Programme summary

For more than 10 years, the JRF has carried out research into neighbourhood regeneration in the UK, with a strong focus on the vital role to be played by residents and local practitioners. Building on this, the JRF launched a four-year programme of practical work with urban neighbourhoods in Britain in 2002.

A central aim of the programme was to create a learning network which brought together 20 neighbourhoods across England, Wales and Scotland. The aim of the network was to help the neighbourhoods tackle the practical tasks and obstacles that they face in the course of their regeneration work. The programme aimed to:

• foster mutual support and joint learning between the different neighbourhoods, and help to initiate joint projects which emerge from common issues;
• help the neighbourhoods access knowledge of ‘what works' in regeneration; improve the support they can get from networks and other agencies; and find a way round decision-making blockages that often stand in their way;
• encourage the neighbourhoods and their partners to assess and critique the regeneration policies of the three countries, and to compare the different approaches.

The 20 neighbourhoods

The twenty neighbourhoods - from Scotland, Wales, Yorkshire and the Humber, the West Midlands and the South West - had different profiles and were at varying stages of development in their regeneration work.

In each region or country, statutory and voluntary sector contacts were invited to nominate 12 neighbourhoods. Of these, eight were invited to apply for membership of the programme and, from these, four were invited to participate. The selected neighbourhoods were:

Scotland

• Pollokshields – East Pollokshields Community Planning Partnership, Glasgow
• Levern Valley – Empowering Community Group, East Renfrewshire
• Faifley – Faifley Neighbourhood Forum, Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire
• Pilton – Pilton Partnership, Greater Pilton, Edinburgh

Wales

• Caia Park – Caia Park Partnership, Wrexham
• Llanharan, Brynna and Bryncae – Llanharan Community Development Project Ltd, Rhondda Cynon Taff
• Gellideg Estate – Gellideg Foundation Group, Merthyr Tydfil
• Ty Sign – Ty Sign Local Communities Partnership, Caerphilly

Yorkshire and the Humber

Eastfield – Eastfield Neighbourhood Partnership, Scarborough
• Norfolk Park – Norfolk Park Community Forum, Sheffield
• Boothtown – Boothtown Partnership, Halifax
• Todmorden – Integrate, Todmorden

West Midlands

• Lodge Farm – Lodge Farm Community Network, Dudley
• Canley – Canley Community Partnership, Coventry
• Malvern – Oak Crescent Residents Group, Pickersleigh Ward
• Castle Vale - Castle Vale Housing Action Trust, Birmingham

South West

• St Pauls – St Pauls Unlimited Community Partnership, Bristol
• Barne Barton – Tamar Development Trust, Plymouth
• Boscombe – Boscombe Working Community Partnership, Bournmouth
• Broad Street Area – Broad Street Area Community Council, Swindon

How the programme operated

In return for sharing their knowledge and experience, the participating neighbourhoods could access a range of services. These were designed to work alongside other resources that they were able to attract for regeneration work.

Services included

• Help in developing action plans. With the help of the JRF facilitators, each neighbourhood was encouraged to identify concrete outcomes for their work within the programme.
• Access to additional funds. Each neighbourhood was able to draw on a small JRF fund to help them to meet their objectives. This fund was directed at strategic purposes such as: planning; designing; seeking independent advice; and visiting projects elsewhere.
• Access to facilitator time. As a further aid to achieving objectives, the neighbourhoods had access to the time of JRF (and other) facilitators.
• Networking events. Regular networking events, reinforced by an intranet facility, brought the neighbourhoods together to engage in joint learning and support.
• Access to a joint project fund. For projects of common interest, the neighbourhood were able to draw on an additional fund within the programme.
• Help with evaluating progress. The neighbourhoods received assistance from the programme's evaluation team in assessing progress towards their chosen objectives.
• Access to dissemination opportunities. As valuable lessons began to emerge from practice in the 20 neighbourhoods, there were opportunities for them to participate in dissemination events (seminars, presentations) to a range of policy makers and practitioners.

Dissemination phase of Neighbourhood Programme

At the end of 2006, the practical phase of the Neighbourhood Programme drew to an end. The Programme’s Evaluation Team, headed by Professor Marilyn Taylor at the University of the West of England, produced their final report Changing Neighbourhoods: lessons from the JRF Neighbourhood Programme and a summary report.

Although JRF’s practical involvement on the ground has ceased, the neighbourhoods themselves are continuing their work. Contact will be maintained over the course of 2007, for the purpose of sharing the lessons from the programme in a range of events including: a London launch (held in March 2007); regional events; presentations to policy makers; and slots at several conferences and seminars.

Contact details

John Low
Principal Policy and Public Affairs Manager
john.low@jrf.org.uk

Ellen Mooney
Secretary
ellen.mooney@jrf.org.uk
Telephone: 01904 615946