NEWS – Community Power in Brinnington, 18th March 2026

On Wednesday 18th March 2026 Groundwork hosted an event at St Luke’s Church in Brinnington called ‘Community Power: Legacy, Learning and Leading Change in Brinnington.’ The event brough together residents, charity partners and public sector partners including Stockport council to celebrate everything that has been achieved in Brinnington through Big Local, and to look ahead to the legacy and what comes next in the context of Live Well and Pride in Place.

The day consisted of panel talks with community volunteers, insight sessions from practitioners and a series of roundtable discussions. A strong message shone clear throughout the day – delivering change in communities isn’t about shiny new programmes or big budgets, nor is it simply about saying communities are in the lead, it’s about truly understanding, valuing and embedding community strengths, priorities and leadership in everything we do.

Roundtable discussions

The following is a summary of the roundtable discussions from the day which asked; What are the key ingredients for effective local decision making in Brinnington, what are our priorities for Brinnington moving forward and what are the first steps to achieving them?

• A strong emphasis is placed on community leadership and ownership, with a clear desire for initiatives and decisions to be driven by local people themselves. There is a consistent call for a bottom-up approach, where communities feel empowered to take responsibility and shape outcomes.
• Trust and relationships are seen as foundational to success. Building and maintaining trust, particularly between residents, organisations, and services such as the police, is viewed as essential for meaningful progress and long-term impact.
• Listening to residents is highlighted throughout. This includes creating safe spaces for people to share their views, valuing lived experience, and ensuring that community voices directly influence decisions and actions.
• There is also a strong focus on partnership and collaboration, with recognition that better outcomes come from organisations and groups working together toward shared goals rather than operating in isolation.
• Community involvement and volunteering are identified as key to sustaining local initiatives. This includes supporting existing volunteers, developing new ones, and encouraging wider participation across the community.
• Young people are a priority, with a need to better engage them, amplify their voices, and provide opportunities, education, and appropriate spaces and facilities to support their development.
• The need for accessible resources and funding is acknowledged, particularly simpler funding processes, small grants, and better sharing of existing resources to maximise local impact.
• A shared aspiration for Pride in Place to be focused on fostering a stronger sense of belonging, ownership, and positivity about the local area.
• The value of community spaces and facilities, such as bringing back Brinnington Community Hub, is also highlighted as essential for bringing people together, supporting activities, and creating safe, welcoming environments.
• Honesty and respect are seen as core principles underpinning all work, alongside compassion and recognition for the contributions of individuals and the community.

As we move forward with new initiatives, we hope we continue to learn from places like Brinnington, keeping community voice and power at the centre, rather than getting lost in new “brands” or funding streams.