to convey. “It is designed for predictability, days in total – and you could pretty much economy and the system blocked them rather and real needs. Engage influential and that is just what has become so elusive, learn how the system worked. The idea that you than facilitated them”, explains David. leaders and connect with national particularly at the bottom of the market. could spend two days doing that and master policy-makers. Build out from If a single mother, say, is offered a steady the system now is laughable. Bits have been Need NOT Greed persuaded Revenue & those relationships to engage minimum-wage job for 24 hours a week, the built on and it’s become so much more complex Customs to think differently about these whole institutions. Act as a link system can deal very effectively with that. It over the years. Large numbers of people don’t issues. “The Government secondee who spent between local experience and can calculate the tax credits and the housing claim what they’re entitled to; there’s a level of six months with us went back and set up an mainstream knowledge. Create benefit subsidy that will make work pay. poverty that doesn’t need to exist.” Informal Economy Unit”, remembers Aaron. change, from the ground up.

52 CHAPTER 5 _53 Chapter 6

Through the years, Community “I think in our sector there used to be an Links has consistently attempted assumption that, because we’re saying useful things, we have a right to expect people to to accompany its ground-up policy read what we produce; that we don’t have Telling work with regular publications to present it in a style that is anything other that could spread ideas far and than worthy”, notes David. But busy public officials might flick through reports on the wide, inspire people and increase Tube, so production values, competent writing the chances of initiating systemic and good design are as important as content. change. “A national directory of “I think we probably got better at this as we The Stories progressed and we tried to reflect the different UK tower blocks was published”, audiences”, he says. “It’s about selling ideas, wrote Frances Clarke referring to also by using phrases that stick. Words define the first in a series of publications ideas and ideas drive action. It’s a way to that the organisation had produced influence behaviour.” The terms Deep Value (the revolutionary power of relationships to disseminate information in the in the context of public services) and Early 1980s, at the time of the National Action (the importance of preventative action Tower Blocks Network. “[These] in creating systemic change) are two such examples, according to Matthew Smerdon: kick-start[ed] the Community Links “Each of them captures something that others publications programme, which might be talking about, but in a way that continues today.” describes it differently; they lift the concept and move it into another plane.” “Stories,” wrote Ben Okri, are the “secret As the organisation grew in size and its reservoir of values”. I believe that in our projects began to reach a wider audience, By gathering in one place – and in national conversations we could devote more this strategy became more relevant. From chronological order – some of Community time and space to stories .... “Change the relatively short reports tailored for fellow Links’ editorial projects with national and stories individuals and nations live by and practitioners, to books co-written with prime global reach, this chapter aims to articulate tell themselves,” says Okri, and we “change ministers and global bestsellers, Community the underlying intent that brought them all the individuals and the nations”. Links has always attempted to share its into being, tracing the publications back to constructive take on pressing issues as the desire of the organisation to amplify (From Gordon Brown’s conclusion to Britain’s broadly as possible, mostly by collecting community voices, share inspirational Everyday Heroes, p.223) positive examples of good practice rather ideas, discuss potential solutions and, with than angrily denouncing what’s wrong the help of influential allies and through or coldly analysing problems from afar. the strategic use of the written page, But content wasn’t the only aspect that generate change. Community Links wished to curate; early in the process, the organisation understood We were promoting that form and linguistic choices were an asset-based important too. “ approach to community development”

54 CHAPTER 6 _55 Telling The Stories

In 1989, a few years after the end of the Tower alone is telling, as it conveys the inherent They were good, practical ideas, time of Chain Reaction, when Community Blocks Campaign, the National Directories connection between local action and global Links and its partners began to develop a were succeeded by the Ideas Annuals. These justice. It’s taken from the speech that Eleanor [accompanied“ by some] extremely community website which attempted to grew out of the recognition that Community Roosevelt gave at the United Nations in 1958, good analysis aggregate some of those ideas online. Links was repeatedly encountering bright where she introduced the idea that “without ideas from across Britain – predominantly concerted citizen action to uphold [human says Paul Twivy, a communications” consultant We offer this compilation to coming from some of the most disadvantaged rights] close to home, we shall look in vain who would join Gordon Brown’s Council on Social share ideas we believe in and to local communities in the country. People were for progress in the larger world”. The projects Action alongside Community Links and others “ finding clever solutions to tackle local problems, covered are local in nature and, therefore, a few years later. Paul helped with the design of simply inspire but their experience was rarely being shared extremely varied: from Amigos in Middlesex, another volume of the series, Ground Up. This beyond the boundaries of each individual which provides newly arrived refugees and one was celebrating some of the projects that The book you are ”holding in your hands isn’t community. The Ideas Annuals were therefore asylum seekers with a web of volunteer support were tackling family poverty at the grassroots the first publication in which Community Links an attempt to draw together these experiences to help them navigate an unfamiliar country, level. Just like most other programmes developed has tried to articulate its vision through the and experiments to inspire others who might be to the Southwark Refugee Artists Network in by Community Links, the Ideas Annuals, too, stories, voices and perspectives of the people struggling with similar issues elsewhere. London, which showcases the work of artists were rooted in a strong belief in vulnerable it’s worked with and some of the thinkers who belonging to these communities and celebrates people and their ability to come up with ways to have shared its values through the years. “We wanted to collect together good practice, their creativity. tackle problems directly affecting them, because In fact, as the organisation turned 21 at the though you couldn’t call it that because it “they are best placed to pass on their knowledge start of the millennium, it published a diverse was never evaluated: there was always an Almost all the featured projects were developed and understanding to others on the same issues”. collection of essays called What If…? element of editorial judgement, it wasn’t a to bridge gaps left behind by mainstream neutral, objective decision”, says Richard policies. The aims of this publication were With the series, explains Richard, the charity was The title wasn’t a coincidence. “What If” was McKeever, who managed Community Links’ simple: as well as providing a resource for therefore “taking what is now called an asset- indeed the mechanism that Community wider publication programme. “They were practitioners and encouraging the sharing of based approach to community development and Links had developed at the time of the Social good ideas, and the intention was to share information to generate new ideas, Community asking, ‘What are the good things about living Enterprise Zone to channel the knowledge and them with other practitioners, third sector Links hoped that by focusing on the positive there? What can we do better? Let’s celebrate experiences of its local community through organisations and funders. It was a fairly contributions of refugees and asylum seekers what we’ve got as a community so that those bits positive conversations. Underpinning the simple concept. Somebody had found a in community projects across the UK, Small and pieces can be better.’ This idea is similar to publication was therefore, once again, the desire solution, a way of dealing with something, an places could also help to counter a lot of that of solutions journalism [a type of reporting to inspire others to create change by amplifying answer to a problem, and we would write it negative media stereotyping, bringing some focused on sharing stories that highlight positive good ideas, communicating thoughts, narrating up: lead with the need, what’s the problem, humanity to the conversation. outcomes], and this, in turn, isn’t a million miles pragmatic stories and sharing some of the what are people trying to do, what they have from what David Wilcox – who was involved in lessons that the organisation had grasped after achieved and, obviously, the impact of that. “Quite early on”, says Richard, “we were Community Links and Chain Reaction – was years of attempting to influence central policy- And then here’s the contact details, directly to commissioned to produce two special editions writing about when he became one of the making from the bottom. the project. So Community Links didn’t act as by the Department of Education. They had pioneers of social reporting. This approach has an intermediary; it simply told the stories of set up the Children and Young People’s Unit stuck with me, so I’m [currently] involved as a “As Community Links comes of age, we offer what these projects were doing.” and they had a particular fund available [for volunteer in a community hyperlocal website. this compilation to celebrate, to share ideas organisations] to work [on issues affecting One of the things I think [Community Links] has we believe in and, above all, to simply Some of these case studies were found by children and young people]. They wanted two [of got right is the storytelling stuff; this focus on the inspire”, wrote David in the introduction. “snowball sampling” – asking people to our] Ideas Annuals to demonstrate what a good importance of individual stories.” “At the start of the new Millennium, it is suggest others who were working on similar application of the fund looked like, showing how time for us all to reflect on our place in issues or in similar ways. Some Ideas Annuals [existing] projects were contributing good ideas As communications gradually shifted online the world and our moment in history. were themed. “For example, we did one and [tracing] their impact.” and access to information was transformed We are of the generation that has [specifically] on projects working for refugees by the internet, the series came to an end. wired the world. We can make and asylum seekers”, remembers Richard. Print publications were cumbersome and had a difference – individually and Small places, close to home explored a wide become disproportionately expensive when collectively. We have the technology range of initiatives set up by or for refugees compared to the limitless, free, open web. The and the wealth to include the and asylum seekers to facilitate the integration last Ideas Annual was published around the excluded, here and across the of their communities across the UK. The title globe. Have we the will?”

56 CHAPTER 6 _57 Telling The Stories

Multiple literary and political personalities with, so each contributor wrote an essay and Living values Richard, who oversaw its production, contributed to What If…?, from William Boyd then we asked them to include a little piece at remembers how this participative approach to Steve Hilton, sharing their thinking around the end of it, listing what communities they felt When former chief executive Geraldine was reflected in the design of the publication: issues that were “increasingly relevant to part of. Some mentioned communities [built Blake joined Community Links in 2004, the everyone in Britain but [that were] rarely around] the football team they supported, organisation was trying to establish new Although it was produced as a openly discussed in Westminster”, such some talked about geographic communities, mechanisms that would allow it to push its report, it had a toolkit at the back. as child poverty, redistribution, mutual communities of interest and of issue. Making local learning into nationwide conversations. “ social responsibility and how to go about Links was another way of getting people to “We called this Links UK”, says Geraldine. It So it’s now go-and-do-it-yourself regenerating communities intelligently. Each think about these ideas and put them all was a research and policy programme that stuff. I think there’s a lot of that chapter was preceded by a constructive together, so [readers] could then look for their also integrated project development, training, DIY ethos [at Community Links]; a quote extrapolated from Community Links’ own conclusions and connections.” consultancy and publications. The first piece exchanges with local residents. “The cause of of work developed by Links UK was a research sort of punk ethos. [And since] the disability does not lie within the individual but What If...? published in 2002, was the first and consultancy project, and ultimately organisation was funded in the punk within the way society is organised”, says one Community Links publication to make any three publications, focusing on values and era, it’s almost appropriate. of them. impression in the mass market. There were aimed equally at charities and funders. This, several positive reviews in the national press Community Links hoped, might strengthen the But at the heart, this piece of work aimed” and the Andrew O’Hagan chapter, “A portrait It’s the way society treats me voluntary sector as a whole. to understand and crystallise the values of a British teenager”, profiling a young that were driving voluntary organisations that makes me disabled. We need to member of the Community Links Education “ The project grew out of the emphasis on and consider how they compared with or change society at all levels, starting programme was reproduced in full and as the principles that the organisation had prioritised contrasted to behaviour in other sectors. with the new generation. I want cover story in the Guardian supplement. for itself through the years and a gathering people to see what I can do and not concern that this approach was threatened “You’ve got government that does things What If...? spent three weeks in the Waterstones by the then embryonic contract culture which because they’re statutorily required to do what I can’t do. list of 50 bestsellers, a notable achievement at was beginning to transform the relationship so”, says Richard, “you’ve got commercial the time for a book that was so different from the between funders, particularly government, and organisations that do things for profit; what is A few years later, as” Community Links turned mainstream but it was to be another Community the voluntary sector. it that drives the voluntary sector?” 30, the organisation similarly published and Links’ publication, Living Values, that would have shared a book containing a series of individual the longest life. Eleven years after publication it is “We were asking ourselves, ‘How do we survive stories that narrated various individual It turned out that many of the long list of still regularly downloaded. in this new environment and still work from the interpretations of what community means. The values at the core of the charitable sector ground up?’”, continues Geraldine. How could charity called it Making Links: Fifteen visions were common to the other sectors but the organisations maintain their independence of community. “The title reflects the creation priorities were very different. Wanting to and inherent purpose while responding to and development of our organisation over 30 speak to as many voluntary actors as government priorities? Just as in the past, years”, Richard had written in the introduction possible, regardless of focus and context, the link between Community Links’ individual at the time, “but also the vital connections, Links UK also spent some time attempting experience and the broader context in which person-to-person and person-to-institution, to frame findings in an engaging way. this was situated shaped the project from the that affect the people we work with in east Matthew Smerdon, who also worked on very beginning. London and people just like them across the UK the project, credits a journal article ... even across the world.” “Both Gordon Brown from 1971, written by American “It was an example of Community Links and David Cameron contributed something”, sociologist Murray Davis, for much experiencing something here in Canning Town he says now. “We took a big, broad look at of the inspiration: “It’s called ‘That’s and thinking there was probably a wider ‘what is community?’ We asked people to Interesting!’ [Davis had] looked relevance”, explains Geraldine. “We were thinking, identify what they understood [by that]. They at different academic theories ‘If we are feeling that, then other organisations responded with all sorts of things: there was a and worked out why they were must be feeling that too’. So we brought together community of dog walkers in their local park, interesting. His conclusion was a cross-sector ‘collaborative inquiry’ to [conduct] there was an online community of bloggers that even if something is true, some primary research, to consult and to imagine. and so on. We wanted to record what people it’s not [necessarily] interesting. At the end of this very inclusive process we mean by community and who they connect published the Living Values report.”

58 CHAPTER 6 _59 Telling The Stories

What’s interesting is when [the findings] deny if you’re under contract with a government Union Jack colours on a black background. Young people mentoring younger pupils, an assumption which you thought you had. department you cannot reveal your “[By] Gordon Brown with Community Links, collecting toys or clothes for children who So we went back to the Living Values work performance data. And you see government the innovative charity at the forefront of need them more: their energy, their ideas, and we asked ourselves, ‘What’s surprising undermining charities’ right to campaign, community-based regeneration.” their devotion, every day changing our about this?’ We came up with the finding that government performing judicial review, and all country. And it is in these millions of quiet, whilst there were these huge forces at work the different ways in which the space of civil The plan was to use the launch of a book that often unheralded deeds of commitment having an effect on the voluntary sector, the society has been restricted. It was important celebrated social action as an opportunity to and acts of humanity that never draw biggest threat was coming from organisations to highlight this to the sector, because it’s announce the Council and a wider programme attention to themselves that we can see themselves not focusing on their values.” up to us to sustain those values, to fight for of work. It was to be Gordon Brown’s first major the greatness of Britain. ... This 24th of them – it’s not up to government. They have speech as Prime Minister. July we recognise and celebrate ordinary In other words, Community Links discovered an interest in not sustaining those. It’s our job people in all walks of life and across every that charities were indeed at risk of losing to hold government to account, to make voices Gila Sacks was working as an adviser to the neighbourhood who are making a willing their founding beliefs and identity, but not heard. The issue of trying to sustain your then Chancellor. She remembers the genesis commitment to act for social change, 24 primarily because of the changing relationship values was important when we did the work of Everyday Heroes: “The idea came when hours a day, 7 days a week. Because the with government. In fact, the threat was but has become even more intense.” Gordon was still at the Treasury. David talked society we want to build is dependent not predominantly internal: many voluntary sector about a book that would capture the stories on exceptional people doing extraordinary organisations had been unable to firmly – and Unsurprisingly, of all the publications in of people around the country who were doing things occasionally but on all of us clearly – articulate what they stood for. When Community Links’ back catalogue, Living something to help somebody – these kind doing ordinary things thoughtfully, day the environment changed, they changed Values is still the one that is still most often of sparks of kindness and support. This was after day, 24/7. I want to see 24/7 every too, not in a deliberate or principled way, but requested and downloaded. happening everywhere and we wanted to year becoming a day in which I, the without consideration. celebrate that, to shine a light on the great government and the country as a whole In retrospect, the Living Values work was stuff that was happening.” can honour all those acting for good, That was quite challenging, but also representative of Community Links’ and be inspired by the countless acts of approach to policy: it came out of the learning Shortly before Gordon Brown moved into Number social commitment which are shaping our it was also quite optimistic “ in Canning Town and it was positive and 10 in late June 2007, he and David developed country each day. practical. The learning inspired the tools, the concept of 24/7. “[They wanted] 24 July notes Matthew. “It meant they could” do and the tools were then put to use to inspire to become a regular day in which government The message was clear, and contained that something about it.” A series of national others. “And to link this process back to what celebrates social action and social heroes”, unique attention that Community Links consultancies and training activities ensued, we do here, we applied those tools [to our continues Gila, and so the newly elected Prime had always dedicated to local struggles as Community Links went on to assist various organisation too]”, says Geraldine. “We try to Minister planned a reception for that date, to and mutual assistance. But the book and organisations across the UK, helping them to put be very explicit about how we are using our simultaneously celebrate volunteers and launch the event stood for something bigger than their values back at the centre of their action. values. In the end you get a loop”, as the lines the book. There, he gave the speech [of which Newham, Community Links and even separating the teaching from the learning and the following is just an excerpt]: Westminster: it argued for a better society, Living Values ended up speaking to a relatively the local from the national become blurred, one that already existed in thousands of broad audience because “it highlighted a and it becomes difficult to understand where Everywhere I have travelled I have been small examples of good practice across critical issue within the sector then”, says one ends and the other begins. encouraged and inspired by meeting and the country, based on ideals of support Matthew. Essentially, it was a matter of timing, listening to concerned individuals wanting and compassion, yet drawn from and of framing the problem in a way that was to do more to make their neighbourhoods the pragmatic reality of everyday relevant to the context. “It was prescient”, The society we want to build safe and strong – people who offer their living. Everyday Heroes wasn’t about continues Matthew. “Once the recession kicked is dependent on all of us doing “ hearts and their hands, day in and day envisioning a utopian society; it was in, government behaviour really did start ordinary things thoughtfully out, year in and year out. The mothers about strengthening communities eroding the sector’s values through the funding and fathers helping with the local football by sharing the stories of those who relationship as it became more important for Britain’s Everyday Heroes was the next” team, lending a hand at their school, were already contributing to it. organisations to survive. You see now things book project and, once again, it was hugely helping with Comic Relief fundraising, like the Charity Commission saying charities different from the last one. Just as the Council joining the local campaigns to reduce should stick to their knitting; that charities on Social Action was starting to take shape, waste or recycle or improve pavements getting funding from government should not Community Links came up with the idea: and parks. criticise it. There are now clauses saying that Britain’s Everyday Heroes, says the cover,

60 CHAPTER 6 _61 Telling The Stories

Gordon Brown had just completed a book demarche. This gave people the opportunity obvious partner and the Mail paid Community showed there could be another way of doing in which he portrayed eight characters who to talk about motivation and personal impact Links a very welcome £30k for the privilege. things; that even the most disadvantaged had been an inspiration to him in different rather than just the work of the project. communities could attempt to take control; ways. But Courage: Eight Portraits listed big And the book was divided in relatively short The entire 70,000 words were written in five and that, in some cases, it worked. These were people with even bigger ideas, such as Nelson chapters (which could equally be presented weeks. Production went on under a lot of stories of empowerment that gave back voice Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi. They were as blogs), almost like Humans of New York [the pressure, partly because of the strategic and agency to marginalised protagonists, and legendary creatures. Unreachable heroes. successful online platform on which portraits deadline and partly because this was they were told with a purpose: To influence of – and interviews with – individuals in the both an unprecedented opportunity for behaviour and to create change at all levels, There were lots of individuals streets of New York City are published daily]. Community Links and a particularly sensitive within institutions and without. We wanted to make it personal and engaging.” and confidential project, that would soon be who weren’t as identifiable but who “ scrutinised and critiqued very publicly and Britain’s Heroes raised the curtain on were doing equally valuable stuff in Throughout the process, Gordon Brown was from every angle. “We organised a couple Community Links’ next national adventure smaller, less well-known situations very keen to carve out the space and time of events in Downing Street so that Gordon - the Prime Minister’s Council on Social to speak to all the subjects and to hear and Brown could meet and talk again with those Action. explains Richard. “It was them that we wanted” retell their stories as faithfully as possible. Gila people we had interviewed, also the ones he to profile and to celebrate.” remembers: had already met”, says Richard, “so that at no point would the writing and publishing process So Gordon Brown and Community Links put He was very passionate about feel disconnected from what was actually going on on the ground.” together a diverse, UK-wide list of such people the power of storytelling and people’s and started working on the book. Richard “ remembers the first meeting in the Treasury: own voices. That’s quite unusual for Bruce Crowther from the Fairtrade Foundation “I suggested that this could be like William very senior politicians, I think. He was featured in the book and wrote at the Cobbett and his Rural Rides – the idea of wanted to share these narratives in a time, “it is a great honour to be selected as someone from Westminster travelling around an example of one of the many thousands of the country and taking the temperature of the very straightforward way: not layer people who do such great work in our country. nation: what’s happening, what are people on lots of ideology or policy, but This can only help the cause that I feel so thinking, what are people doing? In this case, just listen to what could be achieved passionate about …. The message that comes out in the book is so clear to me and one that Gordon Brown would be the one looking at when individuals go out and try to do what people are doing in this country and it is a privilege to be associated with. Change what are the actions, activities and behaviours amazing things. does not come from great leaders but from that he, as a prime minister, would like to the many millions of people who stand behind celebrate and encourage through the Council For Community Links,” the experience also them. We often put those great leaders up on Social Action.” felt like a unique opportunity to reach on a pedestal, but that is to miss the point. a wider audience. “The book was even Change is in ourselves.” On the list, there were public servants, there serialised by the Daily Mail, of all places”, was a firefighter from Liverpool, there was a says Richard. “They took some of the stories Behind all these fragments of personal woman who’d been working in Northern Ireland and published edited versions of them in the experience, behind Everyday Heroes, the and had been doing cross-community work week [preceding] the launch. It felt like quite Living Values report, the Ideas Annuals lay as a result of the Troubles, there were people an unusual but exciting collaboration with Community Links’ belief in the power of stories, that Community Links had worked with and a newspaper that didn’t support the Prime and in the strategic value of sharing them. who were connected to projects that had been Minister and was also not the natural home But these were not just any stories. They were previously featured in the Ideas Annuals. In of campaigning but while these were indeed narratives that reflected what the organisation fact, for those involved, Everyday Heroes felt social action stories, the protagonists were stood for and its approach to systemic change. like a natural successor to the Ideas Annuals. framed as everyday British heroes, and so the They were derived from its policy work, and “But whereas in the Ideas Annuals Community Daily Mail became exactly the place where they in turn shaped the future iterations of that Links focused on projects, in this book the they should be.” The stories and the messages work. They recounted what seemed to work on focus was on individuals, on personal stories”, behind them touched a far larger audience the ground, what individuals and small groups says Richard. “It felt unusual, like a bit of a than would ever have been reached by a more of people had been experimenting with. They

62 CHAPTER 6 _63 Chapter 7

It was in 2007 that Community This is the story of how a small community Links became formally involved in organisation found itself catapulted out of east London and into the decision-making shaping one of the last big social halls of Downing Street; of how it set out to The Prime innovation agendas pushed from change social policy from within mainstream the heart of Whitehall, before a institutions; and of how it ended up making only modest progress against the background sustained programme of deep of a collapsing global economy. It was the cuts to public spending started to most extraordinary opportunity to arise inhibit any similar conversations from the Community Links approach to Minister’s “work without borders”, explicitly pioneering and experiments. Gordon Brown and plainly national, yet at the same time had established the Council more rigidly constrained by the rules and on Social Action and wanted conventions of working at the highest level in Community Links to co-run it. government than any other project before or Council on since. Much was learnt from this experience. A few decades had gone by since the organisation had first stumbled It was not the kind of upon national policy-makers as conversation“ that was usually it was building up a campaign to happening inside of Number 10 Social Action improve the living conditions of tower blocks residents in Newham. Gordon Brown was still Shadow Chancellor” when he first took an interest in Community Now, Community Links was more It is an immense privilege to be here today In ... relationships [between people delivering Links’ insights and stories of some of the ... with such a powerful and successful and people using public services], it is the conscious of what it was doing: people who were struggling to get out of community group – Community Links – ... practical transfer of knowledge that creates it wanted to work directly with poverty in what was then one of the most whose founding belief is one ... that I embrace: the conditions for progress, but it is the deprived neighbourhoods in the UK. As he government; it wanted to find became Chancellor, this exchange intensified. “that we all need help at some times in our deeper qualities of the human bond that ways to influence policy-making lives and we all have something to give”. nourish confidence, inspire self-esteem, David asked him if he had talked to any unlock potential, erode inequality and so with its grassroots knowledge; it of the people who would qualify for New (Gordon Brown in his first speech as Prime have the power to transform. wanted to get maximum access Deal programmes (New Labour’s workfare initiative to create 100,000 jobs for lone Minister, 24 July 2007) so it could attempt to create (Council on Social Action, Side by Side, 2008) parents, the disabled and the long-term The good society is made up of willing maximum change. unemployed), or any of the families who citizens: the school child who goes over to might be affected by benefits changes. a new arrival to make them feel welcome; Brown said: “Not as much as I’d like to. the woman who gives her time to mentor Can you fix that?”, remembers David. someone; the company chairman who ensures all his staff earn a living wage; the scientist who devotes her career to finding a cure; the nurse who spends time comforting the families of her patients; all those doing the infinite number of things that can make other people’s lives better.

(Council on Social Action, Willing Citizens and the Making of the Good Society, 2008) 64 CHAPTER 7 _65 The Prime Minister’s Council on Social Action

Community Links organised a few evenings in The body was diverse, but not representative. let’s see what happens. Let’s not try to have Caroline Middlecote, who at the time worked Downing Street, where it brought small groups The 15 members were selected from a mixed everything under control, let’s just see what for Accenture and helped to coordinate the of people who were affected by these policies to background to ensure that the project would happens. It was very exciting.” programme on a secondment. “It was like meet the Chancellor. The encounters were very remain committed to its ultimate objective: small pieces of policy work actually creating a informal and without fixed agendas. They were generating ambitious, creative ideas. “We Radhika Bynon, a Community Links trustee change that was systemic.” lengthy conversations rather than meetings, were looking for people who were likely to who temporarily stepped off the Board to join and they were confidential – neither side would be constructive and interested in similar the Council in 2008, similarly remembers those Although the ideas and projects generated talk about them. “Sometimes they’d last a few things; people who had some experience that meetings: “You had these extreme, funny, by the Council on Social Action (CoSA ) were hours. They were very useful and honest, as would help us do something differently – in amusing characters and there were always big diverse in nature, they followed some common Gordon Brown was trying to understand the the middle of it all rather than just from the topics on the agenda, so we never really spent threads: barriers preventing people from real issues – what policies might be helpful and outside”, explains David. time discussing procedural stuff. It was always becoming active citizens had to be addressed, what wouldn’t”, continues David. about big issues, progress made around big communities had to be strengthened by Some of the members were known for a issues, and people would throw these great fostering lasting relationships; people and In time, as it became clear that he was going particular innovation, such as Sophi Tranchell ideas at the table.” institutions had to feel responsible for one to be Prime Minister, these sessions evolved into of Divine Chocolate and Tim Smit of the another. Each thread served the Council’s final more focused discussions on how that type Eden Project. Other members were from the Fuelled by the variety of ideas put forward purpose: to facilitate, by championing social of experience could be brought forward and voluntary sector or involved in policy-making, by its members, the Council embraced a action and through innovation, the creation of incorporated into his government. Eventually, such as Julia Unwin, then Chief Executive of model of action that had little to do with the it was agreed that some stable mechanism the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, and Geoff measured, uniform and controlled manner in the good society, a society was needed in order to make the collaboration which government traditionally works. “There Mulgan, then at the Young Foundation. It was where we all feel a part of, and play more effective. The first step was to convene the odd, ambitious and experimental mix that was no other mechanism in government that “ a small informal group that included people motivated Paul to join the group, he says. we were trying to copy; we did everything in a part in, something bigger than close to Community Links and others who a different kind of way”, explains Radhika. ourselves had worked with the organisation in the past. I got involved because the idea It was a creative experiment, thus flexible “We were starting to think about what Gordon to some extent, but it was also guided by a of something that was going to take as Gordon Brown” put it when he announced Brown might do when he became Prime “ precise set of principles and some deliberate the establishment of CoSA. Ultimately, Minister”, explains David. social entrepreneurs from different goals. The vision framing the discussion was this belief was summarised in the three backgrounds and mix them with top articulated in Willing citizens and the making words that made up the strapline for Chain The Everyday Heroes book was the first output, civil servants and the prime minister, of the good society – the first report published Reaction, one of the biggest events run by written in the months immediately preceding by the Council (over the next two years it the Council in its two-year lifespan: Connect, the new premiership and launched in its first to come up with some ideas that could would produce 11 reports, totalling more than Collaborate, Commit. weeks alongside a commitment to formalise become policy, was phenomenal. 100,000 words, as part of its commitment to and expand the little informal group. That’s open discussion). What would Davos look how an institutional body dedicated to social And the energy and creativity released by” action started to take shape, eventually this unlikely combination were something The aim of the experiment was to produce like“ if it was all about social becoming the Council on Social Action in 2007. central institutions had rarely seen before. “I work that would encourage and support change? remember that first meeting at Number 10”, the participation of every citizen, every “It was a council of independent advisers recounts Gila Sacks. “We were in one of those community group, every organisation and The Global ”Forum for Social Leadership chaired by Gordon Brown and David”, incredibly formal rooms and we were hearing every institution in moving forward, individually – which was later rebranded as says Geraldine. Although technically the some people come up with some pretty crazy and together. The Council wasn’t just about Chain Reaction to convey the idea vice-chair, in fact, David – in the words of stuff, thinking, ‘Alright, I don’t think these walls finding new ways for government to intervene of “a chain reaction of people, communications specialist and Council are used to these kinds of conversations, that’s and solve problems. It was about encouraging introductions and ideas [that member Paul Twivy – “basically ran it all”. “He good’. Gordon was there and he was just like, everyone to do their part. This is why the body releases] energy and connections” was the catalyst”, agrees David Thomlinson, ‘This is fine’. It was not the kind of conversation intentionally pursued a mix of policy influence – was announced by Gordon who at the time was head of Accenture’s that was usually happening inside of Number and practical action; to get as many people Brown with the same speech in business in the UK and Ireland and brought his 10, and that was the whole point. Let’s get as possible on board. “I think we were trying which he launched Everyday corporate perspective into the mix of voices people together who are very creative, in some to catalyse an idea, so we were attempting Heroes and CoSA. animating the Council. ways quite outspoken or just free-thinking, and different projects at the same time”, says

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The Council wanted to establish a new annual Fiona Rawes, director of the Heart of the City, was event’s purpose was to connect people, to Whilst still at the Treasury Gordon Brown forum on social leadership to bring together a little more restrained but no less enthusiastic: make changes. It created a connection and we had talked to David about the funding of the innovators from all over the world. The first have made changes.” voluntary sector and David had convened the Chain Reaction, which took place in London first meetings between Sir Ronald Cohen and in 2008, was imagined as “what Davos World such an ambitious idea, so Matt Hyde (now CEO of the Scout Association) Gordon Brown. Sir Ronald had a very big idea Economic Forum would look like if it was all beautifully,“ beautifully executed was Chief Executive of the National Union of about a “social investment bank”, and as the about social change and social leaders”, and with such inspiring results … Students at the time. He attended with the acknowledged father of the venture capital remembers Geraldine. She managed the event then NUS President Wes Streeting (now Ilford industry he had the experience to know what and Community Links delivered it. At the centre of the event was Community” North MP) and says, “I went away buzzing worked and the authority to talk about it. The Links’ desire to encourage people to connect with ideas and inspiration. Wes and I attended Chancellor was convinced and work began Comic Relief Founder Jane Tewson remembers with other participants, and commit to with Angus McFarland, President of NUS on what would eventually become Big Society the event as “really special, exciting and specific projects and collaborations by the Australia. We were really struck by the global Capital. Sir Ronald and Gordon Brown are still inspirational. It was a privilege to have end of the two days. More often than not, nature of the event and started discussing a collaborating in 2017 as their shared vision been asked to be involved alongside some these interactions were fleeting conversations collaborative event for students across the of “impact investing”, largely driven by Sir outstanding thinkers and speakers.” It was shared informally at a coffee table, so many world focused on global social action...” Ronald’s skill, passion and insight, has rippled indeed a big project, designed as a two-day of the collaborations that ensued were hard out across the world. For Community Links the event and attended by over 1,000 people to track down. It was also an occasion to experiment with thread of this work was continued when Prime from 17 countries. The entire event relied on an early social media, which at the time were Minister Brown asked CoSA to think about unconferenced approach; that is, on building Daniela Eavis, from the then start-up Harry just starting to shape communications in the innovative funding models. a space where people could self-organise and Bang Bangs, wrote afterwards: “Chain voluntary sector. “We were using Twitter, which come together; “where people [wouldn’t] just Reaction fed my soul. So much to listen to was really new then”, remembers Geraldine. The ideas behind the Social Impact Bond go and listen to speakers; where they [could] and actively participate in, my only regret is “At one point we were trending worldwide.” had first been discussed some time before connect with each other”, says Geraldine. that I didn’t manage it all. My dream needs There was a lot of live tweeting, web streaming, the official start of CoSA by David Robinson The whole agenda was based around social finance, so on the second day I braved the blogging and various other ways to share and Peter Wheeler, who was then a partner change, “so sport for social change, art for finance workshop. I am simply a mum with ideas online as well as in the physical spaces at Goldman Sachs. At the time, Community social change, entrepreneurship for social a vision and the event enabled me to chat provided. This experience led directly into the Links was working with young offenders, and change, investment for social change, with CEOs, one Cabinet minister, a load of UK Catalyst Awards which CoSA designed its projects had been funded on a yearly everything for social change as well as the inspiring young leaders and a whole bunch of and launched to celebrate projects that basis, with little regard for whether the final more conventional conference presentations”. experts. Everyone was saying it was the best were already using information technology outcome of helping these people break the conference they had ever been to.” innovatively to improve society. cycle of recidivism was ultimately achieved. Chain Reaction attendee and Star Wards This seemed ridiculous. For the state, a Founder Marion Janner described the “Sometimes I would bump into people three Chain Reaction 2008 was designed as a first; positive outcome meant saving money. For experience as: years later and they would say something however, by the time that budgets were set for the individual, it meant having a chance incredible like, ‘As a result of Chain Reaction I 2009 and 2010 there was much less money at a good life. It was a win-win situation. exceptional, enjoyable, met this person, we bought a building together available and the events were much smaller. Why weren’t public bodies seeking to understand what works and investing for stimulating, inspiring and super and we started a community radio station’”, Learning and exchange continued but the big “ recounts Geraldine. ambition to do something really different and the longer term? useful. I met some amazing people, I sustainable was never able to develop to its full am still in contact with some of them Executive coach Linda Woolston particularly potential. Was it all worthwhile? For those who Of course public budgets were limited, now. I learnt masses, got lots of ideas recalls “the optimism … it left its mark on me enjoyed the extraordinary excitement of those but by designing around timeframes very strongly”. Thanks to those two days, two glorious days in November 2008 it plainly rather than outcomes government and had a simply brilliant time. Linda decided that she wanted to coach was. It was not, however, as had been hoped, wasn’t tackling the causes of people who wanted to make a difference in the start of something bigger. reoffending. How might this ” absurdity be addressed? the world. She got in touch with Jeremy Gilley, the founder of Peace One Day, after hearing The first Social Impact Bond his passionate speech at the event and she has now become dozens of projects has worked with him ever since. “For me it was “ indeed a chain reaction”, she says. “The whole across the world 68 ” CHAPTER 7 _69 The Prime Minister’s Council on Social Action

When the Council was first set up, these compared to a national control group. This Writing in the FT in August 2017 Gordon However, Community Links and Social thoughts were brought to the table and exceeded the target of 7.5% set by the Ministry Brown concluded, “Big ideas are few and Finance don’t think that the failure of the idea of a bond that would raise private of Justice and the Big Lottery Fund. The 17 far between. Progress usually occurs Rikers Island means that there is something investment for complex social issues began to investors received back their capital investment incrementally, bit by bit. But sometimes a big inherently wrong with the financial model. evolve. CoSA member Victoria Hornby worked together with a return of 3% per annum for the idea – even one that starts modestly – can Rather, it just shows that there is always a for the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts period of investment. thoroughly transform our view of what is risk, and in some cases there’s profit while at the time. She arranged a grant to bring possible. Last week, a small social experiment in others there’s loss. The idea of the SIB is social investment specialists from the then Announcing these results in 2017, David (by conceived 10 years ago to help 2,000 young that the private sector takes responsibility fledgling Social Finance into the conversation. now Chair of the Peterborough Advisory delinquents in Peterborough, in eastern for the risk of tackling complex social issues The Contingent Revenue Bond (later renamed Board) said, “The multi-agency intervention England, paid off – literally. More important, that the government would not be able to the Social Impact Bond) was born and driven providing responsive and sustained assistance the Peterborough experiment has become the cover otherwise. If the project fails, as at forward by a skilled and passionate team from to people stuck in the reoffending loop has guiding light for hundreds of millions of dollars Rikers Island, it is the private investor, not Social Finance who would go on to develop worked, it has provided appropriate reward for in investment in social reform.” the taxpayer that loses out. If it succeeds and successfully deliver the world’s first SIB- our risk-taking partners and, most important and savings ensue, then the private investor funded project. of all, it has shown the transformative power There are now 88 SIB-financed projects is entitled to a proportionate reward. Most of high-quality, often peer-led, support for mobilising more than £300m of investment importantly, people’s lives are changed in the SIBs are a mechanism through which determined people in difficult circumstances.” in 19 countries from the UK to Israel, from process. The failure in New York, although government can work with the private sector Australia to the US and more than 30 in the profoundly disappointing, demonstrates the to solve long-term social challenges, shifting The St Giles Trust were the principal delivery pipeline in the UK alone. “I have been working validity of the financial model as much as the the focus onto outcomes so that action can be agency. CEO Rob Owen was a CoSA member in Swaziland recently and we did a project Peterborough success. more targeted and truly systemic. The private and so played a part in the first SIB from for people with HIV that was a Development investor bears the risk. Government pays only beginning to end. “St Giles”, he said, was Impact Bond – an extension of the SIB”, says There will be more evidence on how useful for successful results. If a SIB achieves the “hugely proud to have played its role in helping Caroline, who now works for the Clinton they can be in the next couple of years as outcome, then the private funder gets a return, to deliver a historic first. The Peterborough Health Access Initiative. “There’s another one ongoing projects across the world report just as they would with any other investment. Social Impact Bond is great news for everyone. in Uganda and I’m writing a paper proposing final results, but the model is now well To reduce reoffending rates at this scale by three more DIBs. I’m involved in this because I established. Many partners were involved, There were mixed feelings when CoSA first this amount is extraordinary. It’s a great result had experience with the SIBs, but I now work but Peter Wheeler says CoSA was the discussed the concept. The main concern was for everyone in society, the clients served and for a completely different organisation, in a “midwife”. that the model would give private investors those lives that have been transformed; the completely different country. It’s a good story.” the chance to profit from something that had thousands of victims not created, the ensuing It is not only possible for one always been – and should always remain – a Ben Jupp of Social Finance notes how, although savings to the taxpayer and ultimately the human being to make a real and state obligation. However, as David explains, investors who funded the bond. A true win-win they have managed to grow the model, the “ “ SIBs don’t replace state funding. If it works, for everyone.” wider journey of implementation “has been lasting difference to another; it the investor makes a profit, but that’s because illuminating but also really tough”. The New is often the only thing that ever the investment carries a risk.” In other words, The Barrow Cadbury Trust was one of those York-based Rikers Island Recidivism Social does the profit would always be proportionate to investors. Its CEO Sara Llewellin agreed: Impact Bond is an example of how things could the actual outcomes achieved on the ground. go wrong. Its aim was similar to that of the Much of” CoSA’s work focused on At first, the Treasury didn’t show much interest, Peterborough project: reducing reoffending, but At last the proof that the promoting a different idea of society: but eventually, thanks to the hard work of among teenagers with longer prison sentences. one in which human connections and political allies such as Gordon Brown, Stephen right combination of support and Soon, however, it became clear that participants “ trusting relationships are given the Timms (fortuitously by now a Treasury Minister) challenge at the right time reduces were not returning to prison at a lower rate than space to form and develop. In turn, and Jack Straw, the idea was picked up and before, and the project was discontinued. The crime, reduces the number of these knit together a fairer, more implemented. disappointment was tangible, particularly in a victims of crime and saves on public supportive and resilient fabric; country such as the United States, where this the necessary basis upon which The first Social Impact Bond was launched in spending all at the same time. It’s a model could offer much-needed investments in to build stronger communities. Peterborough in 2010. In July 2017 the final bullseye outcome! social policy that the government prefers not to results were announced: A 9% reduction in take directly upon itself. reoffending by short-sentenced offenders ” 70 CHAPTER 7 _71 The Prime Minister’s Council on Social Action

“We expect to be judged on our ability to their organisations”, explains Radhika. “We was contributing a broader, systemic vision, Council in all this. The coalition approached channel the momentum into wider cultural or spoke to the civil service about every employee as well as the convening power that derived it differently, perhaps in a way many under structural change”, the Council stated in its being entitled to a certain number of days they from its temporary position at the centre of Gordon Brown would feel suspicious of, but second publication, Side by Side, in 2008. can use to volunteer; obviously they could also policy-making. From within government, the the principle [behind it] is here to stay”, Paul “If we are able to stimulate a new mindset do it in their own time, but the idea was that organisation “wanted to say, ‘People are concludes. around the voluntary support of one another, the state should support it and send a clear already doing this, practice exists already, within government and way beyond, that message saying, ‘This is the kind of country we so how can we accelerate that? How can This crucial need for deeper relationships would be success.” want, where everybody does this, and we’re we validate that? How can we share those between staff and service users was going to encourage your boss to help you be examples so people can try?’” articulated in detail in one of the final papers Radhika recalls what this meant in practice: that person.’” produced by the Council: Time Well Spent, “David says: in 2009. It focused specifically on legal Paul Twivy speaks highly of the one-to-one Time Well Spent advice workers and their clients in sensitive It is not only possible for one work. “It really stuck with me”, he says. “One areas such as debt, housing, benefits, of the ideas which I think is still relevant is the At this point, a lot of the thinking around the employment and immigration, where advice human being to make a real and “ universal scheme for mentoring in schools.” benefits of the one-to-one approach was is fundamental to overcome discrimination lasting difference to another, it is often The Council was working directly with the starting to prove uniquely relevant to the and to empower the most vulnerable. The the only thing that ever does. Department of Education on developing a provision of public services too. In its Side paper demonstrated very powerfully how “buddy system”. Paul elaborates: “We wanted by Side report, the Council had argued that the qualities of the personal relationship This is the principle underlying every” part every person in every school to be mentored public service design should start from the between the adviser and the client determine of the work that Community Links and the by somebody who was a few years older than most important stage in the process: delivery. the calibre of the outcome. Council focused on. “It’s the idea that all the them – slightly more mature but not so far That means that everything should be done changes in your life are caused by another ahead that they couldn’t understand. That to ensure that the relationship between those “This piece of work was picked up by advice human being, sometimes as part of their would carry on all the way up from primary who deliver a service and those who are on agencies and used in a number of campaigns job, but always the human connection is at school, and when you got to the Sixth Form, the receiving end is effective, productive and, about legal aid”, remembers Matthew, the heart of it”, she says. “If you recognise you’d still be mentored by people who had above all, human. Could more meaningful who wrote the report. “It was partially that, then we all have the potential to be left the school and had gone out to university relations improve public services? Could superseded by the public expenditure cuts, that person to somebody else. We wanted or into work. So it would continue right to the solid connections perhaps even contribute to but it captured a strong anxiety that the to institutionalise a way to encourage, for end and then, in turn, they would mentor absorbing emerging problems at the source, sector had about how it was being changed example, someone working at Jobcentre Plus somebody else – again, a chain reaction of preventing them from growing in size and through funding. Advice workers could no to recognise themselves as that person, so that mentoring.” becoming unmanageable? longer consider people’s needs in a holistic they approach their job not just by getting way; they were being forced to be very everything done, but they also recognise that He remembers Gordon Brown being very keen “Gordon Brown had been looking at how many transactional, particularly about legal they have that personal capacity to make a on the project. “I think that the opportunity to government interventions there were in the needs. That was something that the sector difference.” have a third voice outside of your parents and lives of families with multiple social problems”, was trying to resist – public services other than your friends is incredibly important, remembers Paul. Typically, this involved several needed to be designed in a different Effectively, this was Community Links’ attempt as well as growing the skills to think about government partners, from pensions and social way.” They had to put the personal to inspire central policy-making with basic others from an early age”, he adds. security to education, but each one of them relationship at the centre of design principles of community work, sharing with acted separately – with separate budgets, and delivery, they needed to be government one of the most important lessons Of course, Community Links hadn’t invented separate people and no coordination. “And “humanised” and they needed to that the organisation had learnt after decades the concept: there were schools that were wouldn’t it be much better if a single person reach deeper, beyond mechanical of interactions with people in Newham. already successfully doing something similar who lived locally was skilled enough or trained interactions. Community Links across London and Britain. “We looked at a enough to know how to call on the services, called this Deep Value. CoSA and The Council’s focus on one-to-one number of schools that had systems in place to understand what was needed, was able Community Links weren’t the relationships and mentoring went on to for playground buddies. They managed to win the trust of the family and form a real only actors to be thinking about become one of the main strands in its behaviour in the playground by charging relationship? I think this idea was followed these ideas, but they were at the programme. “For example, we were talking to children with the responsibility to look out for through when the Troubled Families unit forefront and in “deep value” employers to increase volunteering culture in the kid who wasn’t playing and talk to them”, was set up under the coalition. I think there they gave it a name. recounts Radhika. However, Community Links was very clear evidence of the work of the

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Several years later in 2015 Steve Hilton, David Importantly, there is a clear link between these But there is much more that happen under the next prime minister.’ But”, Cameron’s senior adviser under the coalition ideas and the way in which Community Links she continues, “that isn’t what happened. It’s is good; people supporting one and the driving force behind the Big Society, tries to work on the front line, notes Matthew. “ so toxic as a brand now, but that’s because acknowledged the influence of the CoSA These weren’t abstract concepts; they another, communities finding when they implemented it, it got mixed up work on his brainchild – the Troubled Families reflected the values of this organisation, “from solutions to problems, generosity with implementing austerity. The state should programme - in a public conversation with the the awareness that people who experience and differences resolved. enable that kind of society, not abandon Think Tank Policy Exchange: a problem know it best to the importance of people to it. It wasn’t within the scope of my treating people with respect, listening and imagination that someone would have taken The idea was that since these positive” dynamics “Community Links have been working with doing your absolute best to support them and away all the enablers and just left social action already existed in society, Community Links some of the poorest families in our country help them take control of their lives. That’s on its own, kind of naked”, letting the Big wanted to inspire institutions to remove barriers for over 25 years. They told me a story of a what Deep Value was all about. It traced Society become a mere filler for the space left so that everyone could contribute their skills, boy who was, I think, eleven years old, and its origins back to these core beliefs”, and void by an ideologically smaller government. values, creativity, dedication, passion and he was going off the rails and coming to because these were backed by decades of compassion to strengthen local realities, the attention of all the bits of government local experience and evidence, the Deep Value After CoSA officially ended, a number of communities, neighbourhoods, cities and – social services and the criminal justice work offered top officials authoritative insights members of the Council were invited to beyond. Citizens had to take responsibility and system and so on. And there was a that they had little pragmatic knowledge of in contribute to the Big Society. “We were invited become active participants, but government conference arranged with all the people that the first place. to the very first meeting of the coalition and other institutions had to play their part too: were responsible for helping him and there government”, says Paul. “We were there, in the they had to create the conditions that would were eleven people in that meeting – the same room we had used for CoSA meetings, the The empowered willing citizen enable people to direct their energy towards probation officer and social care and all the Cabinet room, with a different prime minister, is the partner of the enabling state constructive goals; they had to assist vulnerable rest of it. Eleven people in the meeting, and “ talking about the Big Society ideology and how members of society; they had to eliminate the mother of the boy phoned Community and not the alternative to make it work. I was inspired by the work done inequality. “The good society is not just Links and said: “would you please come to on CoSA with Gordon Brown to think, ‘Actually, something that happens; it has to be made and the meeting as well?” And they said: “Why? The CoSA experiment revolved” around the although this is a Tory policy and it’s coming at a continually sustained”, reads the report, and “it You’ve got all these people, there’s nearly a idea that none of us on our own can change time of cuts, we can make this very practical’.” dozen people. You don’t need us as well.” And the world; not governments, not businesses, needs coordinated action between individuals and institutions all pulling in the same direction she said: “Yes, I do. I need someone who’s on not charities. “We succeed when we work David Robinson also attended the meeting, … the empowered willing citizen is the partner of our side. together”, tweeted Chain Reaction at the and Steve Hilton spoke to him about the enabling state and not the alternative.” time; it was an early formulation of an idea reinventing the Council under David Cameron, “And I just thought that was incredibly sad, of society in which every individual and every but David was unconvinced. “I didn’t feel This view was passionately shared by Gordon to feel that this person thought that all these agency shares some responsibility for the rest. that the values underpinning it were the Brown who used the launch of the Everyday people that were there to try and help were values that I wanted to be supportive of”, Heroes book in July 2007 to announce a “new actually not on her side. I’m sure they were “I want to recognise and celebrate a growing he concludes. “I knew that the CoSA work commitment as a government to do all [they sincere about their efforts to help that boy, spirit of service in our country”, Gordon Brown had barely begun and I was eager to build could] to support and develop an active society”. but actually what they do when they come had said in 2007, as part of his inaugural on all that we had learnt, but I felt that to a meeting like that is that they bring to the speech. “I want ... to mark the start of a the new government was coming from a Later on, when the coalition headed by David table their own bureaucratic priorities, what new partnership of individuals, independent different place. There were some core Cameron started discussing the Big Society, they can achieve through their system that’s community organisations and a government principles about equality, for instance, there was a sense that some of Community been designed with their needs in mind, working together to empower and help all cross-sector collaboration and the role Links’ thinking around the good society could not the whole life of that boy. And it’s a real those working for social change.” Here we and size of government, which were seep through new institutional appointments allegory, I think, for what’s gone wrong with can identify the influence of Community Links at the heart of the CoSA proposition and into changing political priorities under the government, because even though those coming through very clearly. and which the new government new administration. people all mean well, the structures they’re did not support. I didn’t think a in don’t allow them to give that boy and that In the Willing Citizens report, Community CoSA mark 2 could work in this Radhika remembers her initial excitement family the human, personalised help that Links called this “the good society”. “There is environment and I certainly about the Big Society: “I thought, ‘We’ve they need. And the mother really understood much that is bad in the world; talent wasted, didn’t think Community Links achieved it, social action is mainstream! that, and that’s why she wanted someone aspirations unrealised, illness endured and should be centrally involved.” there who was ‘on her side’.” harm done”, states the publication. It didn’t happen under Gordon Brown, it will

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As the Big Society programme unfolded, decision you’re making? Government is very was failing its most vulnerable members, “Lots of things about government don’t make David chronicled his growing anxiety in two busy and you have to try and make everything then the same concept of society had to be it easy to get things done if you don’t know open letters to the PM. Both were reprinted work for your minister, but try and always discussed again. That’s why, from the start, really well how to operate the system”, agrees and covered at length in the Guardian and remember what is actually out there – who are the Council had determined to leave aside Gila when asked about this tension. “And the elsewhere. “We didn’t want to be continuously these people? Whose are these stories? – and all the initiatives and ideas that might have context at the time was very challenging, negative, but it was very clear that lessons bring that into your policy thinking.” These been worth pursuing in other circumstances as this was not most people’s priority”, she which could have been learnt from our work different ideas and perspectives were also but that wouldn’t put to use the convening adds, as the financial crisis was looming and were overlooked or consciously rejected. Of challenging for government because they were power of the prime minister in order to be Gordon Brown’s government began to come course every new government wants to set conceived in a different way: they were stories; implemented. Those were, by definition, increasingly under fire. its own direction and pick its own people. they were intuitions; they didn’t respond to not ambitious enough. Individual ideas We completely understood that, but it is a rigid standards of accountability; they didn’t like Social Impact Bonds and Deep Value Gila was new to government then, and pity that an initiative that was so avowedly incorporate measurable targets and goals. gained traction, but the projects that CoSA perhaps because of this she was the best inclusive and non-partisan should be overtaken had worked on never really came together mediator Community Links could have hoped by a new one that talked about similar In a way, CoSA was the epitome of one of the to fundamentally transform the system at for. “I learned a lot along the way with David aspirations but actually learnt nothing from main ideas that had driven the organisation its core. That was probably an unrealistic and the others. It wasn’t easy working out what had or hadn’t worked in the past.” from its early years: use the experience of expectation in the first place, particularly how to harness all the potential and energy of people living and working in disadvantaged given the resources and the time frame at its this kind of half-in-government, half-not-in- From 105 to Number 10 areas of the country to attempt to shape disposal. Government is complex. Without government structure. No one quite knew what national policy. multiple allies it was difficult to get anything it was, no one had done it before, it wasn’t “CoSA was the first time Community” Links meaningful done quickly, and Gordon Brown easy to figure out how to get something done could attempt to influence social policy by “Community Links had a long tradition of was prime minister for less than three years. and what we would have the freedom to do occupying a formal position at the very heart saying, ‘From 105 to Number 10’”, notes Most experts agree that systems change in and not do. You have the convening power of of government. It was a unique opportunity Radhika. “The way it conceives policy is, ‘we government takes at least twice as long. government, you have a prime minister who’s for an organisation of that size, and everyone will use the experience of what we see on a really behind you, you have this diverse group, was determined to take full advantage of day-to-day basis to influence national policy, It was also a rigid ecosystem, one that but trying to work out what the levers were the experience. The structure of the Council not just to solve people’s problems at 105 struggled to absorb the creative energy of an was challenging.” itself reflected what the organisation had [Barking Road]. All that experience is learning, unusually diverse group of people. In the end, been trying to do for years: bring government so that we can then reflect it back to people what remained was a useful but disparate As the Council was about to dissolve against thinking in touch with practical knowledge – who can really make the strategic change.’ So collection of connections and experiments, a the background of the financial crash and and vice versa. it’s never just about solving people’s problems, modest catalogue of ongoing projects, and then a change of government, CoSA found but about using those people’s experiences as for Community Links a newfound awareness it “more of a challenge to influence and a lever to then unlock systemic change.” of which strategies to adopt to increase the provide ideas that really picked up”, notes I really learnt how valuable it chances of bringing about systemic change in Matthew. He is convinced that “if Gordon is to bring in the perspective from Unlike in the past, with CoSA Community the future. Brown had been able to stay in power for “ Links had managed to institutionalise for some longer, some of these would have gone other spaces and sectors time a direct channel through which it could Most people involved in CoSA remember the much further”. exchange local evidence with the ultimate experience as a constant negotiation between confirms Gila Sacks. “[As a civil ”servant,] organism responsible for driving change: a complex bureaucracy on one side and the you’re trying to make policy for people out Downing Street. This time, the aim was to bring boundary-breaking way in which the Council there, all with very different experiences, and about broad changes in the way the entire operated on the other. “There was a feeling you can’t do that from a bubble. You have to system worked, not just solve a few issues or that all that energy that was being generated bring that power of stories, of real people, of alter some small mechanisms. on our side of the table was being absorbed by real perspectives and individuals into what this kind of grey machine. Anything vaguely you’re doing; you have to think about what The ambition was bigger than at the time of risky was taken out”, remembers Paul, who also something you’re working on really means for the Social Enterprise Zone. CoSA was about worked on the Big Lunch – an annual “get- them; who is that person or that business or attempting to tackle problems at the roots together for neighbours” now involving 6 million that charity or that community or school who’s by adopting a radical approach: if society people across Britain – with Tim Smit, and going to experience or do something with this launched it with the Council’s backing in 2009.

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CoSA’s most ambitious policy report was “By the time I went back into the meeting “Third, it’s possible that neither of the above the last one – a paper called “Stronger room the name plates had been removed would have been insurmountable with Communities, Stronger Economy”. It resulted and the chairs respaced. Hazel Blears, I sufficient resources. In fact, when we were from consultations on the challenges and was advised, would not be speaking. The at peak capacity we had the equivalent of opportunities for social action arising from waters had already closed around her. Sadly two full-time workers and a private sector the massive disruption in the global economy she took down with her a stream of work secondee. We were taking a pea shooter to and it envisaged a set of ideas that could which, precisely because she supported it the business of influencing a government. If become “as much a part of the UK’s recovery so passionately, we had neglected to embed I had the chance again I would say that a plan as bailouts and loan guarantees setting with departmental colleagues. Maybe there body like CoSA can do important work but a new aspiration for the country – not only wasn’t the time. Maybe we didn’t make it the we need to have the confidence to expect a revitalised economy but also stronger, priority that we should have done. Either way serious resources, to wire it into government happier, healthier communities”. It included, the new minister did not share her priorities. (accepting that this would impose many for example, a “Common Good Agreement” “Stronger Communities, Stronger Economy” more constraints as well as help to get things for inclusion in bank bailout arrangements, never recovered. It was a vital lesson – never done) and, ideally, to plan for a longer term drafted pro bono by City Lawyers Allen and think the support of one or two people, no of office. Overy, a national volunteering programme matter how senior, is ever sufficient. Embed with fiscal incentives and third sector from day one.” “We did some useful work despite all this but secondments and apprenticeships as well as it is a pity that no one has, as yet at least, targeted investment. The paper was never Looking back, David summarises “the three been able to build on the learning and do it published. It is salutary to read it again fundamental structural weaknesses” in the better next time.” now as politicians discover, post-Brexit, CoSA model: “Chiefly, we didn’t have time. the so-called “forgotten” or “left behind” We were trying to do something different in During his last hours in office on the communities. the body of a beast that is slow to adapt if afternoon of 11 May 2010, Gordon Brown not actively resistant to change and we spent sent a handwritten note from Westminster to The story behind the failure of “Stronger most of the first six months trying to fathom Canning Town: “… as I leave No. 10 I wanted Communities, Stronger Economy” to gain any out how to have an impact. By the end of to thank you for the remarkable contribution traction in Whitehall illustrates the importance year one, we were making progress. By the that you make to our country. Your recent of building wide support. Hazel Blears, then middle of year two, the economy dominated work with me makes me proud to have worked leading the Department for Communities and almost everything at No. 10 and out across with you all. …” Local Government, was the relevant minister. Whitehall and then it was all over. She shared the Prime Minister’s interest in If the Prime Minister’s Council the programme and offered to present and “Our team certainly lacked the insider on Social Action didn’t achieve as endorse the paper, with the Prime Minister in understanding to hit the ground running at the “ attendance at a full meeting of the Council. start but even if we had had those advantages much as we all hoped that it would”, David remembers checking the meeting room I don’t think we could have achieved a great concludes David, “it wasn’t for a immediately before the critical session. The deal more in the time available. want of desire. Minister’s place, opposite the Prime Minister and flanked by the departmental director, “Second, independence was our strength and ” was reserved as usual. David left the room to our weakness. We had some terrific people join other members gathering for coffee in the who thought outside of the Whitehall box and anteroom. He found them watching the TV we had freedom to make new suggestions, on the wall. Hazel Blears was announcing her but we weren’t wired into the system in a way resignation – another victim of the expenses that enabled us to do what we wanted to do scandal. Her departmental director, hearing without a lot of persuading and cajoling. That the news for the first time, hurried out. all takes the time which we didn’t have.

78 CHAPTER 7 _79 Chapter 8

Although by now diverse and However, these numbers only told a part of the improbable partnerships had become story: people might have been less inclined to vote, but huge street demonstrations against the hallmark of many of Community the war in Iraq were bigger than any previous We Are Links’ more innovative projects, We protest. Different forms of volunteering Are What We Do took a different were emerging to replace the traditional commitments and many utilised the new approach to social change from potential for networking online. The Jubilee most of Community Links’ work and Campaign to Drop the Debt and, later, the involved different partners. It was, Make Poverty History movement were mobilising What We a large and diverse following that was largely like all else, rooted in the day-to-day unaligned to parties or organisations. These experience of Community Links. were all indicators of something new. Behaviour was changing, but it was too simple to say that Shortly before Community Links’ 30th birthday, people didn’t care anymore. Do / Shift staff began to reflect on how patterns of engagement with the organisation had Community Links’ work on Action Match and changed over the years. They noted how it had its growing familiarity with the corporate become more difficult to recruit volunteers for sector had introduced new insights and the sort of formal opportunity that demanded offered an alternative perspective on the regular commitment but at the same time changing scene. “Nike”, David Robinson easier to recruit for episodic participation, team wrote at the time, “began selling training challenges and informal support. shoes to basketball players at about the same time as Community Links began. Theirs They realised that theirs was not an isolated Simply brilliant. was a small niche market but they gradually experience. When Community Links began, expanded the appeal into ‘urban fashion’ more than 60% of people in their 30s in the (The Creative Journal) and onto a ‘lifestyle product’ owned by four UK were active members of local community out of five Western males. British men didn’t I’ve left my job to find an answer to the organisations. Twenty-five years on and across suddenly start playing basketball. We realised question – what should a million Dutch a similar section of society the figure had that Nike weren’t just selling sportswear; people do to change the world. dropped to less than 10%. Church attendance they were selling a brand and that brand across Europe halved over a similar period, was shaping attitudes and behaviour, and political party membership in the UK once (A reader in Amsterdam) commanding loyalty and weaving a sense nudged 3.5m but was struggling to reach half of identity around shared aspirations and a million by the early noughties. experiences. If it could be done for shoes, then might we do the same and develop These were dramatic changes over a relatively a brand to inspire simple changes in short period with, Community Links began to attitudes and social behaviour?” suggest, wider implications: the proportion of the population who believed that other people could be trusted had fallen from 60% to 29% in 50 years and, although individual prosperity had increased by more than 80% over this time, the UK Life Satisfaction Index showed that the population as a whole was happier in the harsh years of post-war rationing.

80 CHAPTER 8 _81 We Are What We Do / Shift

Marketing and branding agency Interbrand punt was taken on a print run of 20,000. The Other books followed: Teach your Granny to All of these anecdotes paint a picture, but we donated time to exploring the idea. They publishers, the retailers, the distributors and Text was produced for children and by children still can’t be sure how much of this colourful concluded that for such a project to succeed it everyone involved either donated their services beginning with a national competition and activity subsequently matured into lasting would need to overcome three obstacles: or worked at a substantial discount, allowing a Change the World 9 to 5 capitalised on the changes in behaviour. book that included fancy pull-outs, a packet of adult market with a similar format but with 1) “I am sympathetic but I don’t know seeds, a post card, a poster and 50 full-colour ideas focused on the workplace. Both were We Are What We Do ran an online tracker what to do.” The project should not spreads to be sold for £5. modest successes, but neither approached the capturing the stories and recording numbers underestimate the need to repeatedly performance of Change the World for a Fiver. engaged alongside each action. The tracker communicate basic information in What happened next was as unexpected as it It was time to think about other products. could also be customised for schools, places and styles where people hear it, was spectacular. businesses and other organisations. At its peak understand it and remember it. “I’m not a plastic bag” was a designer tote bag the tracker was recording tens of thousands Within two weeks a further print run had been building on the first action in the first book. It of “ticks” every week and was widely adopted 2) “My little bit won’t make much difference.” ordered, by the end of the month the book was a collaboration with market leader Anya and adapted by individual schools, workplaces We are paralysed less by apathy, more was in the Sunday Times top 100 (it would stay Hindmarch and backed by Kate Moss and it, too, and communities. It is not unreasonable to by a sense of powerlessness. there until Christmas and reach number 5), the was a spectacular seller, attracting queues at imagine that some of the children in the most Independent on Sunday proclaimed it “one of major stores and international press coverage. active schools started to adopt behaviours 3) “It’s boring; not for people like me.” The the great ideas for the 21st century” and The that have stayed with them ever since, or that project would need a style, a “tone of Bookseller “a great idea beautifully executed”. “Real artists ship”, says Steve Jobs, and We some of the businesses made adjustments to voice” that didn’t just reach beyond Are What We Do was certainly shipping in this their day-to-day conduct and the corporate the usual joiners but that started Over the coming months Gordon Brown period, but sales figures could only tell a part culture which have also endured. somewhere else. It became an article of would say that it “captured the spirit of the of the story. Were any of these products really faith that its first press coverage should age”, David Cameron would quote from it in changing behaviour? “It’s hard to understand now why we weren’t not be in the Guardian. (It wasn’t. It was his first New Year message as leader of the more rigorous at the time”, says David, “but in Heat magazine.) Conservative Party, Sainsbury’s would issue As with a lot of Community Links’ earlier work, I think we see the same pattern in the Tower their reusable bag for sale at the checkouts the outcomes from these opening stages of the Blocks Campaign, Action Match, even the The team at Interbrand helped to develop alongside the book, Channel 4 would run short venture were not rigorously evaluated. This is a Social Enterprise Zone. An enthusiastic group the name – We Are What We Do – and an films about a different action from the book particular pity for We Are What We Do, as the of people are excited by the momentum in identity for the project. A public relations every night for a week, The Brownies Annual, numbers were extraordinary and the exposure the project, carried forward by the wave specialist, Eugenie Harvey, joined Community The Post Office magazine and The Customs exceeded anything else achieved since the of opportunities that suddenly unfold and Links to develop the project, at first as a full- and Excise Journal would feature spreads Tower Blocks Campaign. committing every spare hour to exploiting time volunteer, then as a paid manager. Her taken from the book, so would the Sunday them. No one at the time questioned for a dynamic enthusiasm inspired a burgeoning Times and, eventually, the Guardian. Once again lots of strong anecdotes have moment whether the effort was worthwhile, team of volunteers from the worlds of social survived. Dismas Ootari, a headmaster in and it probably was, but exactly how action, public relations, advertising and Local editions were published across the Uganda, organised his entire community worthwhile and what has endured we just marketing, and work began on the first world. The Swiss edition was a bestseller, Stern around the 50 actions; an Australian Big Issue can’t say.” product. Change the World for a Fiver was a magazine devoted its cover and 12 inside seller sold the book to the Prime Minister (Big quirky little anthology of 50 everyday actions pages to “Einfach die Welt Verandern”, the Issue were involved in several ways across the Part of the reason, of course, is – “decline plastic bags”, “learn first aid”, Victorian state government bought 70,000 world, including devoting their 15th Anniversary financial. All of these projects began “register as an organ donor” – all compiled in copies of Change the world for 10 bucks and issue to the second book). A Customs and with very little money and were heavily answer to the question “what should a million gave one to every school leaver, and more than Excise employee in London made Action 42 dependent on volunteer labour. people do to change the world?” and each a million copies were sold across the world. (Recycle your specs) her own, and eventually Engaging an independent external one presented in a style that was surprising, extended her campaign to 26 offices across partner to monitor and assess or provocative, entertaining, sometimes rude and It was indeed, as The Bookseller said, a HMRC. An Accenture manager from Melbourne allocating some of the scarce and often beautiful. “publishing phenomenon”. took the book to a meeting in Chicago and stretched internal resources to gave it to a colleague from Canada. He went evaluation would have felt like an Short Books (who had also published What If) home and pre-ordered 5,000 copies of the unjustifiable indulgence. agreed to publish it in September 2004 and a Canadian edition.

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Nick Stanhope began at We Are What We Do Online gaming is an enormous market. Many these environments with products that provide Sometimes, it can be constructive, meeting working in schools, training teams of young of the existing games are compelling, even positive behavioural influences, build resilience important needs, building relationships and reducing people to lead and support their peers. He took addictive. Clear and uncontested evidence to problems like poor health and offer relevant anxiety. We believe strongly that introducing more over as CEO after the first phase of development. shows that regular playing of these games opportunities for advancement. Our approach positive influences within this consumer landscape In addition to redefining and refining the process affects our behaviour and damages our to research, design, and venture-building aims is a crucial companion to work to improve public of product development, he has recognised mental health, particularly in the vulnerable to harness the unique potential of consumer services and the organisational and associational the importance of high-quality preliminary adolescent years. Champions of the Shengha products to prevent and reduce social problems.” life of communities. research, understanding in depth the issue to doesn’t just mitigate these dangers; it turns be tackled, and of rigorous ongoing evaluation, them upside down – it, too, is compelling Shift has now been independent of Community “In this way, we have and will always see understanding the full impact of the work. and fun and commercially viable but it builds Links for many years but the relationship ourselves as another arm of Community rather than reduces the players’ emotional remains close and strong. Much of Shift’s work Links’ work. Often, this has been most visible Products and the process have become more resilience and it improves rather than damages is trialled in Newham, and David chairs the in the way in which we draw on its expertise subtle and sophisticated. The little experimental their mental health. board. In Nick’s description of the purpose and and network during the early stages of new project has blossomed into an independent value of Shift’s work the connections and the products. Many of the roots of Shift’s products social enterprise applying a rigorous research, The new game and the first little book are roots are explicit and prominent: and ventures can be traced back to work in design and venture-building process to issues very different products, but both have been Newham, with partners developed through like mental illness, poor diets, social isolation explicitly designed to drive positive behaviour Community Links has always Community Links: and energy inefficiency. The name has been change, to influence social and cultural described the importance of an changed to the rather more manageable norms and to help prevent complex, expensive “ • The very first Historypin storytelling test “Shift”, and products have won a Webby and problems. These are what Nick calls the intricate network of support within sessions in 2009, which invited older local a Google Global Impact Challenge award and “incidental effects” of Shift products that communities, which, at some points, residents to share their old photographs and been recognised in the Observer’s New Radicals are bought not for their social purpose but is just above the surface as formal memories of the area, were run alongside and the Sunday Times Applist. because they are attractive, desirable and Community Links’ bingo sessions. competitively priced. public services or community The approach has even rippled out to Whitehall: organisations and, at many others, • Box Chicken, our first experiment to Steve Hilton was one of the volunteers who David elaborates, “Change the World for a disappears into the relationships compete against chicken shops with helped with the creative work on the books. He Fiver was a very simple idea and, although healthier, but equally cheap, tasty and was so inspired by the idea that when he moved of course no one was using those words at and interactions of everyday life. convenient fast food, set up shop at the into No. 10 as David Cameron’s principal adviser the time, it was probably the first consumer corner of Woodgrange Road and Sebert “This latter part of this vision, which seeks ” six years later he established, in Downing Street, product explicitly designed to ‘nudge’ – Road, just outside Forest Gate station. the government’s own Nudge unit – now called to change behaviour without threat or to help populate communities with mutually the Behavioural Insights Team. exhortation. Champions is the most recent and supportive influences that blend into community • Our mental health tech venture ran its the most sophisticated, with several other Shift life, has always been at the heart of our work. first major impact trial with students at St Roll forward 12 years to October 2016, and products in between – Historypin, Buttons and Angela’s Ursuline School in Newham.” Shift is launching its latest product. This time Box Chicken – each valuable in their own right “At Shift, we try and understand those a video game, Champions of the Shengha, and further refining our thinking.” everyday influences as intimately as possible, Some projects in this book, the Tower pioneering emotionally responsive gaming as particularly through the lens of consumer Blocks Campaign for instance, have a way to increase resilience to mental health In a recent lecture Nick further explained, products and services. While consumerism done what they were established to problems amongst young people. Champions “over the last ten years Shift has developed may seem to some like the nemesis of do and wound up. Some have ended of the Shengha trains and rewards players for an approach to behaviour change and social community, we regard it as an extraordinarily without completion of the task – controlling their emotional state. This is tracked innovation that focuses on the role of consumer powerful influence. The shops on our high CoSA, for example. Some, like Shift through a unique wireless wearable device called products. Existing consumer landscapes streets, the apps on our phone or the services and the Early Action Task Force, are a BfB Sensor. Independent clinical trials have tend to reflect and compound inequalities, that sit in the background of our lives combine still developing in new directions shown not only that participants enjoy playing and as a result the products that surround to shape and reflect behavioural and cultural – Shift now as a valued but the game, but also that it is a very effective way disadvantaged, vulnerable or socially excluded norms in ways that we often can’t perceive. independent partner, EATF, our of training emotional regulation skills and that audiences tend to ignore, aggravate or even next and final story, firmly within the young players learn, very quickly, how to cause problems. This provides a strong remit for “Sometimes, this role is insidious, creating the organisational structure of apply these skills in their everyday lives. disruptive social innovation which can populate or aggravating problems and inequalities. Community Links.

84 CHAPTER 8 _85 Chapter 9

This chapter describes how Although it hadn’t been noticed, or planned Community Links came to put early deliberately at the time, the Tower Blocks Campaign revealed this at the local level. The action at the heart of its national expertise of Sam and the architects presented The Early work, identifying it as an essential a strong and compelling challenge to the rules component of any meaningful social and systems, the raw passion and tenacity of the tenants, and their canny use of the reform in a period of diminishing media drew in popular support and the bold resources and escalating needs. leadership of, on the one side, Community Links Here also are some interim and, on the other, key politicians pulled it all Action Task together. Ronan Point and other large-panel conclusions to one of the primary blocks around the country would not have been threads of this book: the story of the demolished without the work of all three points evolving relations between a small on the triangle. organisation and central government. Force The Early Action Task Force is the latest model. These have been shaped and refined It brings four sectors together – public, private, in attempt after attempt, idea after voluntary and academia – in pursuit of a big idea in an undulating journey of goal – to build a society that prevents problems from occurring rather than one that deals setbacks and successes. with the consequences – and it works with a wide range of leaders on the systems and the By 2011, nobody at Community Links cultures that are barriers to early action. imagined that all of the answers lay in a Then an old sage remarked: “It’s a marvel to me Talking about Early Action, about powerful ally at Number 10. CoSA’s lifespan That people give far more attention readiness, is really critical for that had shown that that wasn’t enough, although It’s not just about tackling To repairing results than to stopping the cause, shift in mindset towards a more equally no one would have denied that it problems; it’s about investing in When they’d much better aim at prevention. people-centred approach. It’s “ could be a major asset. Pressure networks people Let us stop at its source all this mischief,” cried he, absolutely critical for civil society need to be articulated in a more sophisticated “Come, neighbors and friends, let us rally; and third sector organisations. manner around all the key relationships, Early action” isn’t an original idea – Joseph If the cliff we will fence, we might almost dispense At a time when there’s not a lot of taking into account structural links and Malins, the poet quoted at the start of With the ambulance down in the valley.” inspiration out there, with spending broader cultural trends. this chapter, was writing in 1895. In 2010, cuts [that are] making people less however, when austerity became the main and less ambitious, more and more (Joseph Malins, The Ambulance Down in the Valley, 1895) Drawing on experiences as diverse as the principle informing central policy-making, focused on a narrow agenda, I Tower Blocks Campaign, Action Match, early action – with its idea of making We need a different kind of society – one that think this offers a real alternative. I Need NOT Greed and We Are What We public investments more targeted, values sustainable solutions above short-term think that’s what Community Links Do, the Social Enterprise Zone and CoSA, effective and sustainable – began to crisis management. Isolated programmes paper has been able to do. Community Links could see that systemic gain a whole new layer of relevance. over cracks. change involves perceptions and habits and Community Links’ front-line work (Dan Paskins, Big Lottery Fund, 2016) established working patterns as much as rules had always prioritised prevention, (The Deciding Time) and powers and resources. The organisation particularly in its community began to think of this complex cocktail as development projects and its work a triangulation of systems, leadership and with children and young people. culture. Each element reinforced the others. Now it was time to push the Sustainable change needed simultaneous concept beyond the purely local. impact on all three.

86 CHAPTER 9 _87 The Early Action Task Force

In 2011, the government-commissioned Allen across the charity precisely because of this than it could liberate in the endless pursuit of The innovative element added by Community report “Early Intervention: Smart Investment, focus, as he was working in public policy and perfect consensus, and it would, says David, Links to the widely understood idea of Massive Savings”, made the case for a specific focusing on ways to transform systems to tackle “limit the gene pool. We’d learnt that very preventative intervention wasn’t just the labels type of “early intervention”, mainly designed underlying problems. “As an approach, it infused different sorts of organisations bring different of “readiness” and “Early Action”. Above all, to give young children the best start in life. This all of Community Links, work”, he explains now. insights and assets.” Instead, it should be a the organisation and the Task Force managed was good but not enough. A broader approach “It was really clear, although they weren’t then loose consortium of people sharing similar goals to communicate the concept in ways that was also needed. Preparing for a healthy using the language of early action.” and values; practitioners and public officials, made sense for account managers, civil retirement is just as much early action, and just bankers and business people, social innovators servants and activists alike, so that everyone, as sensible, as preparing for parenthood, and if As the organisation began to explicitly and academics. Without this, any charity despite their specific interests and priorities, it wasn’t possible to prevent the teenager’s first formulate its early action framework, the CoSA attempting to interact with the Treasury would could agree on the need to act “one step offence it is still important to prevent the adult experience and the big chunk of funding that too easily be dismissed; but “if a leader from sooner” before social issues become too big from reoffending. government had enthusiastically set aside UBS or Accenture alongside, say, a professor or too costly. It mirrored, to some extent, for it were already starting to feel like distant from the LSE and a couple of people with the strategic attempt of the environmental “Ultimately”, said Will Horwitz, former adviser memories. Threatened by cuts and fighting senior-level experience in government, are all movement to brand climate action as not only to the Task Force, “[Community Links’ broad for its own survival, Community Links started saying very similar things it becomes an entirely good for the people and the planet, but good conceptualisation of early action] is an argument wondering why it was that if everyone could different kind of exercise”, explains David. for business too. It linked social elements to against austerity.” And in that specific context, agree in principle that acting early is common financial considerations, showing that if one early action did become an argument for sense, why isn’t it common practice? What are In 2011, Community Links brought together the side thrived, the other would too. different values, priorities and interactions; an the obstacles? How could they be understood Early Action Task Force to address the question: invitation to always consider the future when and surmounted? And, most importantly, how How do we build a society that prevents This type of reasoning, of course, wasn’t investing in the present, choosing ambitious could the urgent need for such investment be problems from occurring rather than one that, without its critics. Some members of the visions over quick fixes, even at a time of communicated in a way that might resonate as now, copes with the consequences? Task Force wanted to see the importance of perceived scarcity. By shifting the focus onto with a diverse audience? social prosperity recognised in and of itself, early action just as spending cuts were starting “I think it’s really successful because it’s a without the need to monetise it. For many to awaken deep social tensions, Community We understood that we could broad alliance of lots of different organisations others, particularly those working across Links was implicitly advocating for government to and people”, says Caroline. “We knock around do that best by collaborating with government and the private sector, the social resist the impulse of scrapping basic services by “ ideas. We take along the way all the richness element alone wouldn’t have been enough to highlighting the long-term implications. other people of people’s thoughts and experience. It’s a bit trigger action. like building a movement. We have events to “Paradoxically, austerity also created an says David Robinson,” something that Community draw in ideas, but also to disseminate them; to The Triple Dividend highlights opportunity”, notes Task Force member Links had tried to do from the very beginning. learn from each other.” growth Caroline Slocock, currently director of Civil “ Exchange, formerly a Private Secretary for Much had been learnt through the decades. The initial findings of the Task Force were says Task” Force member Dan Corry, Home Affairs to two Prime Ministers and a senior CoSA had offered the organisation unique published in a report that also set out the work official at the Treasury. “Because the more insights into the workings of central government, of this broad alliance: The Triple Dividend (2011). now CEO at New Capital Philanthropy [public] expenditure is ratcheted down, the more and also a close-up view of some of the levers “Forestalling problems, not coping with the and formerly Head of the Number 10 difficult it becomes to just cut back and make a that would need to be pulled in order to create consequences, is socially and financially a smart Policy Unit and Senior Adviser to the few incremental savings through efficiency. You systemic change. The heart of mainstream thing to do”, announces the publication. “The Prime Minister on the Economy. “We actually have to start thinking radically.” policy-making had been a fascinating yet Task Force proposes that early action should have debates about how some of the complex place to be, where it was hard to be a fundamental principle shaping the way in members don’t really like growth, but “To tackle causes, not symptoms”, Community get things done. Any new alliance would now which both government and civil society spend I think that’s essentially why we’re Links’ mission statement had always promised. have to be developed outside of Number 10 their resources and judge their success. Investing getting people. [It’s an argument to influence government most effectively wisely and early in social wellbeing yields a triple that shows how to] go from austerity to growth.” Find solutions, not palliatives. and it shouldn’t be a rigid coalition of similar dividend – thriving lives, costing less, contributing kinds of organisations. This might imply that more.” The report is practical and positive, making “Ben Robinson, the former head of policy and” everyone shares exactly the same perspectives, a series of recommendations for developing research at Community Links and now Director something that would likely create tensions in communities that are “ready for anything”. of the Early Action Funders Alliance, first came the long run – or at least absorb more energy

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By aligning these two sets of priorities, in the Rather than temporarily losing sight of its And so the Task Force began to think about how chair of PAC, was invited to respond to the The end, “everyone – although they might be a bit broader vision and trust in people to dedicate it could introduce longer term planning and Triple Dividend at its launch in Westminster and, sceptical – could see the logic of it”, says Ben itself to exclusively fighting cuts, Community break down the silos that prevented government in particular, to address the recommendation Robinson. “[Personally,] I love how the Task Links has continued to cultivate both. “The from working in a holistic manner. Why was it that the PAC should ask the NAO to conduct a Force later developed its definition not just story around the impact of the welfare reform that the Treasury could, for example, entertain “landscape review” scoping the current extent of in negative terms”, he adds. “So it’s not just has been incredibly negative – and rightly so – long-term considerations when investing in early action spending. She and her committee about stopping problems, not just about saving for five years”, says Ben, as it revolves around a new motorway? Why was it that, in those agreed, and the Task Force secured its first money, it’s about investing in people. You might how “it’s getting worse and worse for people in circumstances, government would commit serious foothold in Westminster and Whitehall. happen to save money, you might happen to poverty and how they can’t cope. Being able to investing a consistent sum of money over grow the economy, but the most important to then look at the Task Force and think ‘but a a period of at least five years, to ensure that The Task Force worked with the NAO and, in [thing is that] people flourish on the back of it.” different way is possible’ makes the other side the motorway would last six decades or more? particular, helped with the development of a easier to manage as well.” Why did it accept that, when investing in system for classifying early action spending It was that same belief in people that had shaped infrastructure, tarmacking a bit of ground as which it later extended to work extensively across the Social Enterprise Zone and the work on the It’s better to build fences at cheaply as possible could not be regarded as a other sectors. The conclusions of the NAO Review informal economy and many other projects. It sustainable solution? And, most importantly, if the top of the cliff than invest in were very similar to those that the Task Force was indeed about saving, but it was also and “ government was already capable of doing this had previously shared in its reports, but this above all about putting the human element back ambulances at the bottom for physical infrastructure, why wasn’t the same time two authoritative institutional voices were in focus, about letting optimism flourish. reasoning applied to social spending, too? What acknowledging the importance of early action “Government knows how many 12-” and would our society look like if government thought in the design of social policy. A dialogue began, “Early action is not just prevention”, says Luke 13-year-olds are not functionally literate”, about every unborn child as a capital asset and particularly with the Treasury but also with other Price, former research officer at Community says David. We know the likelihood of them a financially sound investment? Surely, waiting government departments, on the barriers to early Links. “There’s a more positive side to it – we talk emerging from school still not literate. We for the potholes to appear and a few accidents action and the opportunities for overcoming them. about readiness, about enabling people to seize know how this will affect their employment to happen before repairing a motorway would opportunities and do positive things in their lives, prospects. We know the cost of an unemployed never be regarded as the most cost-effective Government change was important, but wider often in the face of difficult circumstances.” 17- or 18-year-old. We also know the costs of option, so why would this be an acceptable systemic change depended on the engagement reading recovery work. We know the success solution when attempting to tackle social issues? of other parties too. “Charitable foundations This approach, according to Caroline, mirrors rate. We have all the figures we need to don’t fund preventative action that much either the optimism at the heart of Community evaluate whether as a society it’s better to pay The problem, the Task Force concluded, went ... it’s much easier to raise money for a soup Links. “It’s a completely undervalued quality for the literacy of a 13-year-old or wait until back to the way that systems, culture and kitchen than it is to raise money for the causes in the voluntary sector, which is too often they’re 18 and unemployed. The economics leadership operated together. There can’t be of why people are there. It goes deeper than just pessimistic and angry”, she says. “You point unequivocally towards early action. But any structural improvement without someone just government being problematic.” can see why, but to be constantly optimistic we don’t do it; in fact, it’s been systematically who chooses to take it upon themselves about being able to make things much cut in recent years. Why?” to inspire others, no cultural shift without The fences and cliffs metaphor often deployed better is good, [especially] in the face of a the right mechanisms in place, but also no by the Task Force is taken from the Malins lot of [adverse] experience.” She refers to the In its second report, The Deciding Time (2012), cultural shift without leadership and no poem. It is a vivid representation of the Council on Social Action – “a great initiative the Task Force unpicked the explanation: sustainable structural improvement without tension between two different sets of that didn’t have as much impact as it should Central policy-making seemed consistently a cultural shift; ultimately, as so much of priorities: the need to invest now, at the have had”. “Community Links [seems aware] unable to plan for the long term. The cost of Community Links’ work had shown, systemic point of crisis, and the need to prevent that it’s here for the duration”, adds Caroline. the unemployed 18-year-old five years from change couldn’t be brought about without that crisis from happening in the first “Governments come and governments go, now doesn’t enter into the planning process. pressing these three levers at the same time. place. According to Ben Jupp, a [but the organisation still has] that drive and And government departments worked in member of the Task Force, Director at determination, [and knows] that however isolation rather than pool resources and bear After articulating these issues in The Triple Dividend Social Finance and former Director difficult the environment might be, something costs collectively; even if they saw the need and The Deciding Time, two reports that effectively of Public Services Strategy at the can be done to make it better.” for early action. Consequently the costs of constituted a manifesto for Early Action, the Task Cabinet Office, the main challenge reading recovery would be borne by a different Force attempted to shift behaviour and facilitate lies in attempting to meet the needs budget from the one that would benefit from the creation of new structures by engaging the of individuals who are in a crisis the gainful employment of the 18-year-old. Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the today while finding the time and National Audit Office (NAO). Margaret Hodge, resources to put in place

90 CHAPTER 9 _91 The Early Action Task Force

an infrastructure of learning, At the same time, the Task Force has continued The work with the Lancashire Police is a We are experiencing real to research the ways in which this concept powerful example: soon after the Triple development and constant challenges through austerity and “ could be used in practice to tackle a broad Dividend was launched Andy Rhodes, then “ reflection range of big social issues. In its report Looking Deputy Chief Constable, came across the the work of the Task Force has Forward to Later Life, they particularly wanted report as he was “doing a little Googling” on helped us to light some candles, that takes into” account people’s lifetime rather to confront the presumption that early action prevention and problem-solving applied to instead of complaining about than just their point of need. But government is only relevant to the young. The report argues neighbourhood policing at a time of austerity. and organisations often don’t have the money that a more systemic approach to managing When the publication came up in his search the dark. to do that, so someone else would need to fund an ageing society would benefit both the results, he immediately felt drawn to the way it a similar shift, at least at the beginning. people approaching their later years and wider was framed and written: “As a police officer, I Andy was promoted” to Chief Constable, head society. For example, befriending services to could really see those issues. [The report] wasn’t of the Lancashire Constabulary in March “If you want to transition out of spending on alleviate loneliness are useful because they aimed at the police, but we feel at the bottom of 2017 and his enthusiasm for early action is the ambulances to spending on the fence”, identify an immediate need, states the report, the cliff [too] sometimes – where prevention and as palpable as ever. “I am now leading on a says Dan, “you can’t suddenly stop the but they are not an acceptable solution in the early action have failed.” Recognising in the national consensus that’s developing a new ambulances, because for some time people long term. “Just as we should be working to Triple Dividend that same urgency for radical model of local policing, integrated with partners are going to still be falling off the cliff. So eliminate the need for foodbanks, we should reform that had motivated him to actively and community assets – amazing opportunity someone has to double fund the transition for aim to abolish befriending schemes. Their look for different ways of implementing public despite the huge cuts everyone is facing.” a while.” And that’s why the Task Force also existence is an indictment of a wider failing, services in the first place, Andy started working worked with charitable foundations to get and that is what we should try to solve” (p.29). with David Robinson and a few local partners This is a classic example of what the Task them to support “organisations that would to introduce early action as a core principle at Force has tried to do: spread information; love to be more preventative but can’t stop In another report, Secure and Ready, the Task the heart of policing in Lancashire. “The cliff share the recognisable, ready-to-use label of picking up the pieces”. Force showed how the same type of reasoning metaphor became part of our language”, says Early Action to nurture similar interpretations could be applied to in-work benefits – Andy. “It’s referenced on the crime plan, it’s in of preventative action; offer assistance to In order to do that, the Task Force gathered something that Community Links had already our recruitment, promotion and Learning and anyone who is determined to apply this a group of leading independent funders and begun to explore when conducting research Development with a master’s in Early Action concept to their local or regional dimension; offered to classify their spending in a process on the informal economy – and in Thriving at UCLAN and tons of front-line toolkits. In learn from it and share it again as an similar to the one that they had helped the Minds argued that early action could also offer four years, we’ve taken a department-wide inspiration to others. Andy has spoken at two NAO apply to government. They were working solutions to one of the most severe crises of our approach. We secured the biggest Police Task Force training events. on the hunch that, as in government, the time: mental illness. Innovation Fund grant in the country and are results would reveal the misalignment between using it entirely for early action initiatives … the Andy’s belief that investing in people is better common sense and common practice. Most Action that takes place now first Early Action police cohort that came out of than arresting people matches the vision of trustees thought prevention was a good idea; this selection process and training programme the Task Force. “From the outside, people sets a pathway to a more few in reality funded it to any great extent. “ was immediately assigned to work on prevention see the police as enforcement”, he says. This work (subsequently written up and widely sustainable future in intensive neighbourhoods and an Early Action “But policing is about social impact; it’s shared in How to Classify Early Action Spend, board has been set up to facilitate collaboration about people feeling safe where they live, 2012) eventually inspired the initial group not As the Task Force began” to advocate for a between different partners and agencies sharing about people who are vulnerable being only to review their own practice but to set up different way of doing things, share examples the same purpose in the region.” protected. The lock-up-and-throw- the Early Action Funders Alliance stimulating of good practice and show that early action away-the-key-system isn’t working. We and supporting the funding of early action made logical sense in most circumstances, To what extent would it be fair to credit the need to spend upstream.” across the sector. It, in turn, has established it began to influence and support practical Task Force with these achievements? While the the pooled Early Action Neighbourhood Fund early action transitions across Britain. It has connection is undeniable, it was surely thanks In 2016 Andy told the Task Force that and encouraged initiatives like the CAF fund attracted more than 600 members to its to Andy’s own ambition, leadership skills and the Lancashire Constabulary was for smaller organisations. The Alliance started early action network. These practitioners and sensitivity to these issues that the Lancashire spending 48% of its time dealing as a Community Links’ project but became policy-makers get a monthly bulletin, access policing system committed to this cultural with issues that might have independent, run and funded by its own to training events and occasional individual shift. “We would never even be on this journey been prevented had they been members now numbering more than 60, 15 support. They give back the intelligence and without the Task Force”, wrote Andy in 2016. addressed earlier. months later. insights which drive the work forward.

92 CHAPTER 9 _93 The Early Action Task Force

The Task Force offered positive language and a action that can take place now, preventing One of the most striking examples is the Big prosperity. You need to invest in good health useful framework in which to develop preventative long-term consequences and setting a Lottery Fund’s support for the work of the Task because it makes people happier, but also action and, above all, a new interpretation of pathway for a more sustainable future.” Force and its decision in 2016 to include early much more productive. On the environment, success; a systemic view with people at its centre action as one of the three core principles that [too,] it’s taken many years but now there’s a rather than a statistical account of narrow With this Act the Senedd shifted the focus will inform its £2 billion spending for the next consensus across the globe. Now, we [simply] achievements. “Policing is traditionally measured of government onto prevention and working five years. The support of the Big Lottery Fund need to apply this concept to other aspects.” on arrests, just like firefighting was originally together, and away from what Caroline calls “the was a very big win for the Task Force. Not only measured on how many fires you put out”, commodification of policy” or “retail politics” – a is it, far and away, the UK’s biggest funder, it One of the reasons for optimism on this agenda explains Luke. “If you’re moving to a preventative policy environment that looks like a supermarket is also the most prominent thought leader and is the fact that the language that the Task Force firefighting service, or preventative policing you with a range of products, and where voters ask the sector’s most visible exemplar. has developed for early action has gradually have to think differently about what you measure for short-term solutions, or “special offers”. entered mainstream political conversations. In rather than necessarily worrying whether there is “Early action is a concept that’s still growing”, the 2015 national election, for example, for the something to measure. This demands the cultural “Hopefully the natural short-termism of says Dan Paskins, Senior Head of Portfolio first time all the manifestos of the main political change that Andy Rhodes describes when he government will be counterbalanced”, says Development at the Big Lottery Fund. “There parties included some reference to early action. talks about ‘moving away from enforcement, not Caroline, as every initiative will have to be is a lot more potential in terms of awareness Speaking at the launch of The Deciding Time, charging around under flashing lights catching measured against a broader idea of well-being, raising for the future.” According to him, the Dame Louise Casey, Director General of the criminals’, but actually aiming to have fewer calls encouraging the formation of a society in which impact of Community Links’ work has been Troubled Families Team at the Department for to 999 in the first place.” mere survival is no longer an acceptable outcome, “tangible”, which is why the Big Lottery Fund Communities and Local Government, said, where people thrive together and where narrow decided to use the language that the Task “Community Links’ work on the Early Action The Task Force also helped the Welsh government measurements such as the Gross Domestic Force previously developed when reviewing Task Force and more generally is an enormous to enshrine early action principles in policy- Product (GDP) will be perceived as obsolete.” its funding priorities. “We want to make sure powerhouse in terms of social policy”, but making. The Labour Party won the 2011 election that people applying to us get comfortable whether it transforms practice on the ground, in Wales on the campaign promise of “A more Although it is too early to judge how much with thinking about the work they’re doing in not just in some places but everywhere, remains sustainable Wales”. This commitment was largely these changes will actually shape public terms of early action; we want to support that an open question and a work in progress. focused on environmental policy, which is still expenditure, the Welsh project aims to show common understanding, that learning [which, in how many people think of sustainability, but, what could happen if, instead of just one turn,] generates further ideas.” Eventually, Dan The next step is to show that this programme of course, it could also be argued that Wales is mechanism, the entire system demands an hopes, an early action “microcosm” will take can work when actually applied across an “more sustainable” if its workforce is healthier early action perspective. It promises a more shape: “More offices of public services, more entire system – perhaps by converting one and well educated and if its government is better inclusive interpretation of what success and funders, more organisations [will be] thinking of the newly devolved city regions. “I think able to address the divergent trends of needs and prosperity should look like: one that builds on this way, spreading the early action agenda that’s an interesting place for early action”, resources across the public sector. Here was an statistics by putting flesh on numbers; one [and giving it] the potential to really thrive.” considers Dan Corry. “We have to put it on opportunity for the Task Force. Expanding the that reframes the values and priorities at the the agenda not only in Whitehall, but also for scope of the campaign pledge ran with the grain heart of society; one that is often articulated in Now we simply need to apply the new mayors in Liverpool, Manchester, of intention and led ultimately to the Well-being the West Midlands. They’re all places terms of human interactions rather than strict this concept to other aspects of Future Generations Act embracing the “social, causal chains, of “contribution rather than “ where power and budgets are coming economic, environmental and cultural well-being attribution”, as Debbie Pippard of the Barrow together so it might be easier to get So far, the Task Force has tried to show,” both of Wales” and requiring public bodies to “think Cadbury Trust – one of the first funders that different departments to cooperate.” theoretically and with practical examples, how more about the long term, work better with people supported the early action programme back in For Community Links, this will also be early action isn’t a utopian view but, on the and communities and each other, look to prevent 2011 – now explains. a chance to complete the loop again, problems and take a more joined up approach”. contrary, makes logical sense. “If you look back to go back to that attention to local over history, it’s clearly not impossible”. says Early action is also a call for funders to action which has characterised its Caroline. “Until the 19th century we didn’t invest “The work of the Early Action Task Force has reframe how they interpret outcomes, away work over the past four decades and in education. We left much of our population been really influential in the development of from technical measurements that don’t take from which so much has sprung, illiterate. And we didn’t invest in public health. the Well-being of Future Generations Act”, into account human elements and social and another opportunity to evolve But at various stages we have understood that said Peter Davies, the former Commissioner arguments. Increasingly, small and big funders its understanding about how to it’s really important to invest in people and for Sustainable Futures in Wales. “The Triple alike have shown, again and again, that they turn projects on the ground into in an infrastructure that makes society more Dividend brought much-needed focus on see value in this too. ambitious, systemic change. stable and that creates social and economic

94 CHAPTER 9 _95 Chapter 10

The greatest social reformers were 1) The obsolete: A couple of projects now children of their time. To read Canon seem very distant, the Ideas Annuals for instance – a smart and valuable Barnet or Marjorie Fry, Beatrice idea at the time has long been The Learning Webb or Eleanor Rathbone today overtaken by technology. is to be reminded of a different 2) The eclipsed: Some “solutions” have economic context, a different been overshadowed by new problems – legislative framework, different we may have secured some important challenges, cultural norms and advances on Tax Credits, for example, From but the rapid growth of the Food Bank political sensibilities. These giants of movement in recent years reflects the their time changed lives but, unlike dark reality that there is now more the major artists or architects or poverty, not less. sculptors, their work could never The Doing 3) The keepers: Many achievements be completed because their goal endure, although some may not have was social progress, an unending been sufficient. Ronan Point is gone dynamic. The great reformers didn’t for ever but, as Grenfell Tower brutally attests 30 years on, there are still tower leave a Pietà or a David; they laid blocks in Britain that are disasters stepping stones. waiting to happen.

Our work has all been relatively recent and, 4) The growers: The kind of work that To invent, you need a good imagination of course, tiny in comparison, but reading might be most useful is the hardest and a pile of junk. through the stories in this collection I am struck to score – these are the projects that by the extent to which the context for our have continued to move forward. Our (Thomas Edison) projects has also changed and moved on even contribution to the development of in just 40 years. Looking back now we can social sponsorship, behavioural insight, Vision without action is merely day place the stories into four categories: deep value / relational welfare, social dreaming. Action without vision is passing impact bonds or early action needs time. With vision and action we change placing in the context of its time. the world. Here, if what we were saying or doing several years ago now seems (Nelson Mandela) old hat and common practice, it is probably an achievement – we People give up their power by thinking they contributed to the momentum; don’t have any. perhaps we even started it. On our best days Community (Alice Walker) Links has laid stones, sometimes the first ones. Others have followed and laid more.

96 CHAPTER 10 _97 The Learning From The Doing

Here are some headline observations about People’s March on Parliament. The changing proven or even from the immediately provable. TimeBank. Indeed, they inspired and came up what I think we have learnt on the way: attitudes of funders isn’t the only reason for the Action Match was a punt – a sparky idea, well with the idea of people giving what they are shift, but it is a significant contributor. supported by a diverse range of experienced passionate about as opposed to people giving About Funding people, but there was little evidence to support their time because they feel it is their duty.” Best guesses the speculative suggestion that the burgeoning movement behind art and sport sponsorship While the results of this exploratory approach Fundamental shifts in the attitudes and Third sector innovation is dependent on leaders could be extended to social welfare. At that time have been varied, none began with a strict behaviour of funders over the lifetime of who have the support to think as optimists, almost all of this sponsorship money went into contract and detailed plan. Our capacity to Community Links has changed the activity of the freedom to work as explorers and the the high end – national theatre companies, top roam in this way is threatened by the inflexible our organisation and of the sector. responsibility to evaluate as sceptics. A mature six football teams, etc. contract and the fixed outcome schedule. relationship between funders and funded Thomas Edison observed, “To invent, you need Funding dissent respects and supports all three. A Community Links is a very different beast from a good imagination and a pile of junk.” We a Royal Philharmonic or a Manchester United. might add “and trusting, patient sponsors”. In Community Links’ first decade it was possible Rigorous monitoring and evaluation was a rare to attract funding for campaigning activity like bird in the sector in the 1980s, seldom expected In 2017 a wealthy individual might pay for Not everything works. When the National the Tower Blocks Campaign. The project was or required. That was not good. A lyrical bid the exploration of this flimsy hunch, although Lottery franchise was retendered, we small p political and often contentious although writer could succeed with a sloppy proposal probably not with two-year funding for developed a very big fundraising idea based consistently even handed in its opposition to and the wider benefits of an apparently four staff. I doubt whether any charitable around combining the better parts of the the tower block policies of both the Labour local effective project like Action Match were neither trusts would look at it without much more Lottery with a reinvented premium bond. It authority and the Conservative government. tested nor captured and exploited. groundwork and it certainly wouldn’t get was a proposal that excited some influential The Newham dimension to this work, which was government money. Does that matter? I partners, and international advertising agency particularly critical of the Labour-led borough Times have changed. The Pollyanna visions have think it does. The moon shots have to start BBDO donated a secondee for six months to council, was largely funded by the Labour-led been necessarily displaced by evidence-based somewhere and someone has to pay for the help to develop the details. Despite repeated GLC; the national development was supported proposals, and the sweeping narrative of the groundwork, or they don’t get launched. I am false dawns, most recently in the spring of by the Gulbenkian Foundation. Both funders typical annual report has been superseded by the not sure where it sits best, but the nation needs this year, we still haven’t found the necessary were consistently supportive. finer-grained precision of the monthly dashboard. a budget for best guesses, perhaps some form combination of backers. Yet. of funders collaborative to maximise expertise The Gulbenkian Grants Director Paul Curno It is morally right to be clear about our plans and to share risk? Some exploration took us down a winding would say in 2002 that, “In our view Community and accountable for our performance and it path. Set against the aspirations at the outset, Links is one of three or four leading community is also common sense. Targets and outputs Paid to roam the experience of the Social Enterprise Zone, agencies which has set a standard for other are an essential part of good management for example, was frustrating. Ultimately, the similar organisations to aspire to.” But it was particularly if change is an integral part of the The freedom to work without borders at project did some very good work but not still a bold punt at the time and it is difficult project, but evaluating an idea is not the same Community Links and to follow the evolving as we had originally imagined. There is an to imagine any part of government, local or as monitoring a contract. evidence has led to new organisations like Shift important distinction to be made between national, funding any such activity today. or the Children’s Discovery Centre, to new what we might call “good failure” and If we lose the distinction, voluntary organisations approaches like social sponsorship, deep value “bad failure”. Bad failures result from A healthy democracy needs opposition as much will promise only what they are very confident or the Social Impact Bond, and to change in poor preparation, weak management, as it needs governance but with important of doing without stretch or imagination and other places like the Lancashire Constabulary’s and incompetent execution. Good exceptions, civil society has been losing its voice then deliver it without questioning, learning or commitment to early action or the creation of failures suffer from none of these in recent years. Time was when councils would deviating. It may make for the tidy completion the Early Action Funders Alliance. faults but still the project falls short be loudly implored to not set a rate that couldn’t of the contract and be, within those constraints, on its original objectives. Lessons are sustain essential services, when a Wednesday an effective project but it is an approach that Some outcomes have been entirely incidental. learnt, changes are made. Progress night TV play about one homeless family could will never break new ground. I worry that the Jane Tewson, for instance, founder of Comic incurs risk and risk incurs failure. It spark national and transformational outrage pendulum may well have swung too far. Relief, TimeBank and Pilotlight says, “The team is good to be wrong; that is part of and when charities were expected to disturb as at Community Links have inspired all aspects the journey. It is bad to be wrong well as to comfort. The Tower Blocks Campaign I am concerned that startling vision and insight of my work and each and every charity I have for long. was part of that tradition. Now Food Banks are now struggles to break through because it is founded is a tribute to them. Community the response to hunger at home, not a Poor just too unpredictable, too far removed from the Links were fundamental to the development of

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Funders of medical and scientific research may an objective of the campaign, nor part of the Count the value, not the saving Go back to the future be better at acknowledging this than funders funding bids, but is as much a legacy of the of social welfare. To the extent that cancer campaign as the houses and gardens now Funders and funded are increasingly When I speak about early action I often begin has not yet been eliminated – the top line occupying the old Freemasons estate. Having converting the legitimate measurement of with the “Ambulance down in the valley” objective – we might say that all the research the freedom to spot and pursue unintended outputs into a crude and far more dubious poem quoted at the beginning of chapter has failed, all the money misspent, but of outcomes requires trust and maturity in the assessment of cost and saving. 9, partly because it captures the essence of course that would ignore all the step changes relationship between the funder and the the approach lightly and vividly but mainly in prevention, care and even, sometimes, funded and a willingness to revisit objectives, Community Links has helped to drive the because it was written 120 years ago. This cure. Some of this could have been incidental, even to recalibrate targets, without fearing development of social investment, particularly makes the point powerfully – early action is unexpected, but all of it would help to build that such changes are an implicit criticism of Social Impact Bonds. We have argued that not a new idea. It has been common sense for towards the greater goal. the original bid. some outputs save money and that that a very long time; why isn’t it common practice? saving can be related back to the cost of the In this we are helped by our size. Community Proportionate monitoring input. For example, Community Links debt Deep value and the importance of strong Links is small and nimble. None of the projects advisers regularly prevent family evictions. The relationships is another idea at the heart of described in this book had more than eight All the projects covered in this collection began local authority has a statutory duty to house our front-line services and of our policy work, staff; most had two or three. Learning from our on a shoe string, a couple of workers and a lot homeless families, often initially in expensive and again it isn’t a new one but we and other “good failures” and changing direction could of volunteers. With such limited resources it is temporary accommodation. We can count this grant seekers often pretend that these are be easy and quick and largely accomplished important to ensure that every penny works, cost night by night and compare it very easily ground breaking ideas because we think that without reputational damage. Compare this but monitoring has now become an industry to the cost of an advice worker. that is what funders want to hear. agility with, for example, the National Citizens embraced with particular zeal by a number of Service which has recently been examined and the big corporate sponsors whose processes However, in other projects it isn’t always so This has two possible consequences: criticised by the Public Accounts Committee. have become disproportionate to the scale of easy and we shouldn’t pretend that it is. Some either we pretend and offer old wine in I have sympathy for managers on the ground the grant. As I write, a colleague across the things that we cannot count and price, or at new bottles or we really do abandon old who say that the scheme is still bedding in, room is preparing for a “routine” monitoring least that we have not yet learnt to count and ideas in constant pursuit of new ones. that staff are learning and that the numbers visit where she is required to provide bank price, may nonetheless be amongst the most Neither outcome is satisfactory. We need are moving in the right direction but, with statements which demonstrate not only that important. The development of the hospice experimentation and pioneers but we also £1.5bn worth of public money pouring in, Community Links has paid the people that we movement over the last 50 years is surely one need to recognise that, for instance, human scrutiny is understandably intense and said we paid, but also that the payments have of the third sector’s greatest achievements. beings change lives, not apps. Deep value patience is short. If innovation is necessarily a been cashed. It hasn’t reduced the benefits bill, got the relationships, like early action, is not a new voyage of discovery, it is not best undertaken unemployed into work or equipped the next idea but nor are these approaches universally in an oil tanker. Given that all our accounts are audited in generation to be economically active, but it is adopted. Until they are, policy development the usual way, that there is no suggestion often, for those whose lives have been touched must be as much about embedding timeless The freedom to roam is an exceptional or history of fraud and that the project by it, of literally immeasurable value. truths as it is about the next big thing. privilege. It cannot come freighted with £1.5bn, on the ground is exceeding its targets this Maybe Nesta should give over half its but nor should it ever be lost. seems, to say the least, disproportionate. Charity is not first and foremost about money to a new National Endowment for On our side of the table it is hard to say this relieving the public purse and although the Development of the Tried and Tested? Unintended outcomes without appearing to be afraid of scrutiny. many of us, including Community Links, We absolutely recognise the need to be will sometimes argue that we do, it is not Even within the framework of a clearly defined accountable but there will come a point where why we are here. In our zealous pursuit of project, remaining open to the unintended we have nothing to be accountable for if the measurement we, funders and funded, must maximises value. Looking back on the Tower demand on staff time for ever more detailed not become the generation of third sector Blocks work, Frances Clarke noted how monitoring continues on present trajectories. leaders that knows the cost of everything and many of the most active tenants went on to the value of nothing. become school governors or to volunteer in The sector needs to give more thought to what other Community Links projects or with other is good practice in monitoring, and what is agencies, and how many decided to apply not, and it needs to feel more confident about for training or seek different work. Building saying so. individual confidence and self-belief wasn’t

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About Partnership particular the Treasury and the tax authorities, other organisations as it does in our work and uncompromising on the values and the we needed to not only know their policies but with individuals. It is obvious that different headline objective from the outset. These are One of the characteristics of all the stories told to understand the experiences, the values, organisations can give different things. It is non-negotiable, but beneath the top lines in this collection has been the dependence the principles and, to a certain extent, the less obvious that what they need to get back is different priorities and strategies are more on a very wide range of partners. Funders attitudes and opinions which underpinned also different, but successful partnerships are than welcome; they are actively encouraged. are obviously important but skills, knowledge them. A little organisation like Community dependent on a frank, pragmatic and mutually Staff, funders, managers, partners, trustees or practical resources have also been drawn Links cannot influence the behaviour of a supportive understanding of what’s in it for you need to recognise that, at least at first, the from organisations as diverse as the Inland very large one with a big stick. In almost every as well as what’s in it for me. process can be untidy and the outcomes Revenue (a secondee for work on the informal policy success Community Links has built a unpredictable. This necessarily demands economy), major advertising agencies (a pro coalition of the willing, albeit perhaps with Sharing the work involves sharing the control the welcome embrace of uncertainty and bono copy writer and several creatives for We people who didn’t start on the same page. and sharing the credit. We Are What We Do, risk, but all our experience demonstrates the Are What We Do), the Canterbury College As you can’t impose willingness or retro fit it, CoSA, the Early Action Task Force, the Tower importance of keeping the faith. The results school of architecture (student architects this would have been much harder to achieve, Blocks Campaign and most of the other projects are invariably better in the end. surveying blocks for the National Tower probably impossible, if we hadn’t coproduced in this collection would not have evolved as Blocks Network), the Accenture management from the outset with our improbable partners. they did if they looked like a Community Second, that the sub brands (the Task Force, consultancy (two-year secondee for CoSA Links subcommittee. Partners participated Shift, CoSA, etc.) become better known than and several shorter projects), the Home Office Sometimes it’s not so much about the skill enthusiastically because they felt a sense of the parent (Community Links) and that we (secondee for the development of the Social set as the perception. In working with public ownership for the process, responsibility for the are therefore unable to capitalise on our Enterprise Zone). officials on the Council on Social Action it outcomes and pride in the achievements. track record when we promote the next idea. was often helpful not just to use the slick It is true that if Community Links’ part in Unlikely friends presentation produced by the Accenture There are two risks: all this work were more widely recognised it secondee but to say it was produced with might be easier to fundraise, but then if we It is always easiest and most tempting to Accenture even though all the ideas may First, that this approach distorts, or at least hadn’t collaborated as we did most of the work with people just like us, but partnerships have come out of a session with third sector dilutes, our objectives. At worst the project achievements would not have happened. On are most productive with partners who are partners. Similarly at the moment we find that could take off in a direction that our own balance we have learnt to agree with Harry most different. Change the World for a Fiver it helps to open doors for the Early Action Task trustees oppose. Truman – “it is amazing what you can achieve sold a million copies because it was funny, Force at the Treasury if we mention that UBS if you don’t care who gets the credit”. creative and beautifully produced. The in- are active partners. Indeed, the decision to The community development model which is at house team that produced the Ideas Annuals create the Task Force to campaign for early the heart of all of our work, local and national, Partners or protesters? at Community Links could have come up action, rather than just campaigning for it on is built on the understanding that we empower with the 50 ideas, published them neatly our own, actively embodies the lesson that people most effectively by acknowledging In the work with Job Centres arising from the and sold 2,000 copies. Combining the skills we have learnt from previous projects: diverse that we don’t have all the answers, or at Social Enterprise Zone it would have been easy of those who understand social change with coalitions reach parts that single agencies, or least, all the parts of an answer. Other people to criticise the managers for the number of outstanding creative talent shifted a million single sector coalitions, never can. hold other pieces. The claimants that led the applications that were treated incorrectly copies of a product that neither side could work on Need NOT Greed, for example, knew or for the long waiting times. The project have produced and sold on their own. Give and take more about the experience of life outside the could have mobilised a protest outside formal economy than any salaried “expert” the Centre or an eye-catching flash On top of their specialist skills these unlikely Different kinds of organisations, although at Community Links or anywhere else. A mob inside but both would have been a friends often brought challenge and sympathetic to the top line objective, are likely comparable point could be made about the conceit. Claimants don’t have labour sometimes disagreement. to be additionally motivated by a different tower block tenants or even the varied interests to withdraw; small charities don’t have goal. Sam Webb, for example, was able to gathered round the Early Action Task Force investment to relocate. At most we can The Inland Revenue manager began with a mobilise an army of student architects to table. The best-laid plans of Community Links expose and damage reputations but negative view of the informal economy, but undertake the structural surveys because his managers can be changed in a single meeting the problem here was not deliberate she rightly pointed out that embedded and students needed the practical work experience. by others who know better. intent. It was administrative often unquestioning opinions at Community overload and insufficient time, Links could be equally one sided. We had The idea that “we all need to give as well as to Learning how to lead collaborations has been possibly insufficient imagination, no interest in preaching to the choir. If we receive” is enshrined in our founding principles. a clear strand in the development of our work. to work on a solution. wanted to influence a wider audience, and in This applies as much in our relationship with We’ve learnt the importance of being explicit

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Instead of making Job Centre staff the enemy purely social case opens different doors and We have adapted to the changing boring to list them all, but no organisation, it made more sense to offer our help to change widens the coalition of support. It does not environment, not least the kind of changes in movement or project is just a corporate entity. a system that manifestly wasn’t working. Of compromise our principles or our objectives. funder attitudes and approaches described It is the sum of the people within it. This book, course the offer could have been rebuffed, but above and we have been alert to dangers: and the story of Community Links, belongs to assuming good intentions, partnering with, Sometimes a facility for understanding and berating the council through the Tower Blocks those people. rather than campaigning against, and trying for co-opting the objective or the language Campaign when we were tiny and unfunded to change systems from within has become of other parties requires also a certain wasn’t risky. Offending them as we did with About Qualitative Policy-making our default strategy because it plays to our fleet of foot. The work of the Task Force on the “Uncounted” work when we were in receipt strengths and not our weaknesses. shaping and supporting the implementation of over £1m worth of grant funding for front- “Evidence-based policy” became a Whitehall of the Well-being of Future Generations Act line services required more consideration. mantra in the Blair years. Nothing moved This isn’t to say that it is the only way. The (described on page 94) built out from Labour’s without numbers. Ministers in the Cameron huge achievements of London Citizens on the “a more sustainable Wales” campaign pledge This takes us to the next question about government then cut back on targets and Living Wage, for instance, would not have with a much bigger idea that ran with the proximity to power. Was the evolution placed less reliance on the data. Today, been achieved without their many boots on the grain of intention but incorporated the “social, in the approach from outside to inside officials certainly want data but ministers are ground, and of course within our own history the economic and the cultural well-being of subconsciously influenced, if not overtly equally likely to pursue an idea they believe the Tower Blocks Campaign massed some Wales” as well as the environmental. determined, by receipt of government funding in and assemble the numbers as they go. serious crowds at critical council meetings. In and, if so, at what cost? One Treasury official described this to me as general, however, we have chosen to challenge An inward journey? “policy-based evidence”. more as partners than protesters. I cannot recall a meeting when anybody This book began with an independent has said, “we mustn’t do this because X Community Links has negotiated this The big danger here is that we are coerced campaign of direct action that was very might stop our funding”. If it was ever a inconsistent world by exploiting its assets. into feeble compromises. Again it is obviously critical of local and central government. subconscious influence I think it made us We do not have the resources of a university important to be clear about our objectives Gradually the approach became more and smarter campaigners - thinking more about or of the big consulting firms. We do have and about our red lines but that doesn’t more collaborative to the point where CoSA targeting our fire, building coalitions so we the experience of need pouring through our mean that others can’t work for the same was, quite literally, located in Downing aren’t conspicuously isolated, putting forward doors every day, and we do see how policy goals for different reasons. The Job Centre Street. It is a clear trend, more than a shift solutions rather than aimless opposition, and which looks smart in the Whitehall committee manager was at least equally interested in in emphasis, but we mustn’t post rationalise. always being certain of our evidence and room plays out on the ground. This has led achieving national targets and in the well- Sometimes history is, as Arnold Toynbee said, respectful in our disagreements – the policy us towards the qualitative approach. The being of his staff as he was in delivering the “ just one damn thing after another”. To some might be bad; the person isn’t. granularity of stories and the authenticity service that we thought he should. Identifying extent we just responded to the issues and the of lived experience isn’t better or worse these alignments may lead to a different opportunities as seemed appropriate at the Furthermore, and, importantly, if delivering than the random control trial or the presentation of the problem but that doesn’t time, but looking back I think there is more to state funded services ever inhibited our voice it large-scale study; it is a different necessarily matter so long as it doesn’t the pattern than simple serendipity: also gave us more to say: We were doing more dimension and it is what we are best compromise the pursuit of the solution. and learning more. placed to do well. Community Links has learnt how to use The Early Action Task Force has achieved its assets – the authenticity of its deep Friends for life When Community Links service users considerable traction around its presentation local roots, the expertise derived from that spent evenings in Downing Street with of the threefold benefits of early action – experience, the reputation for imaginative Careful readers will have already noticed Gordon Brown discussing their day- thriving lives, costing less, contributing more. problem solving and the enthusiasm for that some of the same names pop up over to-day experiences, they provided Left to its own devices Community Links collaboration and coproduction. We have and over again in this book, often moving into insights that this most assiduous might well argue that the social argument also followed opportunities and sought to new roles as time passes. That’s important. of Chancellors never found in – thriving lives – is the only one that really maximise them – a period of economic growth Although Community Links has never stopped the red box. Marshalling and matters. However, effective early action does and a chancellor and then a prime minister seeking and welcoming new friends, it is distilling that kind of “qualitative save money from acute budgets and does that was passionately committed to the easier to keep important partners than it is to evidence” into reports, events strengthen the workforce. Presenting these third sector was a short-lived, but once in a find new ones. This is as true of individuals as and campaigns has become arguments as a “need reduction strategy”, generation, opportunity. it is of organisations. Others who didn’t get a the dominant Community deliberately aping the ministerial language mention in the book are just as important. It Links’ approach. about deficit reduction, alongside the would be unfair to pay tribute to a few and

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The current series of publications on the • “They told me, ‘we put adverts on the actively obstruct it. It doesn’t really matter Stories that drive change aren’t primarily cumulative impact of welfare reform, for TV and have been talking about it (the whether there are five other Marias across about facts and figures or even policies. example, began in 2014 and follows 16 benefit cap) for 2 years now. If you don’t the UK or five thousand; amending the rules They are compelling narratives populated households with an independent, intimate and understand the adverts we won’t be able makes sense. by people just like us. Stories are the threads trusting approach that enables us to see how to explain it to you today.’ They send that we weave with, through and around the the systems really work. Maria, for instance, so many letters and I don’t understand. Other organisations can do all this but the characters. lives in private rented accommodation. Her What can I do about it?” constant exposure to the issues through the husband had been the main breadwinner but front-line advice work enables Community That is why the random anonymised “case recently left. She is now a single parent with The reports conclude with recommendations Links to do it with particular expertise, studies”, without which no modern policy one child and another on the way. She works that arise from these accounts. Mostly they efficiency and sensitivity. report is considered to be complete, are of part time but since her partner left, she can’t are improvements or amendments in practice limited value and should not be confused with afford the rent on a house that is unnecessarily rather than major reforms, relatively easy to Telling a good story a proper “story”, although the words are often big. “We don’t need this big place”, she said. adopt but potentially transformational for the and unhelpfully used interchangeably. “It doesn’t make any sense to have them help people that the system was set up to serve. We began this book with a short description us live here.” But when Maria asked the council of the first Community Links bus and the Good stories never stay still. They are carried for a smaller home or for help with a deposit The risk in this approach is that small young people involved. As you might have on the currents of the time. to secure a more affordable property in the numbers produce unreliable evidence, but guessed, it is one that I have told many times private sector she was advised that the council the record suggests that, done well, this can before and the details, largely forgotten, are Truth should be important (although sadly could only provide emergency temporary be overcome. Community Links’ first report not relevant to the rest of the book. I tell it some politicians have shown that it isn’t accommodation and that she would need to on welfare reform focused on 25 families. because it isn’t really about a bus. It is about necessary). Details certainly don’t travel. be evicted from her current home before they At the time the DWP felt that the work was what Barack Obama has called the “audacity could do anything. too limited to be reliable. Within three years, of hope”. It is a good story and good stories It is for all these reasons that we used the however, it was clear that the conclusions drive social change. Gordon Brown opportunity to consider No one designs systems to be deliberately were prescient and the recommendations poverty, refugees, gun crime, trafficking and unhelpful but sometimes it is necessary to were relevant and helpful. By understanding, In Britain’s Everyday Heroes we quoted Ben Okri many other issues in conversation with the understand the “customer” perspective to see in detail, how people were coping at the on the “secret reservoir of values. … Change the change makers and the bridge builders on the how one problem compounds another and how start it was plainly possible to see how they stories individuals and nations live by and tell front line. It is why the Tower Blocks Campaign the simple linear theories of individual policies might manage in the future and to spot the themselves and we change the individuals and in Newham focused so relentlessly on Ivy play out very differently in real people’s lives. difficulties. Asking the right questions, and the nations … if they tell themselves stories that Hodge, April Merrin and David Cash, why taking time to listen to the answers, yields a are lies they will face the future consequences Chief Constable Andy Rhodes is so important Other participants shared similar stories … quality of intelligence that is never captured of those lies. If they tell themselves stories that to the Early Action Task Force and why the in the customer feedback surveys. face their own truths they will free their histories Ideas Annuals weren’t full of independent • “I didn’t even have £10 so I couldn’t for future flowering.” evaluations but the personal accounts of attend (the job interview). So I spoke to Community Links is careful to identify people who were doing the job. them and said you’ve affected me from representative samples and to locate its We can see the power of story telling in getting the job, because of their mistake detailed work within the bigger picture. We shaping attitudes and behaviour throughout There is a danger that fictions grow I was sanctioned. You can’t describe don’t say that everybody in circumstances history from biblical times to the European around the edges. That is why we how it feels. When you’re so desperate similar to Maria will want the same things or referendum or the election of Donald Trump. also need to learn from other forms to earn more and you realise that one experience the same difficulties but, if we These victorious campaigns in 2016 didn’t of evaluation; but it is stories that of the reasons you couldn’t do that was avoid the obvious outliers, the qualitative necessarily have the strongest case, but they expose pain and injustice in ways because of their mistake.” approach can help us to make what lawyers did tell a story which voters recognised. They too visceral to ignore and it is might call “reasonable person” decisions and offered hope and inspiration. The winners were stories that make us believe not • “I’ve got to stick with 99p microwave to develop policies that work. To return to the best story tellers. only that change is possible but dinners which are not good for you. Maria, for example, enabling her to downsize also that we can be involved. You need fresh veg. I should be eating will suit her and benefit a wider community fish and things because of my bone where the supply of family accommodation is deficiency but how can I? Unless I put currently inadequate. However, the rules, far them in my pocket, know what I mean?” from encouraging this reasonable behaviour,

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About Attitudes I think there is also something here about being Many years ago I spoke about leadership at a We think of our early tower blocks work as an “Whether you think you can or think you optimistic as well as about being practical voluntary sector conference in Milton Keynes. It example of success. It was, within the borders can’t, you will be right.” The Henry Ford and positive. Too much political discourse, was held in a primary school on a wet Saturday of the Freemasons estate and the other maxim graced the wall in one of our training and subsequently too much political or social morning, and on the wall behind me was a large-panel block estates across the country rooms for many years. Self-belief isn’t always action, is driven by fear: fear of immigrants, display by Year 3 children. They had each which were then demolished, but as we can sufficient, but doubt and negativity is always fear of claimants, fear of Europe, fear of the drawn a picture of themselves and completed now see so clearly in the horror of the Grenfell destructive. In all our work we have tried to media, fear of the sack. It may be easier for the sentence, “My name is …, I am … years old disaster it wasn’t successful enough. There be positive and ambitious and to believe that us to be optimistic than it is for politicians. We and I am good at …” Several stood out: was nothing but despair in Sam’s voice this whilst we may not have the capacity to do as used to run our local projects under the strap morning as he told the Today programme that much as we would like, we all have the power line “we can all do great things”. The same My name is Ruth. I am 7 years we knew it would happen; it could have been avoided. It shouldn’t be necessary for a rich, to do something. belief has underpinned our national approach. old and I am good at making rabbit Optimism in community development is not so “ sophisticated and well-networked society to Building as well as demolishing much a moral duty as an operating imperative. noises. learn lessons more than once. If that means Despair demoralises and destroys. Hope saying unpopular things, making the same nourishes and inspires. ” points over and over again, and behaving as At the start of the Gordon Brown meetings, My name is Robert, I am 8 years charities have largely forgotten how to behave the Chancellor observed that in his first few old and I am good at driving the months in office he had listened to many Thinking big “ we shouldn’t be afraid to do it. charities present compelling arguments car. against existing systems and structures. When We have been thinking recently about the At the conclusion of the second story in he then asked for recommendations he heard development of our work on deep value, about ” this book we considered how unusual But it was Michael’s contribution that I Action Match would look in the voluntary a repeat broadcast of the same complaints. a “devaluation in the currency of relationships” particularly enjoyed: “Everyone presents problems”, he said. “No and about how it might be done. I concluded a sector landscape that has evolved in the one brings solutions.” blog on the subject with these lines, “Voluntary intervening years. We wondered if the organisations like ours don’t have all the My name is Michael. I am 8 sector “no longer has the appetite for risk, In different ways all the stories in this collection pressing mandatory duties of a statutory years“ old and I am good at making the funding for experimentation or even are about solutions. Clarity and good authority. We have the freedom, and with the big dreams. the belief that an idea shared is an idea evidence on the problem to be addressed are freedom a responsibility, to try to understand doubled?” The last chapter described how essential precursors but from the Tower Block not just how we manage or ameliorate a Michael didn’t say” he was a day dreamer, as our current work on early action has been campaigners to the Early Action Task Force problem but how we build a better society.” his teachers or his parents might. Instead he shaped by Community Links’ “undulating every project harnesses solutions to problems. talked about making big dreams. It reminded journey of setbacks and successes”. We try to not complain until we can answer the This may sound grandiose but we have always me of Nelson Mandela’s famous lines, “Vision question “what would you do about it?” and, regarded “thinking big” as a responsibility, without action is merely day dreaming. Action I think it is increasingly unusual but more as far as we can, we try to ensure that our whilst knowing that big thoughts are of little without vision is passing time. With vision and important than ever that at least part of answers reflect political and financial realities. value if we are not also aligning them to the action we change the world.” the voluntary sector should be devoted Sometimes the obvious answer is “spend more”, real world. to pushing out the boundaries. If our but where that answer is plainly unworldly we Community Links has always endeavoured journey in the years ahead, as an know that we squander the opportunity to to not only have big dreams, big, some might organisation and as a sector, were influence with an artless reflex. It is better to say, beyond our station, but also to make to be less bumpy I would worry that wait until you have got a realistic answer than them happen. This principle is captured in our we had settled at the wrong point gain a reputation for naivety. statement of purpose with the line “Driven by on the risk curve. If our collective dreams, judged on delivery”. It is an audacious purpose is not to “make big dreams” ambition and inevitably some projects fall and constantly juggle “vision and short but the search for that biting point, action”, then who will? And what the place where action meets vision, hasn’t are we for? changed since the old bus first sputtered down the Barking Road in 1978.

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Now is a good moment for social change. “The implementation of these recommendations would be worthwhile, I don’t think there is ever a bad time to be indeed in some cases transformational, but working in the voluntary sector and to be not sufficient in the context of an unequal working for social change, but I think a period society and an economy in recession. These of austerity can be particularly fertile. The twin issues are far bigger than the Task Force trajectories of escalating needs and diminishing but without also reducing inequality and resources are unsustainable. We know that it is improving social cohesion we will always an insanity to do the same thing repeatedly and be battling against an overwhelming tide. expect different results. We need new solutions, We focus on the technocratic aspects, the and history tells us that real innovation rarely bureaucratic plumbing, because we feel comes from within government. The future is that we can make a measureable difference always on the periphery. here. The Ten Year Test, Transition Plans and other recommendations are practical tools, Besides, austerity will end one day, maybe this but we hope that their development will also year, maybe next; eventually it will happen and lead to a bigger conversation – one about then we will face a choice of three scenarios: values, priorities and the fundamental to look back and seek to restore everything nature of the society in which we live.” to 2010 with a fraction of the money. To look inwards, repair the estate, make the pay rises The details would change but much of the and look after the producer. Or to look forward sentiment could be applied to everything we do with a modern post-austerity narrative and and all the stories in this book – the obsolete, practical new ideas for gripping old problems. the eclipsed, the keepers and the growers. The options aren’t exclusive – we probably need to put back some things that have proved Sometimes I fear that the opposite will happen, to be essential and we will need to mend the that instead of leading to a bigger conversation estate to a point where it is ready for option the day will be deferred, that by reforming three, but essentially, I believe, the future systems and structures and by supporting belongs to the change makers. Be ready. and improving practical projects we make the essentially indefensible just about workable for a People give up their power by little bit longer. thinking they don’t have any “ Our national projects as much as our front- ” line services operate in the shadow of towering The introduction to the second Early Action inequalities, but all those who have played a Task Force report (The Deciding Time) part in our work over the last 40 years have concluded with an important caveat. made a judgement and that judgement has framed all that we have done: we believe that the Community Links’ approach to community development has a value beyond the borders of our community and that we all have something to contribute. Like Alice Walker, we see that “people give up their power by thinking they don’t have any”. We don’t fool ourselves about the scale of our contribution – as Grenfell Tower has most recently and ferociously reminded us, it is not enough – but that’s not a reason to give up. It’s a reason to try harder.

110 CHAPTER 10 _111 Community Links has been generating change since 1977.

It tackles poverty and social exclusion in Generating Change is for change makers east London and it shares the experience by everywhere, full of tips and insights gleaned supporting practitioners further afield, influencing from experience. Above all, it is a compelling policy-makers and developing new ideas. collection of remarkable stories about trying to make a difference, sometimes winning, and This book is a telling of stories about that learning all the time. national activity, the achievements, the disappointments and especially the lessons.

Much has changed over four decades, some www.community-links.org as a result of this work, but many of the issues that Community Links was founded to address continue to impoverish lives across the UK.

Published by Community Links We are grateful to the Calouste Gulbenkian ISBN number 978-1-9999094-0-6 Foundation for their support of this publication.