ABSTRACT
Councils are in the process of reforming themselves to develop their role as community leaders. Whilst community leadership has always been part of what local authorities have done and been expected to do, it is now firmly established in statute. The Local Government Act 2000 has, for the first time, enshrined the community leadership role in law. It gives local councils a new power to promote the well-being of their area as a whole and encourages councils to look beyond immediate service delivery responsibilities to the wider economic, social and environmental well-being of their areas. This requires councils to work together with local groups to develop a strategy for their community The Local Government Association has identified the key elements of community leadership as:
• involving and learning from local communities; • building vision and direction; • working effectively in partnership; • making things happen; • standing up for communities; • empowering local communities; • accountability to communities; and • effective use of community resources.
