Social action

Growing Community Organising

Publication 16 May 2013

We define community organising as the process of supporting individuals to come together to improve their communities by putting pressure on institutions, businesses and governments to act. Community organisers work to identify local leaders, bring together local groups and develop campaigns and actions

Amplify: Local campaigning in a digital world

Publication 14 May 2013

This toolkit is designed to help community organisations use the free and low cost web tools already widely available. Between April 2011 and March 2013 The Young Foundation, as part of the Building Local Activism programme supported by the Big

Invisible Men: Engaging More Men in Social Projects

Publication 1 July 2012

In a socio-political context including rising unemployment and the 2012 UK riots, men are increasingly facing crises but are more resistant to seeking help. Yet in spite of this, men are rarely considered to be a “target group” and all

A nod is as good as a wink

Publication 1 January 2012

The U is interested in people and in the ways they get along with each other. At the same time, this organisation seeks to promote a low-key vision of community relations, much less high-energy than the schemes promoting asset transfer,

Learning in Company: Designing The U

Publication 1 December 2010

The U’s founding belief was that engaging training in a range of useful skills such as first aid, saving energy and intervening safely to defuse conflict will encourage more effective responses to social challenges by citizens who participate in The

Plugged in, untapped: Using digital technologies to help young people learn to lead

Publication 30 September 2010

Digital technologies can be powerful tools for empowering young people to lead positive social change. But these new resources are no magic bullet, and young people aren’t always the ‘digital natives’ they’re made out to be. While young people are

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

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

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