‘Defining place-based change: The future of collaborative charity work’

In recent years, there has been increasing attention on addressing regional disparities in the United Kingdom. Economic challenges, such as industrial decline and austerity measures, have disproportionately affected certain communities seeing many fall behind. As a result, there is a growing urgency to strengthen these communities and improve opportunities for its residents. 

Government policies such as the Levelling Up White Paper seek to reduce regional inequalities. However, questions remain about the speed and impact of these measures. Research indicates that children from disadvantaged backgrounds begin school with a learning gap of approximately four months compared to their peers. This disparity tends to increase over time, with these children potentially falling as much as two years behind by the end of secondary education.

According to a recent report by a coalition, Who’s Losing Learning?, more than half of all suspensions are of children living in poverty, who are 3.7 times more likely to be sent home than other children.

Whilst this data highlights the vast inequalities facing our youth, it does not provide actionable insights that give professionals a direction on what interventions will be most effective in improving outcomes.

This is where place-based change comes in. It is a collaborative approach that focuses on understanding and addressing social issues within a specific geographical area. Unlike traditional methods, it recognises the unique challenges of each community and empowers residents to be part of the solution.

Why Place-Based Change Matters

Place-based change is a long-term approach to identifying, understanding, and addressing social issues rooted in the experiences, expertise and relationships that exist within a recognised geographic area. By focusing on specific geographic areas, this strategy fosters a deep understanding of local needs and empowers communities to drive their own transformation.

Shared Vision and Ownership: At the heart of place-based change is the belief that residents are the experts on their own communities. By involving the local community in creating a shared vision for the future, we help build a strong sense of ownership and commitment to making positive change happen.

Expanded Participation: This approach goes beyond traditional methods of engagement, ensuring that marginalised voices are heard and valued. By including a diverse range of perspectives, we can develop more inclusive and effective solutions.

Breaking Down Silos: Place-based change encourages collaboration between different sectors and organisations, breaking down barriers and creating new partnerships. This cross-sectoral approach is essential for addressing complex issues that require multiple perspectives and resources.

Long-Term Sustainability: By building strong relationships and support networks within communities, place-based change prioritises long-term sustainability. This approach focuses on creating lasting impact rather than short-term fixes.

Our work at Right to Succeed 

Our belief is that there is no lack of effort, resources and intervention being invested to help children and young people in areas of poverty, however, there is a lack of coordination in understanding the core issues and solving the problems that exist in a specific geographical area. 

Since 2015, Right to Succeed has worked collectively with communities facing high deprivation. Our place-based change approach involves bringing together local residents, professionals, and decision-makers to collaboratively develop tailored, long-term plans that address the specific needs of each community. 

Our programmes are co-designed by the local community and programme stakeholders such as funders and local leaders to meet the specific needs of a community. Whether that be improving local youth offers, supporting young people identified as most at risk of becoming not in employment, education or training (NEET), or improving  literacy standards Over the 3-5 year delivery time, we work with the community and programme stakeholders to build capacity within the community so that the impacts will be sustainable and long-term. 

We believe that by investing in people and places, we can create thriving communities where all children and young people have the opportunity to succeed.

Join us in shaping a brighter future through delivering impact and amplifying community voices. Explore our work at [link to Annual Report] and [link to Programmes page] to learn more about our impact.

Want to get involved? Visit our Get Involved page to find out more.