Enter Local Trust’s Community Futures essay competition

Our essay competition, asking entrants to explore innovative ideas around community regeneration, is now open for submissions.

This competition is open to:

• early career researchers and policy analysts
• independent practitioners in the community sector
• graduate and PhD students.

Entrants must write an essay of no more than 2,500 words answering the following question:

What is your policy idea for turning the most socially and economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods in England into thriving communities, what is the evidence behind it, and how might it best be successfully implemented with maximum impact?

The winner will get £5,000 and see their essay published on the website of the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research (CRESR), with excerpts published on the Local Trust and Demos websites.

The winner will also be offered a number of opportunities to promote their essay, including a meeting with policymakers at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG); the invitation to take part in a Whitehall roundtable with senior officials across departments, organised by Demos, and a six-month fellowship with Demos, subject to funding.

Two runners up will be awarded £1,000 each.

We’re partnering with Demos and CRESR to deliver this competition. Make sure you submit your essay by the deadline of 10 January 2025 to be considered.

Please download our essay guidelines to find out more about how to enter, the rules of the competition and how to make a submission.