Help us turn these ideas into action
Our Notwestminster main event on Saturday 17th February 2018 finished with an Ideas Bazaar where we shared the ideas from our participant-led Workshops. This is a really important part of the day, because Notwestminster is all about turning our ideas for a stronger local democracy into action. Our participants on the day made their own personal pledges to do something practical to take these ideas forwards. Please have a look at the ideas yourself and get involved to help make things happen. . .
Power, Participation and Wisdom in Local Democracy
Andy Paice, Wise Democracy Project and Co-Intelligence Institute
Our idea for one thing we can do next to strengthen our local democracy:
Create a local second chamber made up of randomly selected citizens.
– online proposals of topics
– paid participation
Live notes from Andy’s workshop
Twitter: @andypaice
Email: andy@naturalinsightcoaching.com
Building Citizens in Kirklees and beyond
Tom Chigbo, Citizens UK
Our idea for one thing we can do next to strengthen our local democracy:
Invite local faith, community and civic groups to launch meeting for a Kirklees community organising alliance.
Run a training day in community organising methods in Huddersfield.
Twitter: @TomChigbo
Email: tom.chigbo@leedscitizens.org.uk
Open Contracting in Action
Tim Davies (Open Data Services Co-operative) and
Cllr Rachel Smith (Gloucestershire County Council)
Our idea for one thing we can do next to strengthen our local democracy:
Create a simple guide for citizens to understand council contracts and open contracting.
Live notes from Tim and Rachel’s workshop
Twitter: @timdavies & @stroudsing
Email: tim@practicalparticipation.co.uk & rachel.smith5@gloucestershire.gov.uk
Should 16 year olds get the vote?
Oldham Youth Council and
Dr Andy Mycock (University of Huddersfield)
Our idea for one thing we can do next to strengthen our local democracy:
School and Youth Councils should be promoted more. More government and politics should be implemented in the national curriculum. (Difference in PSHCE lessons depending on what school you go to). Allow youth councillors to sit in with local council to discuss matters that affect young people. Education on what your local council can do for you.
Twitter: @OldhamYC & @andymycock1
Email: Chris.Lewis@oldham.gov.uk & a.j.mycock@hud.ac.uk
Local problem-solving forums
Perry Walker, Talk Shop & Open Up
Our idea for one thing we can do next to strengthen our local democracy:
Create spaces and use methods like “convergent facilitation” which can bring all stakeholders together to understand each other’s needs and point of view without their own being threatened and so find shared values and common ground.
Twitter: OpenUpUKltd
Email: perry@openupuk.org
Involving young people in democracy
Sean Peacock, Open Lab, Newcastle University
Our idea for one thing we can do next to strengthen our local democracy:
Lots of ideas. . . Citizen assemblies – conference, relevant and resolvable issues. ‘Unconferences’, interactive (Youth and School Councils with senior buy-in). Informal events with food. Raising your political aspirations. Asking young people how to ask the question! Early involvement.
Live notes from Sean’s workshop
Twitter: @seanpeacock_
Email: s.peacock@newcastle.ac.uk
Open government
Andreas Pavlou, Involve & UK Open Government Network
Our idea for one thing we can do next to strengthen our local democracy:
Support existing community groups to get council info and data into local communities.
Open local budgets:
– make them more uniform
– better communicate to residents (on and offline)
– open data
Live notes from Andreas’s workshop
Twitter: @andreaspavlou
Email: andreas@involve.org.uk
Forum: forum.opengovernment.org.uk
Friends don’t let friends have rubbish meetings
Louisa Thomson (Renaisi) and
Matt Clack (Hackney Council)
Our idea for one thing we can do next to strengthen our local democracy:
Co-produce a set of principles for public meetings that form the basis of a kitemark for meeting organisers to work towards, and for participants to hold them to account.
- Find more civic detectives
- Hold co-design workshops to develop
- Pilot the kitemark
Live notes from Louisa and Matt’s workshop
Twitter: @louisa_thomson & @E9to5
Email: l.thomson@renaisi.com & Matt.Clack@hackney.gov.uk
Northern Devolution: Re-capture the Meaning!
Jenny Cronin (Unlock Democracy Greater Manchester) and
Vicky Seddon (Sheffield for Democracy)
Our idea for one thing we can do next to strengthen our local democracy:
The starting point for regional devolution should be that, to be viable, regional entities must be publicly accessible, have public resonance and meaning.
Live notes from Jenny and Vicky’s workshop
Twitter: @jennyfranc
Email: jenny.cronin@virgin.net & vickyseddon2012@gmail.com
What works to get people to join the debate?
Cllr Mike Jordan, Selby District Council
Our idea for one thing we can do next to strengthen our local democracy:
- Social media and live streaming
- Face to face with councillor, by local meeting
Twitter: @torycannonfoder
Email: jordan_wedgwood@btinternet.com
Ideas for deliberative democracy test-and-learn pilots
Miriam Levin, Office for Civil Society
Our idea for one thing we can do next to strengthen our local democracy:
Put together a central government grant fund for local authorities can bid into to trial participatory democracy.
Live notes from Miriam’s workshop
Email: miriam.levin@culture.gov.uk
How can we talk to each other when we don’t speak the same language?
Ed Hammond, Centre for Public Scrutiny
Our idea for one thing we can do next to strengthen our local democracy:
We need to think before we speak! Think about our audience. Think about our assumptions and biases. Think about the need to adapt and learn jargon or other forms of language when necessary – but to have the confidence to challenge.
Twitter: @CfPS_Ed
Email: ed.hammond@cfps.org.uk
One Team Local Democracy?
Sharon Dale (Hippo Digital) and
Matt Stroud (City of York Council)
View full size ideas board image
Live notes from Sharon and Matt’s workshop
Twitter: @pixlz & @matticusstroud
Email: sharon@pixlz.com & matthew.stroud@york.gov.uk
How to get involved
You’re very welcome to contact our workshop hosts directly using the details on this page, or you can get in touch with the #Notwestminster team by email: notwestminster@gmail.com or via twitter: @LDbytes
You’re also welcome to Join our Slack to keep in touch with other participants, and we recommend that you Join our email network to find out about future events and activities.
