Our Future Place

Our Future Place
Stewardship in Action

Welcome to Our Future Place - Stewardship in Action

We are a London-based cross-sector collective asking how to be good stewards of community resources - questioning what values and mental models help us move to a stewardship model and away from traditional ownership ways of thinking. We are interested in how communities could apply different stewarding models to local community assets held in trust by the local authority. We are learning through collective research and engaging our communities and we have developed a tabletop game as an engagement tool to explore these questions.

This is an ongoing investigation and research looking at the dynamics between different players. We are continuously developing this project as an exploration of stewardship models.

Stewardship in one line:

"What if we think less about control and more about care?"

Our Goal

Empowered communities, working in partnership to steward community assets

How do we get there?

1. Greater understanding, trust and collaborations between sectors, organisations and people.

2. Supported communities equipped with the resources, skills and understanding to influence and create change

3. Recognising the value of the vital work community-based organisations are doing

4. Cultivating the potential of community buildings/assets beyond the financial open market value

What do we bring?

1. Local Knowledge and practical experience from different perspectives (local authority officers, community business owners, artists, community organisers...)

2. Fun and accessible ways of working and collaborating

3. Deliberate culture of care with attentive listening and an open mind

4. Creative thinking by a group of individuals that have been inspired by examples and research into stewardship models

Who do we need to join our journey?

Local authorities, elected members, ambitious voluntary sector groups, community businesses, property/landowners, developers... you?

In January 2024 we took the 'Magic Place' game to The Ark in Enfield and tested it with a range of community groups and council officers who had a stake in the future of The Ark. This film tells the story of that session. Read more under the 'Game' tab.

Page updated

Google Sites