The difficult economic climate has created a need for community enterprises to raise their own finance and shares and bonds are seen as the way forward.

The newly announced community enterprise strategic framework will help more local groups set up successful local social enterprises and it sets out proposals for community shares that would allow local people to raise funds to maintain or buy a stake in important community services like the village shop or local pub to ensure its survival. A football supporters club could form a co-operative to take over their team, giving the supporters a chance to purchase community shares and so have a say in its future.

Read more on PROMOTING COMMUNITY ENTERPRISE THROUGH SHARES AND BONDS…

Police in Knowsley, on Merseyside, have introduced a new form of crime management by reducing beats to just three streets. This rigorous policing method was successfully used in inner city Liverpool and is now being employed to improve the lives of residents on a once troubled estate.

Read more on NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICING GETS DOWN TO MICRO-BEATS…

Local Involvement Networks (LINks) exist in every local authority area to give people more influence over how their local health and social care services are planned and delivered. This guide explains how LINks operate and how volunteers can join them.

Read more on ENGAGING AND RESPONDING TO COMMUNITIES…