Jess Craig
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jesscraig.bsky.social
Jess Craig
@jesscraig.bsky.social
860 followers 450 following 92 posts
Policy at Power to Change. Talking about communities, social connection, high streets, politics and policy.
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jesscraig.bsky.social
@powertochange.org.uk last event of Labour conference getting underway! Our community business reception is all about how communities create growth you can see, feel and that everyone benefits from.
September 29, 2025 at 4:48 PM
jesscraig.bsky.social
@nickplumb.bsky.social (in jazzy headphones) kicks off a Reclaiming Our Regional Economies panel on resisting the rise of the far right with a striking stat that £2.9bn of assets sold by councils in last two years, leading to loss of vital shared spaces for connection.
Panellists seated on a stage wearing large headphones (jazzy) in the middle of the Labour Conference exhibition centre.
September 29, 2025 at 1:55 PM
jesscraig.bsky.social
Nice to hear @georgiagould.bsky.social speaking on the need for culture change at the centre to enable communities to drive change in their local areas. She says govt can decide the outcomes it wants to see but needs to be flexible on the ‘how’ so places can deliver on the way that works for them.
Panelists Georgia Gould, Matt Hyde, Jonathan Stater and Anoosh Chakelian
September 28, 2025 at 5:23 PM
jesscraig.bsky.social
Felt right to start Labour conference yesterday with an event with Merseyside community leaders, @coopparty.party.coop and Birkenhead MP (and new MHCLG minister) @allymcgovern.bsky.social talking about how community business drives pride in place, connection and an economy that works for all.
A group of people seated at a U-shaped table talking.
September 28, 2025 at 2:05 PM
jesscraig.bsky.social
- Plans for a ‘Network for Neighbourhoods’ to facilitate connection and peer learning between communities
- Delivery of a new cooperative development unit…
From govt’s pride in place strategy: 156. We will establish a Network for Neighbourhoods across the UK to build connection and learning between community leaders, convene the partners that support and strengthen community organisations, groups and social clubs, and embed participatory approaches in how local decisions are made. With the Pride in Place Programme at its heart, the Network will share learning and best practice across the Neighbourhood Boards and beyond, to support strong, capable and empowered communities to lead change locally. From govt’s Pride in Place strategy: 139. A new Co-operative Development Unit within MHCLG will contribute to the doubling of the sector by supporting local authorities in England to grow their cooperative and mutual economy.
September 26, 2025 at 10:12 AM
jesscraig.bsky.social
This also really chimes with what we’ve seen in new @moreincommonuk.bsky.social polling for @powertochange.org.uk. People want communities to have more power to change things in their local areas, and they trust community organisations to make good things happen.
Graph of a polling question, ‘How important to you, if at all, is it that your government gives you and other local people more control over what happens in your local area?’ Extremely important - 37% Quite important - 45% Not very important - 7% Not important at all - 1% Don’t know - 9% Top graph reads ‘from the following list, who do you trust the most to deliver positive change for your local area?’ Community organisations - 36% The council - 19% A mayor - 7% Central government - 9% Don’t know - 30% Bottom graph reads, ‘and from the same list, who do you think the government trusts the most to deliver positive change for your local area?’ Community organisations - 8% The council - 22% A mayor - 9% Central government 29% Don’t know - 31%
September 26, 2025 at 10:12 AM
jesscraig.bsky.social
I’ve been reading through govt’s new pride in place strategy. I like this sentiment a lot, but making sure the Pride in Place programme delivers outcomes that are genuinely community led will be its real test.
Screenshot from government’s Pride in Place strategy: Giving communities a stronger voice in local decisions 130. For too long, communities up and down this country have felt that their voices have been ignored by those in power. Residents know best about what is needed in their neighbourhoods but are shut out of decisions that affect them and the places that they call home. 131. This is wrong. Instead, we want to empower communities across the country to have their say in local decisions and to influence the change that they want to see at a local level. Devolution is not just about bringing powers to regional Mayors, or even to local authorities. It's about making sure that everyone, regardless of where they live, sees government delivering the things that matter to them in their neighbourhoods.
September 26, 2025 at 10:12 AM
jesscraig.bsky.social
We're also hosting a community business reception for the second year running. Come for stimulating speeches on how community businesses are building prosperous local economies that benefit everyone; stay for award-winning pies from Homebaked Bakery (likely the best food you'll eat at conference!)
A flyer for Power to Change's community business reception at Labour Party Conference. 'Growth you can see, feel and be part of, with community business', happening Monday 29th September 17:00-19:00 at Baltic Creative CIC, 49 Jamaica Street, Liverpool. RSVP: https://powertochange.typeform.com/to/DAkE176K?typeform-source=www.powertochange.org.uk.
September 22, 2025 at 11:51 AM
jesscraig.bsky.social
For Hannah, co-founder @nudgecommunity.bsky.social this means being unable to fulfil a vision of building supported housing for young people with no family support:
“We’re perceived as risky, not doing things in the ‘normal way’. But the truth is the normal way hasn’t served communities like mine…”
A standing banner in the Museum of Broken Dreams detailing the story of the Union Street housing project which aimed to deliver supported living for young people facing housing and employment on their own. The subtitle reads: 'A housing solution without a home'. Either side are other communities' stories of their projects which have failed to launch or been lost due to the lack of trust, investment, support and empowerment of community-led change. A screenshot from the Museum of Broken Dreams online exhibition including an image of the Union Street building earmarked for Nudge's youth housing vision. This can be read in full at: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/36593da67ff44aef9d3812a462c92a6e
September 1, 2025 at 4:42 PM
jesscraig.bsky.social
MPs are back in Westminster today and so are @right-here.org - launching their Museum of Broken Dreams, charting some of the many ambitious community projects that have been stymied by a lack of support, investment, trust that communities can deliver what their places need.
Banners for the Museum of Broken Dreams exhibition in the Upper Waiting Hall, Parliament. From L-R: Claude Hendrickson (Leeds Community Homes and We're Right Here campaign leader), Roz Savage MP, and Hannah Sloggett (Nudge Community Builders and We're Right Here campaign leader) in front of banners exhibiting stories of success that need to be protected and replicated by advancing community power.
September 1, 2025 at 4:42 PM
jesscraig.bsky.social
The report sets out ten 'lessons', a mix of practical ideas, principles and challenges to help combined authorities drive inclusive growth in partnership with the social economy and, crucially, draws on much good practice already underway. We hope these will inspire regions in their LGPs and beyond
Ten lessons for strategic authorities on supporting regional social economy growth Lesson 1: Create a bold vision and the organisational culture to achieve it Lesson 2: Understand your local social economy Lesson 3: Make the social economy a key equal partner in the region Lesson 4: Convene partners to grow and develop the social economy Lesson 5: Build the right business support and infrastructure Lesson 6: Deliver access to finance to drive innovation and impact Lesson 7: Utilise the buying power of the strategic authority and partners Lesson 8: Support communities to own local spaces and shape their futures Lesson 9: Test, learn and grow approaches iteratively Lesson 10: Implement through Local Growth Plans
June 5, 2025 at 12:52 PM
jesscraig.bsky.social
@powertochange.org.uk proposes the govt back a package of bottom-up reforms as an alternative to the top-down and restrictive policies of Levelling Up, giving local people more control and support to shape the future of their high streets and town centres.
www.powertochange.org.uk/wp-content/u...
A Civic High Streets Accelerator would bring together a package of new powers, funding and support to enable community-led high street transformation. This package would include: • Powers to purchase and transform local high street assets, including through the Community Right to Buy. • Funding for community-led transformation, through a successor to the Community Ownership Fund, as well as through existing schemes like the Plan for Neighbourhoods and future local growth funds. • Access to expert support for community-led regeneration, building on the expert advice provided by the High Street Taskforce with expertise in community-led high street regeneration and advice on exercising new powers such as the Community Right to Buy. • Opportunities for community-led governance, building on insights from initiatives like Power to Change’s Community Improvement District pilots and ongoing Community-Led High Street Innovators work. • Support to boost communities’ local economic contribution, explicitly aiming to increase community ownership of high street assets to drive regeneration and keep money in the local economy, working with community business.
June 2, 2025 at 9:50 AM
jesscraig.bsky.social
There are some great examples of communities taking over former retail spaces and bringing back an affordable, social cafe. This one in Southend is a lovely example, much as you described, a place where the youngest and oldest users make each other smile: www.powertochange.org.uk/evidence-and...
The cafe in the Haven Community Hub, Southend-on-Sea. There are people chatting at their tables and the room is decorated for Christmas.
March 28, 2025 at 3:07 PM
jesscraig.bsky.social
At the launch of a new report from @iconeighbours.bsky.social Angie Wright of B-Inspired in Braunstone, Leicester, underscores this point. B-Inspired came out of the NDC but since then, has brought in significant additional investment and raised ~£25m through trading and the assets it owns.
A panel of people sat in front of banners of the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods.
March 5, 2025 at 10:37 AM
jesscraig.bsky.social
@paulhayes01.bsky.social It looks like dept stores are out of scope for rental auctions! That's why the report includes a recommendation to expand the scope of this and future high street policies so those taking action can target the assets with most potential to deliver social + economic benefit
Where High Street Rental Auctions will not be appropriate High Street Rental Auctions will not be suitable for all high street premises; for instance, large former department stores may be subject to long-term, complex redevelopment plans which may be negatively impacted by being subject to inclusion. From Power to Change's 'Department stories' report: Secondly, the High Street Rental Auctions legislation should be amended to include all commercial asset types within a high street (as designated by local authorities). This would enable communities and other high street stakeholders to use this power to tackle the challenge of long-term vacant department stores and other large-scale retail assets. Any future legislation to tackle high street vacancy should also prioritise making it possible for communities to identify and take on the assets which are most likely to deliver social, economic and environmental benefits locally.
December 13, 2024 at 10:18 AM
jesscraig.bsky.social
These businesses occupy two former indie department stores, a former M&S, and a grade II listed Victorian arcade, respectively. They're giving these spaces a new life but also staying true to the heritage and historic role they played in people's lives. And the reception is overwhelmingly positive:
‘I think it does bring back people to the area. In our case, it's amazing the number of people who use the place now who used to come to the Haven shop. It was the sort of shop you go to at Christmas to buy a present for someone, or you buy a wedding present. And that's why, I think it ultimately declined, because you'd go in there, look at something, and then you go on the internet and work out how much you could get it cheaper, right? Most things these days, I suppose. Certainly a lot of people have got fond memories of it, and are delighted that it's still being open to the community and used for what it is.’ - Mike Nicholson, Age Concern Southend
December 11, 2024 at 6:43 PM
jesscraig.bsky.social
Sparks combines education, reuse and repair workshops and ethical independent businesses to promote sustainability education in Bristol's Broadmead shopping district.

Dewsbury Arcade will be the UK's first community owned shopping centre, providing town centre space for local entrepreneurs.
The regeneration works at the Dewsbury Arcade, a grade II listed Victorian shopping arcade which will reopen in 2025. The exterior of Sparks, in a former M&S on Bristol's Broadmead.
December 11, 2024 at 6:43 PM
jesscraig.bsky.social
Haven Community Hub provides services for older adults, including a dementia day care service, but the hub (and its cafe) is available and used by people of all ages.

Department is a new (open early 2025) arts and culture hub for Ryde, bringing in local artists and the wider community.
The front window of 'Department' in Ryde is decorated for Christmas. A woman is walking past. A shot from the cafe at the Haven Community Hub, with people eating and chatting.
December 11, 2024 at 6:43 PM
jesscraig.bsky.social
However, when asked about how to reuse empty former department stores, the public are enthusiastic about bringing these spaces back to life - either for shopping or for new purposes. And there's appetite for a mixed use model encompassing leisure and hospitality, public services and community space.
Graph: This Christmas, there are 85% less department stores open than a decade ago. Given this, which comes closest to your view? We should focus on finding new uses for the buildings that previously housed department stores, but not just shopping - 48% We should focus on bringing department stores or shops back into these buildings - 42% We should focus on knocking down the closed-down department stores and building something new - 10% Graph: When thinking about alternative uses for these spaces, what should they be used for? Public services - 45% Entertainment and leisure - 42% Housing - 42% Other shops - 37% Community space - 34% Offices - 16% Something else - 1% Don't know - 8%
December 11, 2024 at 6:43 PM
jesscraig.bsky.social
While department stores do hold a valued place in the public imagination, new polling by @moreincommonuk.bsky.social suggests even Christmas can't save the department store. Only 7% of us will shop mostly in department stores this Christmas, compared to 44% who will shop online.
Bar graph. Where people usually go to shop compared to where they plan to do their shopping for Christmas. 34% usually shop mostly online, and 44% will shop mostly online this Christmas. 37% usually shop mostly in the high street or town centre, and 25% will shop mostly in the high street or town centre this Christmas. 8% usually shop mostly in a department store, and 7% will shop mostly in a department store this Christmas. 21% shop mostly in a retail park or shopping centre outside of the town centre, and 14% will shop mostly out of town this Christmas. 10% won't do any Christmas shopping.
December 11, 2024 at 6:43 PM
jesscraig.bsky.social
Excited to launch the new @powertochange.bsky.social report on community-run department stores next week.

I'll be chatting with @grahamsoult.bsky.social @katcj.bsky.social and others on 11th December about how communities are transforming the high street.

Join us there: bit.ly/3V351ub
Department stories. 11 December online. Over an image of a a window dressing at Department on the Isle of Wight.
December 3, 2024 at 11:17 AM