YourMK takes 'refreshingly different' approach to community involvement in regeneration in Milton Keynes

YourMK, the company set up as a partnership between Milton Keynes Council and Mears Group, has worked with experts at NEF Consulting to develop a social performance measure for regeneration.

The unique measure is all about the impact of regeneration on the community that is at the heart of the work.

It will hold YourMK to account for how regeneration activity affects what’s important to local communities and what is critical in creating positive change that will last.

It has been established to make sure YourMK deliver on the promise for regeneration to be community led.

YourMK and NEF Consulting, part of the New Economics Foundation, carried out research with residents in key estates across Milton Keynes.

Together with research in best practice for regeneration, this showed that a successful regeneration programme should:

Increase resident’s pride in their estate 

Help residents to build positive social relationships in their estate 

Give people the opportunity to influence the regeneration process 

Help residents feel optimistic about their future in the estate.

The YourMK team will now work with communities to develop practical ways to achieve this in each area.

“It is really important that people understand regeneration is about far more than improving homes,” said David Gleeson managing director of YourMK.

“Our challenge is to work with communities to make long lasting changes in neighbourhoods. It is about the people that live there and their well-being and future opportunities.

“This new social indicator will add to our existing physical and economic indicators to help ensure we deliver the best possible outcome for our residents”.

Elizabeth Cox, NEF Consulting’s project director added: “YourMK is refreshingly different to many authorities in its approach to regeneration. It has set the terms used to judge the success of the programme by working with people living in the local community to develop its Social Key Performance Indicators.”