Community assets enrich our lives, help to create strong and resilient communities, and support the effectiveness of public services.
Effective use of community assets is critical to a well functioning place and vital for our country’s public services. As we continue to manage the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, community assets have never been more important.
Whilst some local areas have seized upon asset transfer as opportunity, others have not. Transferring assets to communities or not-for-profit organisations is not always easy, even when it is the right solution.
Mutual Ventures was asked support the Cooperative Councils Innovation Network (CCIN) to find out from its members what has worked well, what has not worked so well, and why.
CCIN's latest report - Beyond Asset Transfer - aims to learn lessons from these experiences and use them to strengthen practice around asset transfer within local government and its partners. Mutual Ventures is proud to have support this work.
The report shines a light on the potential benefits of Community Asset Transfer on the wellbeing and prosperity of communities, and is intended to encourage local authorities to consider its value in ensuring more community assets have a sustainable future that is rooted in social value.
The report makes recommendations for central government in the following areas:
Investment in more capacity and resources for Community Asset Transfer.
Use of the Levelling Up Fund and Community Ownership Fund to promote Community Asset Transfer as a strategic priority.
Funding for the development of guidance, replicable models and model legal documentation to facilitate transfers.
Strengthening the provisions within the Localism Act (2000) to encourage and support more community ownership of assets.
Click here to visit the Cooperative Council Innovation Network's website to learn more about its work on Community Asset Transfer.
To learn more about Mutual Ventures' work on Community Asset Transfer and how we can help you contact john@mutualventures.co.uk