Communities Lead Revitalization With Pride in Place

Quick Smiles:

• The UK’s Pride in Place scheme is putting residents in charge of revitalizing their own neighbourhoods.
• Around 95 areas will receive an immediate £1.5m boost for parks, high streets, and community spaces.
• Local Neighbourhood Boards ensure funding decisions reflect each community’s unique needs.

The Pride in Place programme is designed to empower neighbourhoods, giving local people agency over how regeneration funds are spent. With an emphasis on community ownership, the scheme aims to turn under-invested areas into thriving places shaped by those who know them best.

Instead of top-down decisions, local Neighbourhood Boards – made up of residents, officials, and leaders – will directly engage with their communities and prioritize projects that matter most to them. Early examples, such as Ramsgate securing its youth centre and Elgin’s new athletics hub, show the positive change possible when communities are in control.

“It is the same story in towns across the country. Youth clubs that have been abandoned, shops boarded up, high streets decimated. We must reverse the devastating decline in our communities and give power, agency and control to the very people who want to improve their community – those who have skin in the game,” said Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

The scheme’s flexible funding gives each neighbourhood the freedom to target investments where they’ll have the biggest impact, from safer streets to new green spaces. Although challenges remain, there’s growing optimism that real transformation is possible with grassroots leadership.

Every community deserves the chance to grow and flourish—and with the Pride in Place scheme, residents have a vital role in shaping their futures. Discover more inspiring stories and positive change in your neighbourhood each week by joining our newsletter.

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