Abstract
This chapter tells the story of developing an ethos and approach, which embraces participatory research and community development, to rethink poverty at the local level in the UK city of Hull. The chapter draws on data from #thehullwewant from 2017 to 2023 offering insight into the voices of local people, telling the story of how some activists refused to remain passive, recognising that their views were as important as those in authority. It demonstrates the importance of hope in adversity, and how people can influence placemaking on their terms. Starting small by using a range of novel participatory techniques to engage many local people, the work gained traction with public bodies, who took on board the ethos and values to influence their approach to engaging local people in decision-making. This enabled people not only to tell their stories, but also to identify their needs and dreams and how this can cascade into more strategic engagement with a view to systems change https://www.absolutelycultured.co.uk/community-engagement-learning/.
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Notes
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Knight, B. (2015). The Society We Want | Rethinking Poverty. [online] www.rethinkingpoverty.org.uk. Available at: https://www.rethinkingpoverty.org.uk/publications/the-society-we-want-3/ [Accessed 28 Feb. 2023].
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Lecturer at the University of Hull.
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Sarah Hatfield—of Timebank during the main research and later Manager of Young People’s Voice and Influence Team at Hull City Council.
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Hughes and Sinead Gormally [University of Hull—Gormally now University of Glasgow], Andy Dorton [community activist and then city councillor] Karen Tozer [Groundwork] and Paul Spooner [MaxLife youth group].
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This quotation is often attributed to Henry Ford, but there is no evidence that he said it. Quote Investigator. [online]. Available at: https://quoteinvestigator.com/2016/04/25/get/.
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CEO of Timebank and steering group member.
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Education Reform Act 1988, Housing Act 1988, National Health Service and Community Care Act 1990, Local Government Finance Act 1988.
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Modernising Commissioning: Increasing the role of charities, social enterprises, mutuals and cooperatives in public service delivery, Cabinet Office 2011.
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Joining the original activists above [minus Gormally] on the steering group—Sarah Hatfield, Kate Macdonald and Lloyd Dobbs and Rob Madsen—Goodwin Development Trust.
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Julie Rippingale, University of Hull.
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Professor Susan Lea, https://wonkhe.com/blogs/climate-action-must-support-social-justice/.
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Two Ridings Community Foundation.
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Knight's Rethinking Poverty book 2017.
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Avrorina, L. and Knight, B. (2020). Assets, capacity, trust: The role of community foundations in the development of local philanthropy—GFCF: GFCF. [online] Global Fund for Community Foundations. Available at: https://globalfundcommunityfoundations.org/resources/assets-capacity-trust-the-role-of-community-foundations-in-the-development-of-local-philanthropy/ [Accessed 15 Apr. 2023].
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Hughes, G., Knight, B. (2023). The Hull We Want. In: Page, S., Coates, M., Tipping, J., Frangos, J., Goldstraw, K. (eds) Action on Poverty in the UK . Sustainable Development Goals Series. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-37182-0_7
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