Locality’s Strategy to create an Inclusive Movement
Locality believes that all communities, not least those which face greatest deprivation,
can become places of possibility. Given half a chance, people even in the most adverse
circumstances are capable of achieving positive change, for themselves, for their families,
for their neighbours and for their wider community. They are the solution not the
problem.
We recognise the diversity of resources, resourcefulness, cultures, traditions, beliefs and
values which exist in communities and neighbourhoods across the country, some of who m
are already working with or supported by Locality’s members. We strongly believe that
when diversity is recognised and engaged fully in all aspects of community life, we stand a
better chance of creating an empowered and dynamic movement, bringing us closer to our
vision of making each ‘community a place of possibility’.
We acknowledge the opportunities, creativity and strength within an inclusive movement.
We alsp believe we can achieve an inclusive movement by being proactive about diversity
within our programmes, business development, policy work, and organisational
composition and culture, remembering that diversity is a necessary means to achieve our
core goals. We are therefore keen to identify better ways to make our network,
membership and our offer attractive for communities of interest who could benefit from
our work and contribute to our goals.
This documents sets out how we will drive towards a more inclusive movement, especially
in our engagement with, and take up of our programmes and services by racial minority
and other diverse community groups.
The Current Picture
Locality delivers a range of national programmes, these include Community Rights,
Neighbourhood Planning, Community Organising and Our Place (Neighbourhood
Community Budgets) and other smaller programmes. Our business development service
provides life changing support and opportunities for our members and to the many
communities they serve. Our policy work allows Locality to inform and influence national
policy and decision making. We are working very hard to increase diversity within our own
staff team, Board and in our movement.
Our Impact report from 2012/2013 gives a strong sense of how our work and support is
helping to build community pride and self- determination. However we are increasingly
realising that despite all of this exemplar work, our services and programmes have not
always reached certain groups in our communities. We know this because some
communities of interest, in particular racial minority communities tell us some of the
difficulties they encounter in accessing some of our services and programmes. We do not
always monitor or assess the impact of our work on communities of interest and therefore
cannot always evidence how our services and work impacts on certain sections of our
communities.
What we know
On 30th of January 2013, Locality organised an event in partnership with UBELE ( a new
collaborative initiative with a mission to contribute to the sustainability of the African
Diaspora community in the UK through dialogue, leadership development and the design
and implementation of innovative solutions to address some of the most pressing social,
economic and political concerns) to start addressing where specific communities were not
using the Rights. Over 50 delegates attended the event, including colleagues from the
Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG).
Following discussions with delegates we identified a number of barriers and challenges for
BME communities in accessing the Rights. We learnt that
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Many communities had not heard about Locality, our work and the differences we
were making to the lives of many local citizens
Some did not know about our programmes or services, and the few who knew were
not always confident that they could access these opportunities, with the latter
situation exacerbated for some by the absence of racial minority officers within
the relevant Locality staff teams
Our communication and information processes were not always accessible to some
communities, nor reflective of our diversity commitments
We were not doing enough to raise awareness to the opportunities we had available
for communities of interest
We are not monitoring how well our programmes and services reached certain
communities of interests
We do not always celebrate our achievements and the positive work we do with
communities of interests, eg our work with Community Organising which is reaching
and empowering diverse communities; our members who work with, support and
make a real difference to the lives of many communities of interest
Programmes are not always designed and developed with the needs of communities
of interest in mind
Some are disillusioned and disempowered because assets, buildings and
opportunities are being lost or taken out from these communities, but they were
unaware that Locality has the know-how, information and resources to help them
When people find out about what we do and how we can help them, it is
sometimes too late
Deprived communities and groups are now always aware of nor understand the
Rights
What we plan to do now
At the event, Steve Wyler, Locality’s CEO gave a number of immediate pledges, and
following this we have identified the following actions which will be taken forward by
Locality’s SMT working closely and with support from members such as the Highfields
Community Association (HCA) and UBELE.
Locality’s commitments and actions in 2014/2015 are as follows:Action
Locality’s Lead
Officer(s)
Locality’s SMT will provide leadership in all areas of our
diversity work and will what we do, learning and developments
with our members, staff, stakeholders and with our Board.
Locality’s SMT
Regularly share the progress we make in the quarterly SMT
reports
Locality SMT
Report the progress we make, keep our Board up to date and
ensure diversity continues to be high on our agenda.
Chief Executive
Ensure we build our staff capacity and confidence in diversity
and equality. We will do this by organising problem solving
and learning events with staff/members.
Director of Finance and
Resources and the Head
of HR.
Applying and embedding all of the above into our events,
communications and membership activities
Deputy Chief Executive
Undertaking some direct work with a small number of
organisations.
Director of Business
Development
Designate funding towards research into community asset
ownership within racial minority communities.
Director of Programmes
and Policy Manager
Following the successful event with UBELE in January, to run a
similar event in the Midlands (with support from HCA) and in
the North and continue to build the momentum to our renewed
commitment to becoming a more inclusive movement.
Influencing Government to shape future programmes
March 2014
Director of Programmes
and Programme Managers