3ni newsletter
 May 2026

We’re excited to share that we’ve launched a new Pride in Place webpage - a space that brings together our approach, essential information, think pieces and practical support for local authorities and communities.

We believe Pride in Place is, at its heart, a social programme: a long‑term commitment to shifting power so people in overlooked neighbourhoods can shape real change where they live. It puts unprecedented emphasis on local residents and communities being in the driving seat of how regeneration money is spent.

We’re optimistic about Pride in Place, but we know the road won’t be easy. Communities that have faced decades of reduced services and broken promises need proper support to take on these roles with confidence. If Pride in Place is to avoid the pitfalls of past regeneration programmes and build on learning from Big Local, investment in community capacity and foundational social infrastructure must be central, not supplementary. That’s how you build and sustain the social capital that strengthens communities, supports resilience and delivers lasting, visible change. Capacity building, skills development and long‑term backing aren’t optional extras — they are the work.

We’ve been rolling up our sleeves with local authorities across the country to help turn the government’s Pride in Place ambitions into something real and meaningful. Over the next few years, we aim to offer practical guidance on community‑led regeneration and bring together local government, Neighbourhood Boards and residents to learn from each other and solve shared challenges. Government has set the framework, but it’s together that we’ll bring Pride in Place to life. 

Our new webpage brings together our thinking, our learning, and how we can help. Let’s get to work.

Join us at Stronger Things conference, organised by New Local. Stronger Things is the festival of community power.

We’re pleased to be back this year with a stand throughout the day. We will also be hosting, ‘Shared roots, shared futures: Exploring personal stories to strengthen community bonds’. In this session, we will explore how heritage and personal stories can strengthen inter‑generational bonds and reveal shared priorities within a community, highlighting the London Borough of Havering’s Bonds Through History project, delivered in collaboration with 3ni, Eastside Community Heritage, and Thames Freeport.

We are pleased to welcome Jessica Finnin, Cohesive Communities Manager at the London Borough of Havering; Judith Garfield, MBE, Executive Director at Eastside Community Heritage; and Revd. Nathan Joss-Pothen, Vicar, St. George's, Harold Hill, alongside 3ni’s Director Dan Crowe to explore this important topic.

Where? New Horizon Stage, Guildhall Yard, London, EC2V 5AE

When? 16th June, 3.15pm-4pm

To find out more, head over to the Stronger Things website.


South West Exchanging Places 
2nd July, 10.30am-4.30pm, Bristol

This event is an opportunity to connect with other councils and residents across the region who are also working on Pride in Place, to explore different approaches, and to dig into the shared challenges you may encounter along the way, as well as swap ideas, and spark new possibilities. It’s a space for honest conversations: what’s working, what’s getting in the way, and where we might join forces on things like shared training, collective research, or commissioning work together.

We’ll start the day by reflecting on the Pride in Place journey so far and thinking through ideas and challenges together, with the help of talks from Bristol City Council and Community Organisers to spark conversations. In the afternoon, we’ll head to Ambition Lawrence Weston for lunch and to hear their story, from their experience of the Big Local programme and partnership working, to the organisation they are today, and a visit to their wind turbine (optional). We’ll wrap up by gathering everyone’s reflections and exploring whether, and how, this group might want to keep meeting.

Please note this event is invite-only. If you wish to learn more, please email celia@3ni.co.uk.

3ni will be attending the LGA conference this year. Come along to visit our stall and attend our fringe session, ‘Capturing social capital at the hyper-local level’.  Social capital – the networks, relationships and trust that help communities function – plays a critical role in economic growth, health and resilience. Yet it is often overlooked. There is also a clear mismatch. Social capital is created in neighbourhoods, workplaces and local spaces. But it is usually measured at regional or national level. This masks the local dynamics that shape people’s day-to-day lives.

3ni has developed the Social Capital Score to help local authorities identify priority neighbourhoods and target investment where it will have the greatest impact. It turns social capital from an abstract concept into a practical policy tool.

Join 3ni, OCSI and a local authority pioneer to explore how we can measure and build social capital, centred on supporting local residents and harnessing the existing assets in our communities.

Where? Purbeck Bar, Bournemouth International Centre, Exeter Road, Bournemouth, BH2 5BH

When? 6.15pm-7.05pm, 7th July 2026

Find out more and register for the LGA conference here.


Learning Communities: Culture change
16th July, 12pm - 1pm, Online

Across the country, people working in community‑led regeneration are grappling with similar questions, often in isolation. Our Learning Communities create a space to step back from the day‑to‑day work and reflect alongside others who understand the work from the inside.

Our second session focuses on asset‑based approaches, with Simon Haworth from Wigan Council and Angela Fell, a community change maker in the area. Together, they’ll explore what it takes to transform institutional culture and place residents at the heart of decisions in systems not traditionally designed for shared power. After hearing from them, you’ll have an opportunity to discuss what resonated, what you’re wrestling with, and hear how others are navigating similar challenges.

To find out more and sign up, head to our Eventbrite page.