Co-Production Treasure Hunt
A day out and about in Greater Manchester, meeting with community actors in their own spaces and localities. Just like a regular treasure hunt, we will actively go looking for ideas and learning, piecing together clues, and getting to know our fellow treasure-hunters along the way.
In the morning, you will receive a welcome & briefing, outlining the kind of treasure we are seeking. This includes insights into innovation, leadership, expertise, and spaces and places.
Treasure-hunters will then choose to seek out and explore one of three treasure-full destinations:
- Inspiring Communities in Salford, the legacy organisation of Salford’s New Deal for Communities. A decade on from the end of that multi-million pound programme, Inspiring Communities operates as a community anchor and charity on a fraction of the turnover of the NDC. In many ways the activities they run have more impact on the everyday lives of local people. At the same time, while they deliver services to the local community, their independent governance means their relationship with public sector agencies is based on negotiation rather than delegation.
- Leigh Neighbours in Wigan is the resident-led partnership responsible for Big Local in Leigh West, Wigan. The lottery-funded Big Local programme has provided £1m for Leigh Neighbours to spend or invest over ten years and Leigh Neighbours are using the money to take action on wide-ranging priorities set by the local community from improving the environment, to tackling poor quality private-rented housing. As a resident-led group, with only featherlight support from paid staff, Leigh Neighbours have set similar objectives to those of public agencies but they way the operate is very different.
- Bluesci in Trafford are a mental health and wellbeing service based in Trafford. The services they run are funded by small grants and larger-scale commissions from the local NHS. Although the services they deliver vary greatly, the common principle is that they are all collaborations between professionals, volunteers, and services users, and staff are seen as “companions or fellow travellers rather than experts”.
In the afternoon, all three groups will reconvene to share their treasure, and learn about the possibilities of co-production for urban governance with academic researchers from the Jam and Justice project. Participants will receive a pack of Jam and Justice treasure to take away.
This activity is organised with the National Association for Neighbourhood Management and particularly recommended for those working in or with the public sector.