Power and participation

Our mission

Our work in this area exists to continually evolve participatory and power sharing practice, taking a reflective learning approach and sharing this insight widely with the sector.

Our aim is to support the sector in shifting organisation and institutional cultures to transformational change. By analysing existing systems and working towards deeper systemic shifts, we are aiming for equitable and democratised progress.

JRF aims to support this shift by experimenting with internal changes, adopting a humble and inquisitive approach, and actively sharing learning and insights.

Evolving social change

In recent decades, civil society has shifted its view of how social change is made, from one that is driven mainly by professionals to taking a broader view, seeing itself as a connected network that includes everyone in society. Traditional ways of thinking viewed social change as a technical issue that only experts could address and neglected the involvement of those directly affected by the issues.

There's a growing desire within civil society to move towards inclusive, democratic, and power-sharing approaches. This involves treating marginalised groups as equal partners and active agents of change, rather than passive beneficiaries.

JRF is open to collaboration and eager to connect with others who are also experimenting with new approaches to social change, fostering a community of shared learning and innovation.

Grassroots Poverty Action Group

Founded in 2020, JRF’s Grassroots Poverty Action Group (GPAG) is made up of 14 people with direct experience of poverty from across the UK. Members of the group include people who are most at risk of poverty, including people from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds, lone parents, Universal Credit claimants, disabled people and unpaid carers.

The group meets monthly and works alongside JRF staff, and sometimes external partners, on a variety of projects spanning research and policy, insight infrastructure development and campaigning. Group members bring their experience of living on a low-income but also the skills, knowledge, and experience they may have from employment, voluntary work, caring responsibilities, and community activism.

Learn more about the realities of facing the injustices of poverty over the last 20 years in GPAG members own words.

Discover more about power and participation

Group of run participants taking part in a fun run in Leazes Park in Newcastle upon Tyne in the North East of England. They are ready to run in the rain along the lakeside. The race is open to people of all ages and abilities and is also dog friendly.

Briefing

Power and participation

Wealth, funding and investment practice

Power, participation and transformative change: how funders can help

This report documents learning from JRF’s work alongside organisations led by people in poverty over the past five years, on what funders can do to build power and support transformative change at a grassroots level.

Panorama of a full rainbow reflected in calm water.

Reflection

Power and participation

Building power and hope for social change - what are the magic ingredients?

Heather Coady, a member of the Stigma Free Futures Design team, reflects on the importance of power sharing and knowledge equity approaches in social change projects.

Our experts

Husna Mortuza

Associate Director for Public Engagement

:: husna.mortuza@jrf.org.uk