12 community organisations launch platform to unleash new wave of community activism

Read on to find out how the My community platform can play a key role in supporting groups to make a shift from Mutual response to more formal community solutions. 


Leading community sector infrastructure organisations in the UK have come together to create an online network to inspire and enable local people to act for themselves on the issues they care about in their community. 

My Community is the brainchild of 12 leading organisations including Power to Change, Locality, Acre, Groundwork, Local Trust, Plunkett Foundation, Co-operatives UK, MHCLG, NAVCA, New Economics Foundation, NCVO and Semble. 

Launched in the beginning of June 2020, it provides a go-to space of trusted resources to help people find the information they need about the support options available, while encouraging people to come together and take positive community action. 

The platform aims to unleash the outpouring of community spirit seen across the country as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak. Latest research from partner organisation Power to Change shows that an overwhelming 68% of UK adults don’t want to lose the renewed sense of community spirit and are pledging to do more in their local area when the crisis finally ends. 

Yet the data also shows that a quarter of those surveyed (26%) fear that vulnerable people in their community don’t know where to go for support, while 18% believe there is a lack of community resources in their area.

My Community is a simple way to find all the latest tools, tips and ideas needed to achieve local aims, and help to make all communities a better place to live and thrive. 

In Bristol, BS3 Community Development has seen a huge surge in community support, with over 1,100 volunteers signing up to help their response to the crisis and provide vital care to those that need it most. 

Dawn Lockhart, Head of Communications at BS3 Community Development, said: “At this time of huge uncertainty it’s been truly humbling to see people in the community coming together to protect the most vulnerable. 

“Quite often people want to make a difference locally but don’t know where to start. My Community provides that starting point and enables local people to act for themselves on the issues they care about. 

The My Community platform is great because it can help harness this huge surge in amazing activism and community support.”

Further examples include The Feed, a not-for-profit social enterprise providing catering services in Norwich. The community business, which exists to prevent poverty, hunger and homelessness, has produced and delivered over 2,200 food parcels to people across the city to ensure the most vulnerable don’t go hungry. 

My Community makes it easier for local people to find the guidance they need by aggregating the resources available from the 12 partner organisations and using curated search to help users streamline the search process and locate the information most relevant to them. 

All those who sign up to the platform will also benefit from tailored e-mail updates for new content based on their chosen areas of interest. 

For further information and guidance to help your local community, visit www.mycommunity.org.uk