New Local

#StrongerThings2026 The Choir With No Name • ST26: The data behind double disadvantage: understanding deprivation and community need, OCSI

Across local government, there is growing interest in neighbourhood working as a way of delivering more relational, preventative and community-powered public services. Over the coming months, we will be sharing how councils in our network, and their partners, are putting neighbourhood approaches into practice. Through a series of case studies and conversations, we’ll examine different models, the challenges they face and the lessons they offer for others.

12.00pm - 1.00pm  |  30 September 2026  |  Online Much of the work involved in Local Government Reorganisation is understandably focused on reaching vesting day safely and successfully. Yet while creating new structures is an important milestone, it is only the beginning. Our Reorganising for Outcomes series looks at what comes next: how reorganisation can become a catalyst for redesigning services, strengthening relationships with communities, and creating better outcomes across places.

June 16, 2026 By Rt Hon Steve Reed MP Over the last decade, community power has become increasingly important to discussions about the future of public services, local government and democratic renewal. Ahead of his keynote speech at Stronger Things 2026, The Rt Hon Steve Reed MP, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, has shared this essay setting out his own thinking on the intellectual foundations of community power and the implications for government.

This article was first published in The MJ on 11 June 2026. Next week, while some eyes will be on the political power struggles unfolding in Makerfield, others will be turning their attention to power of a different and, dare I say it, more important kind at New Local’s annual festival of community power, Stronger Things.

June 11, 2026 By Sir David Robinson This article was first published in the LGC on 9 June 2026 and previews themes from Sir David’s keynote address at Stronger Things 2026. As local government grapples with rising demand and shrinking capacity, the answer lies not in ever more services but in rebuilding the relationships that make communities work, writes the co-lead at the Relationships Project. There are no seats free when we arrive at A&E.

9.30am - 11am  |  6 October 2026  |  Online This session is for senior local government officers to share opportunities, challenges and learning on how to make progress towards achieving stronger local economies entwined within a prevention-focused local system. We will explore different approaches councils are taking, looking at both building a long-term ambition, but also discussing where there is potential for quick wins.

Describe your typical working day in 2-3 sentences. No two days are quite the same, but each typically involves strategic thinking, problem-solving, and translating complex policy into something actionable. The most rewarding part of my day is working with a wide range of colleagues and partners, helping me connect the dots to navigate competing priorities, shape decisions, and keep major work moving forward.

New Local is an independent think tank and network with a mission to transform public services and unlock community power. We are home to over 50 councils and partners, united in a drive to create sustainable, inclusive and community-powered public services.

June 2, 2026 By Cate McLaurin Cate McLaurin is a Senior Director at Public Digital, and on June 16th she’ll be joining us on the Stronger Things Big Ideas Stage for our ‘Building to learn’ session. Ahead of that conversation, drawing on her work with clients, Cate shares how learning can be genuinely embedded in place-based working. How do we go about creating the right conditions for learning in our public organisation and place-based systems?