A new independent expert panel, set up this week by the Community Development Foundation (CDF), is inviting input from interested parties on community development.

CDF, a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG), has gathered together some of the leading authorities on community issues to consider the context, future role, and the support needs of communities. Findings from the panel will be published and put to key influencers in central and local government, as well as informing CDF’s future work.

The chair of the panel, John Benington, is emeritus professor at the Institute of Governance and Public Management at Warwick Business School, and formerly worked in Coventry as part of the original Community Development Projects of the late 1960’s.

The panel members are drawn from a diverse range of organisations and individuals with knowledge of, and insight into, community development, social policy and the broader issues faced by local communities. They include: John Low (CAF), professor Marj Mayo (Goldsmiths), professor Anne Power (London School of Economics), Lorna Prescott (Community Development Exchange), Jagwant Johal (Trustee, CDF), councillor Adele Morris (Southwark Council), David Brindle (The Guardian), and Graham Parry (Groundwork Manchester).

Alison Seabrooke, chief executive of CDF says: “We are delighted at the calibre of the individuals sitting on the expert panel on community development.  We incepted the idea of a panel over a year ago when we, along with partner organisations, started to look ahead at the changing needs of communities and how the role of community development will need to change to reflect those needs.

“The issues are very pressing. We are expecting to see big changes in coming years, as public services are delivered in different ways, and decentralisation gives more control to communities. We see a role for community development in the vision for a ‘Big Society’ and hope to get closer to identifying what that role will be.” 

The group will consider three themes relating to community development:

• The context of community development 
• The future role of community development
• How will community development need to develop to fill the new demands placed on it, and the new space it must occupy.

To add your voice to the future of community development visit www.cdf.org.uk/cd-panel, where you can also read CDF’s first paper.

The deadline for responses is 30th July.  The full report from the panel will be issued in October 2010.