Pride in Place: Strengthening Local Identity and Community Confidence

Launched in 2025 and expanded through subsequent phases, the UK Government’s Pride in Place Programmerepresents a major shift towards long-term, community-led regeneration. Each neighbourhood will receive up to £20 million over ten years, empowering local people to shape priorities and deliver meaningful change in their communities.

At the heart of the programme are Neighbourhood Boards, bringing together residents, businesses and local stakeholders to lead decision-making, supported by local authorities as the accountable body. Plans are developed around three core objectives: strengthening communities, building thriving places and enabling people to take back control.

However, no two places start from the same position. Some areas have well-established partnerships and strong community infrastructure, while others are building boards, relationships and capacity from scratch. Local challenges also vary widely—from town centre decline and safety concerns to skills, health and social cohesion.

Our approach reflects this diversity. We work flexibly with each place, tailoring our support to local needs, capacity and ambition. Whether establishing and supporting a Neighbourhood Board, developing a robust evidence base, designing engagement, or translating priorities into a deliverable plan, we bring the expert skills, insight and practical experienceneeded to add value at every stage.

The Genecon team has supported a range of Pride in Place areas, working closely with local authorities and communities to turn national ambition into locally owned, deliverable plans. We act as a trusted partner—helping places move from early mobilisation through to delivery, while building the capability and confidence needed to sustain long-term change.

Interim Management Support

We help places mobilise their Pride in Place programme quickly and effectively, putting in place the structures, processes and support needed to move confidently from mobilisation into delivery.
This includes:

Establishing governance arrangements and reporting structures
Supporting the formation and administration of Neighbourhood Boards
Designing recruitment processes for Chairs and Board members
Ensuring compliance with MHCLG requirements and the Nolan Principles
Producing programme initiation documents, delivery timetables and communications strategies
Acting as interim programme management support while long‑term arrangements are put in place

This early support ensures the programme is well‑structured, transparent and aligned with local priorities — enabling places to move confidently into delivery.

Community & Board Engagement

We design and deliver engagement that is inclusive, accessible and rooted in lived experience, ensuring communities shape priorities through meaningful insight, trusted relationships and collaborative dialogue.
Our methods include:

Community surveys
Pop‑up events
Stakeholder interviews
Thematic workshops and Board sub‑groups
Town “safaris” and “walkshops”
Community‑led engagement activities

This blended approach ensures:

Broad reach and deep insight
Strong relationships with residents and partners
Clear evidence of community‑led priorities
Identification of emerging local leaders
A representative, well‑supported Neighbourhood Board

Our engagement work is designed to build trust, surface priorities and strengthen the foundations for long‑term collaboration.

Regeneration & Investment Plans

We support Boards to develop a robust 10‑year Regeneration Plan and 4‑year Investment Plan, aligned with MHCLG guidance and grounded in evidence, community insight and clear delivery arrangements throughout.
Our support includes:

Evidence analysis and spatial mapping
Reviewing local strategies, policies and existing engagement
Vision and priority setting
Theory of Change development
Project pipeline creation
Investment scheduling and funding alignment
Governance and assurance frameworks

Our plans are practical, deliverable and shaped by the people who know their neighbourhood best.

Experience Across UK Places

Genecon has supported local authorities across the UK to design and deliver Pride in Place–focused interventions, spanning town centre regeneration, cultural placemaking, community infrastructure and long-term economic strategies. We combine economic analysis, strategic insight and hands-on delivery experience to help places turn ambition into action.

Our approach is deliberately modular. We work flexibly with local authorities to complement existing capacity—whether that means building on work already underway, supporting specific stages of the process, or providing specialist expertise where it adds most value. This enables councils to retain ownership of their programmes while drawing on targeted support to ensure both process and outcomes are robust, deliverable and high quality.

We work alongside partners to shape investment plans, strengthen governance and support communities to articulate their priorities—building confidence, capacity and momentum from the outset.

Our commitment to place is reflected in our people. In 2026, two members of our team were invited to sit on their local neighbourhood boards, bringing first-hand experience of local decision-making into our work. As both advisors and active participants in their own communities, our team offers insight from both sides of the table—ensuring our work remains grounded in real priorities and the everyday realities of place-based change.

Case Study

Royal Sutton Coldfield Pride in Place Programme

Genecon was appointed on behalf of the Royal Sutton Coldfield Neighbourhood Board by Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council and tasked with supporting the development of a 10 Year Regeneration Plan and 4 Year Investment Plan as part of the UK Government’s Pride in Place Programme.

Case Study

Burnley Pride in Place

Genecon was appointed to support Burnley Council and the Town Board to progress Burnley Plan for Neighbourhoods (PfN) (now Pride in Place (PiP), building directly on the work completed under the Long-Term Plan for Towns (LTPT).

Case Study

Leigh Pride in Place Regeneration Plan

Genecon supported Wigan Council in developing the Leigh Pride in Place Regeneration Plan—a 10‑year, community‑led strategy guiding £20 million of regeneration investment between 2026 and 2036.

We’ve helped places build Boards, engage communities and shape deliverable plans

Giving us a sharp understanding of what works and how to adapt it locally.

If you’d like to discuss how we can support your Pride in Place programme please get in touch.