Politicians across the political spectrum recognise how important harnessing local resources will be to the future of UK communities. Community ‘self help’ is a vital part of the solution as policymakers face the challenges of rescuing public finances, reviving outdated public services, and increasing civic engagement. Politicians from both sides are committed to enhancing the role local people play in improving the UK’s communities — but success depends on their ability to create conditions for self-help groups and projects to thrive. What we need to know now, is how.



CDF has taken a first step toward answering this question with the release of its self help position paper, Help from Within. Of particular interest to CDF is community self help: the collective ability of groups to make decisions and take direct action in addressing their communities’ needs — with minimal influence from government. Self-help groups and projects can complement existing public services, and offer an innovative way to enrich service provision across the country. Help from Within identifies the key questions facing the future of self help, and launches CDF’s work in building a better understanding of the concept to guide current and future policymakers.



To download a copy of CDF’s self help position paper, click here.



For more information about CDF’s work in this area, please contact Tom Archer at tom.archer@cdf.org.uk.