How to develop a local charter

How to develop a local charter - A guide for local authorities

This new Young Foundation guide was launched by Hazel Blears MP, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, at the Annual New Local Government Network (NGLN) conference on 22 January 2008. To view Hazel Blears' speech click here and to read a report of this speech on the CLG website click here.

The guide, commissioned and published by the Department of Communities and Local Government, is part of a series of empowerment toolkits to be published over the next few months. It draws together the rationale for developing a charter, simple steps to implementing a charter, a troubleshooting guide and plenty of case studies. To download the guide click here

Young Foundation’s work on charters
The Young Foundation’s work on charters is based on good practice examples from around the country and builds on our work in neighbourhoods with different local authorities through the Neighbourhood Action Network and its predecessor, Transforming Neighbourhoods.

Our recent articles and presentations on developing charters include:

• Little things mean a lot - article by Robert Bullard, published in the Guardian, 16 April 2008.

• Developing a local charter, national guidance – a presentation by Vicki Savage at an LGiU seminar in February 2008. Click here to download the presentation

• New Start – Learning Curve: How to develop a charter - article by Vicki Savage. published by New Start, in February 2008. To read the full article click here. 

• Encouraging behaviour change and civic responsibility in Staffordshire - Article by Anna Minton, published in Transforming Neighbourhoods, September 2007

As part of our research for the guidance we looked at numerous case studies of existing good practice. Many local authorities have asked us for examples of charters layouts so a selection of examples are provided below:
• Great Lever Neighbourhood Agreement in Bolton
• Mancunian Agreements in Manchester
• Kendray Clean and Tidy Agreement in Barnsley
• Staffordshire Moorlands Community Pride Agreement in Staffordshire

More information

For more information on the guide and our work on charters please contact Vicki Savage 020 8709 9298 vicki.savage@youngfoundation.org