Empowering Communities

Southwark Council has unveiled a new approach to community involvement which will replace Community Councils.

Taking a fresh look at how communities work together and interact with the council, the Empowering Communities programme is a new approach to engaging local people in the issues that affect them at a very local level. It will also strengthen the role of their local ward councillors.

Ward councillors will lead Ward Meetings in each of the 23 wards at least six times a year. In addition, five councillors will each take on a new Community Champion role to cover five multi-ward forums for the borough.

The Community Champion for the East Central area forum, which covers Old Kent Road, is Cllr Sunil Chopra and the first meeting will be held on Monday 24 June.

The council also plans to set up a Democracy Fund of £20,000 per year to which local people can apply to help fund one-off events to discuss specific local issues, and to support a new Annual Residents’ Conference to give residents and councillors an opportunity to get together to discuss the council’s priorities and budget.

Find out more about Empowering Communities

Find out more about the East Central area forum