Thread by @BobThust

Ok,for the geeks the promised long thread on community assets
1/ This am we launched the @practigov #ProtectingCommunityAssets Inquiry interim report – now hoping for lots of feedback, challenges & offers of support – read and give your thoughts here: protecting-community-assets.org.uk …

2/ The interim report #ProtectingCommunityAssets Inquiry warns a fifth of existing community assets could be at risk of falling out of community hands unless steps taken to protect them – and proposes 6 ideas that could make a difference protecting-community-assets.org.uk …

3/ …the #ProtectingCommunityAssets Inquiry is about finding practical ways to protect existing community assets for the benefit of local communities – akin to a taskforce to scope realistic solutions and open up a wider conversation…

4/ …the Inquiry started small last Summer – bringing together a group of contributors with experience of managing, supporting or funding community assets - willing to understand challenges and help shape next steps…

5/ …its initial focus was specifically in response to high-profile cases of community assets that had fallen out of community hands, including e.g. Hastings Pier in 2017, Unity Hall Wakefield also in 2017 and the Hadlow Tower in 2015…

6/ …as we entered into the work the scope expanded with a focus not just on rescue or limitation of the negative impact in cases such as this, but also on how to prevent such cases ever happening in the first place…

7/ …with limited resources but passionate and knowledgeable people we looked at 9 detailed cases studies of community assets where the interest of local communities was threatened or lost, including the examples above…

8/ …we also interviewed more than 50 people, carried out desk review of funding & support available, considered relevant recent research and analysed submissions to the website protecting-community-assets.org.uk …

9/ …at this point I have to thank the inquiry team too – particularly @davidboyle1958 @David_Chater @davidsocialsp @JerichoJess @theboyler …

10/ …and also acknowledge that this work builds on lots of great, recent research in this area from people like @tomhousing Mike Aiken @IVAR_UK @CommonCapitaI @Steve_wyler and orgs like @NTExtAffairs @LocalTrust @peoplesbiz @localitynews …

11/ …so why do this? Important first to understand the context under which the #ProtectingCommunityAssets Inquiry takes place…

12/ …there are ever-decreasing public spaces e.g. average of > 4,000 publicly owned buildings and spaces in Eng sold every year tinyurl.com/yxae6atx & value of LA property sakes at £9.1bn since 2014/15 tinyurl.com/y2j37oqw …

13/ …there is a feeling amongst communities that they lack a sense of ownership and control over what matters to them tinyurl.com/yxwsd85f ...

14/ …there are 6,235 assets in community ownership, growing fast and making £220m pa contribution to UK economy tinyurl.com/yxkm35tm - alongside wider social benefit e.g.
tinyurl.com/y4z6ubze and tinyurl.com/yxukbzwm ...

15/ …community assets contribute to vital ‘social infrastructure … tinyurl.com/y4j8rta4 and are particularly important in so-called ‘left-behind’ areas tinyurl.com/y4hfratv
#ProtectingCommunityAssets …

16/ …all this is driving more interest in asset transfer e.g. tinyurl.com/yybo5xyr and calls for greater investment into community assets e.g. tinyurl.com/yxae6atx

17/ …yet there are concerns over long-term financial sustainability. Apart from high profile e.g’s of when things go wrong, more generally 1 in 5 community orgs holding assets – c. 1,300 – are operating at a loss of 10% or more with too few reserves tinyurl.com/yxkm35tm ...

18/..so with public spaces disappearing + huge potential of community assets driving > interest + investment, alongside some concerns over sustainability, this is critical time to consider how we protect community assets+ avoid a ‘ticking time bomb’ #ProtectingCommunityAssets …

19/ …what have we found out so far? Conclusions still interim. We also only draw findings across sectors (tho given their scale there has undoubtedly been a leaning to heritage assets). With those caveats, here is where we are… #ProtectingCommunityAssets …

20/ … community organisations can face real challenges that tip them into losses + eventually lead to sale or insolvency. It is then hard to protect community benefit, with communities often frozen out of coordinating a rescue protecting-community-assets.org.uk

21/…a campaign group moving to acquisition, renovation + then into operations needs v different set of skills, experience and resources at each stage. Intervening during such transition points is critical and cost-effective protecting-community-assets.org.uk #ProtectingCommunityAssets …

22/ …key findings for funders #ProtectingCommunityAssets inquiry: support across whole life-cycle transformative. Need for flexible funding to allow for changes to business plans. Don’t wrap organisations in complex/ conflicting conditions + reporting protecting-community-assets.org.uk …

23/ …there are also many e.g’s where with multiple funders the combination of conditions and reporting meant to protect each investment can have the opposite effect by stifling ability to adapt #ProtectingCommunityAssets …

24/ …key findings for communities #ProtectingCommunityAssets inquiry: be realistic in business planning. Plan for changes in skills and experience needed at each stage of life-cycle. Communicate openly with community the good + bad or engagement and trust erode...

25/ …the point about comms and engagement with local community came up time and again – it often appears to tail away or doesn’t encourage the community to engage with the real challenges and opportunities: this makes early prevention or even rescue much harder…

26/ … injecting realism in the business plan right from the start was also critical – you need plenty of room to allow for changes in direction, and be prepared to accept commercial reality even if this doesn’t quite fit with the original vision…

27/ …as a quick aside this recent research from National Trust highlights need in heritage sector (tho applicable more widely) for‘sustainability funding’ i.e. flexible + unrestricted working capital or contingency funding to support community assets tinyurl.com/yxndj536 ..

28/ …but when things still go wrong for a community asset? #ProtectingCommunityAssets inquiry suggests focusing on rescuing the asset and the community interest in it, rather than necessarily the community organisation that controls or owns it – this is important…

29/ …the main challenges in rescuing community assets? With multiple interests co-ordinating rescue is hard. Administration can become default way out- but standard admin process doesn’t prioritise community benefit…

30/ …communities are often frozen out of the administration process. And after private sale v difficult to protect community benefit. When things go wrong it is also absolutely heart-breaking and demoralising for many communities…

31/ #ProtectingCommunityAssets inquiry suggests 6 ideas to help protect the community interest in an asset (1) A Register of Community Assets, including a register of the people from within the community with an interest in the asset…

32/ …(2) Principles for Funding Community Assets, which funders can adopt (3) Principles for Community Asset Administration, for insolvency practitioners – and including a possible distinct process for the administration of a community asset…

33/ …(4) A Community Asset Protector, which represents the community interest in sales and insolvency… (5) A Community Asset Rescue Fund, to temporarily buy out assets in difficulty and secure their future…

34/ …(6) A Community Assets Academy to research, disseminate learning and support activity across all of the above

35/ ..all these ideas – and how far we have got with them – are shown in pic below and are explained in detail in the interim report from protecting-community-assets.org.uk #ProtectingCommunityAssets – we think we have got far enough with enough momentum to make these realistic…

36/ …but they may be contested, carry unexpected negative consequences, or we may well have missed parts of the story. We certainly lack full information still on e.g. the funding and finance available…

37/ …so, having published the interim report we’re now looking for comments, challenges or offers of support – a further update will come in 2020 with a confirmed and resourced timetable of next steps. Read and give your thoughts here: protecting-community-assets.org.uk …

38/ …you can also download summary report and press release information here – leave your comments or tweet using #ProtectingCommunityAssets …

39/ …END… phew!