Social action

Why do some people get involved? How to encourage local activism and help communities to self-organise

Publication 1 August 2010

This paper was produced as part of the Neighbourhood Futures programme, a partnership with six local authorities exploring the impact of the economic downturn on community empowerment and neighbourhood engagement. The programme ran between 2009 and 2010 involving the London

What is an empowering authority? Community empowerment and organisational culture

Publication 1 August 2010

This paper builds on The Young Foundation’s practical experience with local authorities to develop and deepen understanding of how organisational cultures affect the success of neighbourhood working. It looks at how culture interacts with structures, people and processes and highlights

Public services and civil society working together

Publication 1 December 2009

The report explores the evidence to suggest outcomes are improved when public services and civil society work hand in hand, and develops five new ways to do just that – from community entrepreneurs to asset sharing, new performance measures to

Taking the lead: Youth leadership in theory and practice

Publication 1 October 2009

This report asks what is youth leadership? Why does it matter? And how can we support and nurture the development of our young leaders? Taking the lead critically investigates youth leadership, bringing together experts’ views and best practice from around

Contentious citizens: Civil society’s role in campaigning for social change

Publication 1 May 2007

This paper traces the story of campaigning for progressive social change from its origins in the late eighteenth century through to the present day, analysing a range of British campaigns from “The Chartist movement” to “Make Poverty History, and international

Social Silicon Valleys

Publication 5 March 2006

The world today faces a serious innovation gap. In fields ranging from chronic disease to climate change we badly need more effective models and solutions. This paper examines how social innovation happens in NGOs, the public sector, movements and markets. It