Plugging the Leaks: Making the most of every pound that enters your local economy

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Organization: 
New Economics Foundation
Author: 
Bernie Ward and Julie Lewis

Plugging the Leaks: Making the most of every pound that enters your local economyThis handbook is for you if you are worried about your local economy. The chances are, it's not thriving and you are beginning to wonder if the usual approaches to economic development are really working. In fact certain previously strong aspects of your economy might be unravelling before your eyes. The experts don't seem to be able to make a success of it, so you're beginning to think that the locals should be getting involved too – and that means you. This handbook shows you how to devise a new economic strategy for your community – from scratch.

Download Plugging the Leaks: Making the most of every pound that enters your local economy

The approach will particularly fit your needs if you want a simple but tried and tested guide for ordinary people to understand what is going on in their local economy – so they can be involved in decision-making. And this handbook is not one for flicking through and shelving. The New Economics Foundation (NEF) wants to make sure that talk leads to action. That's why they have worked with communities large and small, urban and rural, from all parts of the UK, to make sure that the Plugging the Leaks approach actually works.

From Pembrokeshire and Derwent to Keyham and Hastings; from churches in the West Midlands to environmentalists in Northern Ireland; from the Leeds Industrial Mission to Aberdeen City Council; from Leamington's SRB partnership to Luton's New Deal for Communities; and from a local food initiative in West Dorset to a tourism programme in the Brecon Beacons; this approach to local economic development has been tried and tested.

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Table of Contents

Foreword

INTRODUCTION
1: Introduction

   Why the usual approaches to economic development aren't working
   Leaving it to chance
   Don't rely on the experts
   Economics made easy
   The leaky bucket
   Enough talk, what about some action?

THEORY
2: Understanding the local economy
   Irrigation
   The leaky bucket
   The circulating pound
   Let's go round again
   The local multiplier effect
   Funnels and umbrellas
   Spending circles

PREPARING
3: A step–by–step guide to Plugging the Leaks
   Introduction
   Getting started
   Holding the workshop
   Session 1 Introductions
   Session 2 Exploring the leaky bucket
   Session 3 Examining other ideas
   Session 4 Planning leak–plugging action
   Session 5 Agreeing how to maintain progress

ACTION
4: Co–ordinating the programme
5: Information gathering
6: Raising awareness
7: Ready to go

APPENDICES
Appendix 1: Case studies of pilots
   Milford Haven
   Cloughmills
   South Staffordshire
   Luton
Appendix 2: The regeneration game
Appendix 3: Getting started worksheets

   1. Define your stakeholders
   2. Define your area
Appendix 4: Plugging the Leaks surveys
   Questions for residents
   Questions for public sector bodies or agencies
   Questions for businesses
Appendix 5: Leak–plugging ideas

References

Year: 
2002
Format: 
Guidebook
Categories: 
International CED
Local economy
Source: 
Org
Theme: 

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