Case studies

WFC recommends ‘using insight to create the content that you know your residents will engage with.’

Waltham Forest has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. To help slow down the local rise in cases, the council launched a Stay Safe Champions scheme. First out on the streets, and now online, council officers and local volunteers have been directly engaging with residents, with the goal of informing, reassuring and supporting them. In parallel, our Play Safe Champions have been out on popular playgrounds to make sure children can safely access outdoor spaces and exercise.

Summary

Research and engagement is at the heart of our COVID-19 response and our Recovery Citizens Panel is one of the best examples of our approach. Representative of the diversity of our borough, it was formed to rapidly turn around insight to drive our strategic decision-making processes.

Waltham Forest Council is currently delivering a three-year cultural programme with a focus on demonstrating how culture can improve people’s quality of life, their wellbeing and their prosperity.

Strengthening Families, Strengthening Communities (SFSC) is an inclusive evidence-based parenting programme, designed to promote protective factors which are associated with good parenting and better outcomes for children.

Background

Cambridgeshire County Council: Helping local partners use ‘real' data to address challenges and using a design-led approach to find better solutions.

In line with Warrington Borough Council’s plans to be carbon neutral by 2030, the authority have made significant headway through investment in renewable energy projects within and beyond the borough. Having developed and acquired two large solar farms near York and Hull, the Council now own renewable assets that generate more power than its uses. Using a commercial approach to green energy investments has proven viable in creating a regular income for essential council services and wider public benefit in Warrington via a community benefit fund.

Councils that have declared a Climate Emergency may struggle to fund the measures needed to cut emissions in their area. Warrington Borough Council has piloted the use of community municipal bonds, a fundraising tool for local authorities, to fund renewable energy projects. Community municipal bonds allow councils to raise money directly from residents. In Warrington, the money raised has been used for low-carbon infrastructure, to speed up carbon emissions reductions and increase resilience to the pandemic.