Communities - Government Events

Behind the Statistics: Strangulation and the Reality of Violence Against Women

8 minute read

Feb 2026

Last year, violence against women and girls (VAWG) in the UK was declared a national emergency by the police. This violence is everything from domestic abuse, harassment and sexual assaults. It is estimated that 1 in 4 women will experience domestic abuse, and 1 in 3 women will suffer sexual assault in their lifetime. These statistics show the depth of this issue, and how important it is that changes are made to education, support and justice systems to ensure victims are protected. In 2022, new government legislation turned strangulation and suffocation from being included in charges like assault or bodily harm into stand-alone offences which can be punished accordingly. It highlighted the growing realisation that strangulation is a deep enough issue that it warrants recognition as a violent act.

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From Buying to Belonging: Rethinking the Purpose of Our Town Centres

10 minute read

Feb 2026

Where do high streets sit in the modern world? They aren’t the shopping hub they used to be, with the dominance of online shopping. Too many high streets are falling into disuse, with shops opening and then falling under. Work needs to be done to restore high streets up and down the country. This will drive the economy, knit communities and support local businesses. We recently hosted The Restoring the High Street Conference 2025, which explored the ways in which we can restore high streets to be the community hubs they once were. One of the incredible speakers in attendance was Rowenna Davis, a councillor from Croydon Council, who delivered a compelling case study which we have summarised below. Rowenna believes that the key to restoring high streets is to transform them into social hubs, places where people can connect and rebuild a sense of community. Find out more below!

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Embedding Biodiversity and Community Into the Heart of Development: Lessons from The Land Trust

10 minute read

Feb 2026

As the climate crisis deepens, sustainability has shifted from a niche concern to a core pillar of business strategy, Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is redefining how the UK thinks about land use, planning and community development. Yet while legislation and metrics can guide the what of environmental policy, it’s the people and organisations behind implementation that bring the how to life. BNG is an approach to development that makes sure that habitats for wildlife are left in a measurably better state than they were before the development. It requires developments to result in at least a 10% increase in biodiversity compared to the pre-development state. This can be achieved on-site, through green infrastructure, off-site or a combination of both. Importantly, BNG is a mandatory requirement for most planning permissions in England.

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Supporting Disadvantaged Students: ‘IntoUniversity’ and the Challenges of getting into Higher Education

8 minute read

Aug 2025

How can we truly level the playing field for disadvantaged students? At our Supporting Disadvantaged Students in Higher Education Conference, Dr Emily Magrath from IntoUniversity shared powerful stories and practical solutions for breaking cycles of disadvantage. From early intervention to local collaboration, her insights reveal what’s working, where challenges remain, and how universities, charities and […]

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Tackling Extremism and Creating Connections: The Groundswell Project’s Three-Tier Approach

7 minute read

Aug 2025

The UK saw a 41% rise in terrorism-related arrests in the UK from 2023-2024. This sparks the need for prevention and change. The Preventing and Tackling Extremism in the UK Conference looks at this in detail.

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Interview Series: Meet the Chair, Michael Sanders

3 minute read

Jul 2025

We recently held the Local Government Technology Conference, in Westminster, London. It was an exciting day of learning, networking and interesting conversation. As most of our conferences are online, when we do get to meet people face-to-face, and host speakers in a physical space, it is a wonderful feeling. Seeing all of the conversations, the […]

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Mind in Motion: How Movement Transforms Mental Health at Work

6 minute read

Jun 2025

In today’s fast-paced corporate world, conversations around mental health are no longer a luxury, they’re a necessity. At the forefront of this movement is Matt Balfour, a wellbeing content creator, public speaker, Samaritan volunteer, and the founder of Let’s Go Wellbeing. His mission is simple yet profound: to help organisations build healthier, more engaged workforces […]

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Videos

Everton Free School Crime Prevention Initiatives

4 minute read

Sep 2024

Stephen Baker, the principal of Everton Free School and Football College, and Assistant Head Andrew Pearl, are pioneering new strategies to address behavioural challenges and criminal exploitation among vulnerable youth in Liverpool. Their innovative approach integrates multi-agency collaboration and focuses on understanding and meeting the underlying needs of at-risk students.

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Government Updates

Government Update: The Illegal Migration Act 2023

3 minute read

Aug 2023

The Illegal Migration Act changes the law so that those who arrive in the UK illegally will not be able to stay here. This update provides an overview of the key points of the act, highlighting which sections are in force now and what this means for those seeking asylum in the UK.

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Videos

Developing and Implementing a Robust Volunteer Strategy

21 minute watch

Jun 2023

A robust volunteer strategy is crucial for any organisation within the voluntary sector, to both maintain the needs of the organisation and volunteer motivations. In this video, Andy Broomhead from Diabetes UK gives guidance and advice to organisations seeking to adapt and improve their volunteer strategies.

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Videos

Providing Person-Centred Support to Prevent Tenants from Experiencing Homelessness

23 minute watch

May 2023

According to Hightown Housing Association, only 22-24% of housing association lettings go to homeless households. In this video, David Bogle from HHA discusses how Homes for Cathy works to improve the homelessness housing system through various campaigns and heightened support for tenants.

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Government Updates

Government Update: The Fraud Strategy

5 minute read

May 2023

Fraud is one of the most common crimes in England and Wales, with cases accounting for more than 40% of all crimes reported. This government update outlines some of the key points in the Fraud Strategy which aims to reduce the number of cases by 10% on 2019 levels before the beginning of 2025.

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