This paper details the community-led innovation plans of the organisations taking part in Neighbourhood Challenge projects.

Key findings:

• Each of the organisations included in this paper have refined and tested their approach to supporting change in their local area.
• Some have applied specialist methods of community organising or campaigning, others are working to develop social enterprises, others are trialling ‘challenge prizes’ which aim to provoke community-led action.
• The communities they operate in are varied, including religious and educational establishments as well as smaller grass roots organisations, with some based in highly diverse urban areas, others in rural locations.

The Neighbourhood Challenge is a programme from Nesta and the Big Lottery Fund which is supporting 17 community organisations across England to trial their approach to galvanizing and supporting community led innovation.

In this paper you will be able to read about the range of different approaches that have now begun to take root in the neighbourhoods involved.

Methods being trialled include community organising, local challenge prizes, social enterprise, skills sharing and community match funding amongst others.

Author:

Nicola Stenberg