iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Cormac Russell

Mike Thorpe @mike-thorpe.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

A fantastic day at @peoplespowerhouse.bsky.social Convention 2026 in #Scarborough yesterday with the launch of the #DoWith Charter. Lots of learning and great to meet up with @evefrancisholt.bsky.social @cormacrussell.bsky.social, Adam from @thekingsfund.bsky.social and many others.

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New Local @wearenewlocal.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

To continue the debate sparked by ‘Putting the Neighbourhood Back into Neighbourhood Health’, @cormacrussell.bsky.social & @lisamcnally.bsky.social have developed a series of guides to help explore and influence the direction of neighbourhood health approaches. 👉 www.newlocal.org.uk/publications...

newlocal.org.uk

Putting the Neighbourhood Back into Neighbourhood Health - New Local

New Local is delighted to partner with two leading thinkers and practitioners, Cormac Russell and Lisa McNally, to host their provocation paper, which we hope will spark much-needed debate on […]

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New Local @wearenewlocal.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

To continue the debate, @lisamcnally.bsky.social & @cormacrussell.bsky.social have developed questions designed to help councillors explore whether neighbourhood health plans genuinely shift power to people, or whether they simply reorganise services around them. www.newlocal.org.uk/publications...

newlocal.org.uk

Putting the Neighbourhood Back into Neighbourhood Health - New Local

New Local is delighted to partner with two leading thinkers and practitioners, Cormac Russell and Lisa McNally, to host their provocation paper, which we hope will spark much-needed debate on […]

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New Local @wearenewlocal.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

📣 We're delighted to partner with two leading thinkers and practitioners, @cormacrussell.bsky.social & @lisamcnally.bsky.social, to host their provocation paper which we hope will spark much-needed debate on a potential future for neighbourhood health approaches. www.newlocal.org.uk/publications...

newlocal.org.uk

Putting the Neighbourhood Back into Neighbourhood Health - New Local

New Local is delighted to partner with two leading thinkers and practitioners, Cormac Russell and Lisa McNally, to host their provocation paper, which we hope will spark much-needed debate on […]

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Dr. Henry Tam @henrytam.bsky.social · 21/02/2026

Empowering citizens to share power and resources to help each other attain a better quality of life is key to a thriving democracy and inclusive community development: citizen-network.org/library/putt... @cormacrussell.bsky.social

citizen-network.org

Citizen Network: Putting Communities First: 12 Recommendations

Cormac Russell provides a clear strategy for the state to rebuild trust with communities.

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Greta Harrison @gretagharrison.bsky.social · 01/08/2025

"Often our definition of community says more about us than it does about actual communities." - Cormac Russell / Image by #BornFabulousPodcast

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Rhode Island Community Investment Cooperative @investri.bsky.social · 26/08/2025

- The Connected Community, Cormac Russell and John McKnight 2/2

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Local Return @localreturn.bsky.social · 02/10/2025

It's not too late: Pick up a copy of The Connected Community by Cormac Russell and John McKnight today, and join us virtually on October 21 for a discussion of the book's ideas. localreturn.org/events/?even...

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Dr. Henry Tam @henrytam.bsky.social · 26/09/2025

Don't just tell communities help will eventually arrive. But work with them, listen, empower them to develop real improvements with public support. 12 'Putting Communities First' recommendations: citizen-network.org/library/putt... @cormacrussell.bsky.social

citizen-network.org

Citizen Network: Putting Communities First: 12 Recommendations

Cormac Russell provides a clear strategy for the state to rebuild trust with communities.

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Local Return @localreturn.bsky.social · 29/08/2025

Our next book discussion will focus on The Connected Community: Discovering the Health, Wealth, and Power of Neighborhoods by @cormacrussell.bsky.social and John McKnight. Get reading, and join us on October 21 for conversation!

localreturn.org

Events – Local Return

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Saul Staniforth @saulstaniforth.bsky.social · 22/08/2025

"It is a famine we could have prevented.. food stacks up at borders because of systematic obstruction by Israel. It is a famine within a few hundred metres of food.. a preventable famine sustained by complicity" Tom Fletcher from the UN on famine being declared in Gaza City

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Greg Fell @felly500.bsky.social · 15/08/2025

www.thelancet.com/journals/lan... @profdevisridhar.bsky.social:- life expectancy “is much less about your own choices and is instead tightly linked to where you live and the political choices made by your government”.

thelancet.com

Life expectancy: public health and politics

Devi Sridhar's new book How Not to Die (Too Soon): The Lies We've Been Sold and the Policies That Can Save Us sets out her hope of living to the age of 100 years in good health “as a collective endeav...

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We're Right Here @right-here.org · 14/08/2025

Greater Manchester’s Live Well programme is doing what more combined and local authorities should: backing trusted local leaders like Leah Chikamba-Mulando to deliver health and wellbeing services in a way that works for their particular community. www.right-here.org/communities-... #CommunityPower

right-here.org

Communities lead the way in Greater Manchester’s Live Well transformation - We're Right Here

Forward-thinking councils and mayors are shifting to making decisions with communities rather than for them.

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New Local @wearenewlocal.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

At #StrongerThings, @cormacrussell.bsky.social urged us to make “good trouble.” His latest think piece for New Local sets out how might we do that in practice & argues that certain things are best done with citizens in the lead. Read the full piece here 🔗 buff.ly/ffiAs3D

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Cormac Russell @cormacrussell.bsky.social · 26/07/2025

It is not enough to discover assets; we must connect those assets with one another in new ways that multiply their contribution, power, equity and influence. #abcd

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Greta Harrison @gretagharrison.bsky.social · 25/06/2025

"Community is a verb, not a noun." - Cormac Russell / Image by #BornFabulousPodcast

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Phyl @raineyphyl.bsky.social · 08/06/2025

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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New Local @wearenewlocal.bsky.social · 05/06/2025

In a new thinkpiece, @cormacrussell.bsky.social‬ proposes 3️⃣ shifts for greater alignment between institutions & communities Issue-based ➡️ place-based responses Institution-first ➡️ community-first Provision determined by public services ➡️ co-produced alongside communities 🔗

buff.ly

Exploring the Potential of Community-Centred Public Services - New Local

This thinkpiece by the leading social explorer Cormac Russell focuses on how to realign the relationship between institutions and communities. He sets out how better understanding and working…

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Iain Moore @iainmoore.bsky.social · 04/06/2025

One more thing from #StrongerThings 2025: I'm really keen for library services to be actively present in this space, so here's a list of the speakers' books. Obviously @hilarycottam.bsky.social and @cormacrussell.bsky.social there but a few others! [links support @librariesconnected.bsky.social]

uk.bookshop.org

Stronger things - community power

List of the books written by speakers at New Local's Stronger Things 2025 conference

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Iain Moore @iainmoore.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

Interesting discussion on silos but shifted to community driven national reform. Sahil Khan at Peabody on how we can shift to bottom up reform @njdavies.bsky.social - how gov can put in place conditions for this - non competitive funding, ministerial remit, longer LG funding #StrongerThings

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Iain Moore @iainmoore.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

Lots this morning about importance of what community facing organisations do in the face of increased inequality and volatility. Big q for libraries is how do we recognise and maximise what we do through collaboration - & how we build the robust & resilient partnerships we need. #StrongerThings

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Iain Moore @iainmoore.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

Cont from @indyjohar.bsky.social Biggest risk we hold is loss of the social contract and impact this has on local and national functioning and security. We as community engaged orgs have the agency - and responsibility - to transform the country to maintain this social contract. #StrongerThings

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Iain Moore @iainmoore.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

Hearing from @indyjohar.bsky.social about increased volatility as we head to 3 deg warmer. We exist at intersection of localism and planetary relationships. Need to be able to think in terms of multiple beneficiaries of our actions - again back to measuring value across different stakeholders.

A radically different civie future
Indy Johar
Director, Dark matter labs

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Iain Moore @iainmoore.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

He’s arguing a strengths based approach - you can centre people but still have institutions operating on their weaknesses. But centre people and give them agency to build on their strengths and access to services it shifts. Again, libraries are the perfect framework for this. #StrongerThings

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Iain Moore @iainmoore.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

Really good way to disrupt the usual “broadcast” model of keynotes - made us think about how we engage. Useful tool to use in future - start with asking questions of *how* the audience will engage before even starting to discuss *what* they engage with. #StrongerThings

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Iain Moore @iainmoore.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

Ooh - @cormacrussell.bsky.social up next - he’s been brilliant at our seminars. He’s starting very on-brand - coproducing his keynote! #StrongerThings

Developescut
Centering Community
How valusbla do
you plan on this keynote being?
2 How participetive do you plan on being
during this keynote?
3
NI
How much risk do you plan on taking during this keynote?
4
How much do you plan on
contributing to the shared
Jeering and wetbeing of everyone in this room during the keynote?

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Christopher Odedun @chrisodedun.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

@cormacrussell.bsky.social ‘not needy, but needed’ a brilliant reframing of our role as professionals #StrongerThings

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New Local @wearenewlocal.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

Nurture Development’s @cormacrussell.bsky.social joins us with provocations around community-centred renewal. “What’s really exciting about what we’re seeing today in the UK is not just great micro practice on the ground, but a lining up of the micro and the macro”. #StrongerThings

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M-Corinna Hartwig @mcorinnahartwig.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

Nugget from @cormacrussell.bsky.social : "connect the gifts of an individual with the community" to mobilise #communitypower . #communitydevelopment #communitybuilding #healthandwellbeing #StrongerThings

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New Local @wearenewlocal.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

📣 @cormacrussell.bsky.social introduces six building blocks for wellbeing that exist in every community: 🟡 Contributions of residents 🟡 Associations 🟡 Local institutions 🟡 Local places 🟡 Local economy & exchange 🟡 Stories & culture

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Iain Moore @iainmoore.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

Final points from @cormacrussell.bsky.social We have ability & responsibility to shift settlement in this country to strengths based, community led and enabled We need to think about communities we serve *and* communities we are part of. And never be afraid to make good trouble. #StrongerThings

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Phyl @raineyphyl.bsky.social · 03/06/2025

Some years ago when I attended an introduction to ABCD @cormacrussell.bsky.social asked a question “What do you do where you live with your neighbours” This profoundly changed the way I thought about my role as a citizen. I can testify community-centred renewal happens over a cuppa, sharing lives.

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New Local @wearenewlocal.bsky.social · 30/05/2025

Join us for #StrongerThings 2025 ONLINE! The community power event of the year ft. ‪@hilarycottam.bsky.social‬ @cormacrussell.bsky.social‬ & more amazing speakers ✨‬ Take a look at the agenda 👉 buff.ly/GD8vVAl Book your ticket 👉 buff.ly/9TzwL53

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New Local @wearenewlocal.bsky.social · 28/05/2025

“The traditional model – which treats citizens as passive service recipients – has hit its capacity limits.” Following the publication of our new thinkpiece, #StrongerThings headline speaker @cormacrussell.bsky.social‬ advocates for a realignment between institutions & communities.

buff.ly

Building thriving societies – it's easy as ABCD

In the face of growing social fragmentation and dwindling public resources, public services across the UK are grappling with unprecedented challenges. The traditional...

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Local Trust @localtrust.org.uk · 28/05/2025

"The future of public service lies not solely in delivering better services but in forging better alignment between institutions and communities." @cormacrussell.bsky.social

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New Local @wearenewlocal.bsky.social · 27/05/2025

buff.ly

Exploring the Potential of Community-Centred Public Services - New Local

This thinkpiece by the leading social explorer Cormac Russell focuses on how to realign the relationship between institutions and communities. He sets out how better understanding and working…

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Reposted by Cormac Russell

Yasmin Ibison @yasminibison.bsky.social · 21/05/2025

As we develop JRF's communities + place policy work, this from @cormacrussell.bsky.social is v inspiring - especially the call to seek a 'good enough alignment' between govt institutions + community-based associations, as the perfect relationship does not exist. www.newlocal.org.uk/publications...

newlocal.org.uk

Exploring the Potential of Community-Centred Public Services - New Local

This thinkpiece by the leading social explorer Cormac Russell focuses on how to realign the relationship between institutions and communities. He sets out how better understanding and working alongsid...

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New Local @wearenewlocal.bsky.social · 21/05/2025

Delighted to publish a thinkpiece by social explorer and author Cormac Russell. One of our headline speakers for Stronger Things 2025. bit.ly/CormacRussel... To hear from him on the day, sign up here 👇 Last few in-person tickets left. Or join us online. www.newlocal.org.uk/strongerthin...

bit.ly

Exploring the Potential of Community-Centred Public Services - New Local

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Phyl @raineyphyl.bsky.social · 10/05/2025

“Russell asks us to redefine how we see the world. He asks us to imagine a world in which everybody who is defined as a problem secures the power to redefine the problem. He asks us to rise to the challenge. He asks us to be the change we seek by creating space for others to be the change they seek”

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Cormac Russell @cormacrussell.bsky.social · 10/05/2025

There are four main modes of social change: to, for, with, and by. While there is a place for all four within community and economic development, avoiding the pitfalls of traditional ‘aid’ requires a well-delineated approach. researchoutreach.org/articles/wha...

researchoutreach.org

From what’s wrong to what’s strong: A guide to community-driven development

Studying sustainable community development to support healthy, flourishing lives for residents and educate those working in citizen space

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Phyl @raineyphyl.bsky.social · 03/05/2025

Our ‘Lullington Neighbours’ VE Day celebrations sharing food, singing, chatting and a cuppa ☕️ The foundation of all good things 🦩 #Neighbours #Community @camerados-org.bsky.social @cormacrussell.bsky.social

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