Features

Beyond tourism: the challenges and opportunities facing UK coastal communities

17 March 2026 | Authors: Jack Layton, Jessica Moore,

UK coastal towns face economic challenges but also boast great innovation and community leadership. What does it take for seaside neighbourhoods to thrive?

Forging ‘a renewed belief in the power of partnerships’

11 December 2025 | Authors: Lily Owens-Crossman,

Reflections from the Institute for Community Studies and NCCPE’s Community Advisory Panel, championing values-driven partnerships at the heart of the NCIA’s national conference

Is loneliness in Britain creating “an island of strangers”?

23 June 2025 | Authors: Jack Layton,

Dr Jack Layton says social infrastructure – including green spaces – is vital in supporting social connections, building stronger communities, and mitigating loneliness.

A low participation election

30 July 2024 | Authors: Jack Layton,

Who voted, where and why, in the 2024 General Election. Jack Layton takes a deep dive into the data.

Revolutionising institutions: the enduring legacy of Michael Young

30 November 2023 | Authors: Helen Goulden OBE,

In a world of social movements, networks and fast-paced change, Young shows us that institutions prevail as fashions and political agendas come and go. By Helen Goulden.

‘Take ‘no’ as a question’: seven habits for serial change-makers

29 November 2023 | Authors: Geoff Mulgan,

Sir Geoff Mulgan, former CEO of The Young Foundation, remembers Michael Young and shares qualities he possessed that seem particularly relevant to the world more than a century after his birth.

‘Building peace together’: a complex social endeavour

29 November 2023

Nearly 40 years ago, Michael Young and his contemporaries sought to support peace around the world. Their vision is still core to International Alert – and our collective future, says Executive Director Nic Hailey CMG.

‘Disrupting the system’: how Young opened doors to higher education

29 November 2023

Young founded the Open University as a ‘National Grid of Learning’, and it continues to enable access to higher education for learners across the UK, says Professor Josie Fraser, Deputy Vice-Chancellor.

‘On the side of the consumer’: upholding Young’s commitment to fairness

29 November 2023

Founded by Michael Young more than 66 years ago, Which? continues to stand up for consumers’ rights, working with businesses and government to protect consumers from harmlor.

‘Inspiring individuals’: ensuring Young’s legacy lives on

29 November 2023 | Authors: Geoff Mulgan,

Established by Michael Young in 1963 as a not-for-profit distance learning provider, the National Extension College (NEC) continues to widen access to education for people of all ages.

‘Society has changed considerably’: Young’s u3a has matured

28 November 2023

A child of its time, the ‘university’ Michael Young co-founded to be run by older people, for older people, has now hit middle age. By Dr Liz Thackray, Chair, Third Age Trust