The Pride in Place Strategy

The Pride in Place Strategy is the UK Government’s plan to help build stronger communities, create thriving places and empower local people. It is a £5 billion investment for the next 10 years that sets out how they will deliver a change in how communities across the country are supported.

The importance of Social Infrastructure

Areas that are ’doubly disadvantaged’ will receive long-term funding to tackle severe hardship. ‘Doubly disadvantaged’ refers to communities who face high levels of deprivation as well as minimal social infrastructure (the places and spaces that enable people to create social connections, such as community centres, cafes and libraries). The Strategy aims to improve social infrastructure as a means of improving life chances.

We know that access to social infrastructure is inextricably linked to better social and economic outcomes, so it is positive to see a strategy that promotes community ownership, support for high streets, and local decision-making through ‘Pride in Place neighbourhood boards’.

Community ownership

The Strategy recognises the value of growing community wealth and assets, and we know that community ownership is key to a fairer, more inclusive and sustainable economy. Our portfolio for an Inclusive Economy (part 1) articulates how the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) sector in Greater Manchester are tackling poverty and inequality through community ownership.

The growth of community ownership requires substantial pre-existing levels of social capital (a person’s networks and relationships), and the strategy does recognise this, including ‘wrap-around’ as a means of developing local confidence and capacity within the wider Pride in Place Strategy.

Alongside investment and funding to improve local areas by giving power to local people, a new ‘Community Right to Buy’ will be introduced to give communities more powers to take ownership of the spaces they value by giving them right to first refusal on purchasing registered local assets when they are put up for sale.

Investment

The Strategy will deliver up to £20 million of funding over the next decade into various places across the UK, focussing on neighbourhoods with a population of around 10,000 each. The 2025 Spending Review announced the first 75 ‘trailblazer’ areas.

As part of the Strategy, the ‘Pride in Place Impact Fund will provide a further £150million of funding of up to 95 places across England, Scotland and Wales to develop shared spaces and revitalise high streets. This funding will be locally led, with local people deciding where the money is spent. The core objectives are around community spaces – allowing communities to take control of underutilised buildings, public spaces – improvement to green areas, play and leisure facilities, and high street revitalisation – making town centres more attractive and welcoming.

A new £3million ‘Common Ground Resilience Fund’ will support community cohesion and connection by funding locally led interventions to build community resilience. This fund is now open, and VCFSE organisations are encouraged to apply. Visit here for more information.

The role of VCFSE organisations

Local decision-making

Local people know what changes are needed for their community to thrive. That is why the decision-making on how and where the Pride in Place Impact funding is spent will sit with a Neighbourhood Board, led by an independent Chair, that includes residents, local businesses, civil society and community organisations, working in partnership with their local authority. There is a clear role here for VCFSE organisations in ensuring the voices of local communities are heard as part of Neighbourhood Board to decide and deliver on funding priorities.

Funding opportunities

The Strategy presents funding opportunities for VCFSE organisations, such as the Common Ground Resilience Fund (now live, closes 21/11/25), and a new £175million Community Wealth Fund (coming soon), alongside the funding from the Pride in Place Impact Fund. We will aims to include details of any opportunities in future GM VCFSE Leadership Group ebulletins, you can sign up here.

Volunteering

Volunteering is noted as critical to the Strategy since itis one way that people can support their local community. There are plans to ‘co-produce policy priorities for enabling and encouraging volunteering and social action for everyone’ and make it easier for people to find volunteering opportunities by exploring open data approaches to help charities match with volunteers more easily.