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A short report to Watford Council for Voluntary Service, following a short strategic review we carried out for them, has been published.

Kevin Harris spoke at a seminar on 'the good society in our neighbourhoods' at the Compass conference, in London; and at the CILIP (librarians) 'Umbrella' conference in Hatfield, on neighbourhood online networks.

As part of the Networked Neighbourhoods group, Kevin Harris has begun work in three localities in England to support the development of neighbourhood online websites. These projects are funded by the Big Lottery. A fourth, similar project, funded by the Barrow Cadbury Trust, has begun in collaboration with Wolverhampton Homes.

Meanwhile, Martin Dudley is working with the Shipley Area Corordinator in Bradford to support street reps and neighbourhood wardens to develop a website.

Kevin Harris gave two presentations on Local Level's evaluation of museum activities for young people looked after, at the Education Matters Conference, hosted by Norfolk's Virtual School for Children in Care.
 
 
The Guardian's voluntary sector network has published an article by Kevin Harris on asset based community development (ABCD).

The piece notes the emerging potential of community development in UK social policy, and anticipates the contribution of ABCD because of its emphasis on existing skills, energy and resources in neighbourhoods.

However, some questions remain because of perceptions that politically less palatable factors, especially external forces like economic decline, weak public services, or inequalities, are screened out of the menu of options for local activists.

A further discussion can be found on the Neighbourhoods blog.