Call on communities to get involved in Pride in Place
Source: gov.uk (2025-12-03)

Local people are invited to join their neighbourhood boards to have a say in shaping their areas over the next decade as part of the Pride in Place programme.

- Communities to receive a jump start to the Pride in Place programme with an initial £150,000 to 169 communities to begin delivering the change they want to see.
- Local people invited to join their new Neighbourhood Board and take control of up to £20m of funding and support to deliver a decade of change in their neighbourhoods.
- This comes as Phase One areas get started on their ambitious regeneration plans to transform their neighbourhoods.
People across the country are being urged to sign up to new Neighbourhood Boards - set up as part of the Pride in Place programme - to decide how £20m of new funding is spent in their communities over the next decade.

Pride in Place will empower neighbourhoods to make the changes they need in their communities to restore local pride and reinvigorate their areas, based entirely on local voices and priorities.

From revitalising their high street to setting up a community sports league, or boosting healthy eating with community cooking classes, guidance published today sets out a range of potential project ideas and provides communities with the toolkit to choose the projects that are right for them and suit their local needs and ambitions.

Alongside this, each of the 169 areas in receipt of Phase Two Pride in Place funding will now receive £150,000 of their funding early in the new year to enable them to get the ball rolling sooner on rebuilding their local communities, setting up their Boards and engaging the community on plans for the next decade.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

Whether it’s breathing new life into a high street, setting up a local sports league, or saving the pub at the heart of your community – Pride in Place is about putting power back where it belongs: in the hands of local people.

We’re backing the local residents who step forward, join their Neighbourhood Boards, and help shape a decade of transformation.

This isn’t about short-term fixes – it’s about lasting change that restores pride, strengthens communities and creates opportunities for everyone.

Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Steve Reed, said:

This is about bringing lasting change to people’s communities after years of decline.

So today we’re calling on people up and down the country to get involved in bringing back pride to their community and country.

Minister for Devolution, Faith and Communities, Miatta Fahnbulleh, said:

Putting local people at the centre of the Pride in Place Programme is what really puts the value behind this money.

Change and investment means nothing unless local people have their voices heard and their priorities met, so we are putting the residents that know there area best in the driving seat.

Crucially, the new guidance also outlines that Neighbourhood Boards will have to prove they have listened to and have the backing of residents and their local community to receive all their funding, ensuring that community voices sit at the heart of the decisions made about the future of their areas.

Any resident with big ideas and a desire to transform their community can get involved, with boards being chaired by an independent member of the community, chosen for their ambition and potential to lead their community.

Local authorities and MPs in Pride in Place neighbourhoods will now begin to work with their communities to pick the right chair to take the reins of their Neighbourhood Board, lead on engagement with the community, and drive forward the changes they want to see.

ENDS

Notes to editors:
- Those interested in getting involved should contact their local MP or Local Authority.
- The full prospectus is available here: Pride in Place Programme prospectus - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pride-in-place-programme-prospectus)
- Phase Two boards should be set up as soon as possible with a final deadline of July 2026