ABSTRACT
A vacuum existed in poor neighbourhoods between the local authority and the people, a vacuum that some Community Development Projects (CDPs) tried to exploit by organising people into campaigns for social action. This chapter looks at some of these campaigns, at the success of their advice and information centres, as well as the tensions that emerged between the CDPs and council officials. Experienced local government officers and councillors were irritated by the community workers and inevitably angered by challenges to their authority. The CDPs aimed to encourage self-help and mutual aid by supporting local groups and by providing social and leisure opportunities as well as information and support networks. Social groups were able to apply to the local CDP for grants. Some local education authorities worked closely with a few CDPs. Most of the CDPs were in local authority areas dominated by Labour.
