In the latest episode of the Radical Reformers podcast, I'm joined by Zina Etheridge, recently appointed Chief Executive of Buckinghamshire Council, to explore her relatively unique experience of leading in central government, in a council and in the NHS. Zina highlights that place matters more than ever, and the conversation centres on a powerful idea we truly believe in here at Mutual Ventures: councils are more than service providers. At their best, they are place-makers a

With the announcement of funding for a further 40 areas, the Pride in Place Programme is fast becoming the government’s most optimistic and positive agenda item. The Pride in Place Programme is the government’s flagship communities programme, providing long-term support to nearly 300 of the most in-need communities. The programme builds on the model that underpins the Plan for Neighbourhood Programme announced in March 2025, in which 75 places were awarded £20 million over 10

In this article, Prof. Donna Hall and Andrew Laird argue that to successfully deliver the Pride in Place programme, communities need to be given pride-of-place in both governance and delivery. Most of us have something in our homes that takes pride of place. Something we value deeply and put on display. A family photograph, a child’s drawing, a treasured ornament that was your grandma’s. Imagine if communities took pride of place in neighbourhood renewal. Imagine if residents

Yvonne Reinhardt and Sally Dickens encourage PiP Neighbourhood Boards and Councils to start thinking about further steps towards community-led delivery now. In early December, the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) published the Pride in Place (PiP) programme prospectus. Building on the previous Plan for Neighbourhoods, the Government’s flagship regeneration programme stands out for its emphasis on a profound shift in power dynamics: moving from an in

Catch up on our webinar where experts discussed key early considerations for Councils and Neighbourhood Boards under the Pride of Place Programme. During this free webinar, our expert panel shared their recent experiences and learning from the Plan for Neighbourhoods programme, reflecting on what works well and the critical conditions required to effectively plan to invest £20 million over 10 years. The Pride in Place Programme is the government’s flagship communities program