Annual convention
Our next annual convention is on 6 and 7 November in Bristol – save the date!
We held our first annual convention in Manchester in November 2011.
We welcomed an amazing 560 delegates to Locality ’11 at the Palace Hotel in Manchester.
“Brilliant and inspiring!” Lesley Kragt, Vanguard
Over the two days delegates attended workshops, debates and masterclasses, visited our members in and around Manchester, saw the work of the community organisers first hand and watched our social enterprise Dragons’ Den competition.
Keynote speakers included Sir Stephen Bubb from Acevo and Julia Unwin from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
See our convention resources page to download some of the workshop presentations.
Download the full programme.
Highlights
Steve Wyler’s closing speech
Challenging times
“Our job in this sector is challenging social evils and acting as a beacon for how to do things better” Stephen Bubb, Acevo.
A sense of injustice and a feeling of anger ran through many of the speeches and debates at Locality ’11. Anger at banks bailed out by public money while funding and benefits are cut and jobs are lost across the rest of the country.
The message from the Locality movement was clear: that we must hold those responsible to account.
Three key messages
We asked delegates to put forward and then vote on what Locality’s key messages to the government should be:
- Solutions come from communities – We want the same priority investment in the voluntary and community sector capacity to innovate as government makes in the private and statutory sectors.
- Community enterprise not just social enterprise - Promote community enterprise as a discrete and important component of real social enterprise and as the ideal quick-win for government to support local self-help, social justice, fairness and engagement, underpinned by asset ownership and engagement.
- Keep it simple, keep it local, invest in experience
Acumen wins Dragons’ Den
Acumen Development Trust won our social enterprise Dragons’ Den competition with their Reap and Sow project.
Kate Welch from Acumen pitched the idea to the Dragons, who awarded Reap and Sow £5,000.
Reap and Sow is a social enterprise that enables offenders working in prison workshops to produce garden and outdoor living products for sale to the public. They gain qualifications and experience, helping them to find employment and break free of the cycle of reoffending.
Thank you to the Key Fund for sponsoring Dragons’ Den.
Community organisers work the ‘Palace Estate’
Some of our new community organisers joined us at the ‘Palace Estate’ – our specially constructed mini-high street, built by some handy Locality staff members inside the convention venue.
The organisers used their ‘listening matters’ skills to work with delegates visiting the pub, library, homes or cafe.
Workshops, masterclasses and debates
Thanks to the fantastic and inspirational speakers we learned about everything from local food and community energy to transnational European funding opportunities.
Want to find out more? Download some of the presentations:
Incredible Edible – Todmorden: How one organisation is bringing grasses (and vegetables, herbs and flowers) to the masses.
The Hastings Pier story: Left to decay, then almost destroyed by fire, Hastings Pier has risen from the ashes thanks to the hard work and dedication of the local community.
Mergers – dream or nightmare?: The most important things to think about if your organisation is considering merging with another.
See the convention resources page for more workshop presentations.
