Plugging the Leaks

Plugging the Leaks is a project which supports people in communities to take a different approach to local economic development, one that can have a greater, more sustainable impact on their local economies than traditional regeneration initiatives.

It can seem obvious - a basic economic fact of life - that if an area is poor, it needs money poured into it. This might be by attracting new investment, getting a regeneration grant or building tourist attractions. Everyone assumes that the money will improve the area, 'trickling down' to those who need it most. But does it?

Imagine the local economy as a bucket. If someone has £5 and spends it in the local grocers, the £5 stays in the bucket. But other activities, such as paying utility bills, or spending money in out-of-town stores, causes money to leak out of the bucket, away from the community. By plugging the leaks in the bucket, we can keep money flowing within community and create strong local economies.

It isn't our aim to create isolated communities. Rather, we believe that promoting and supporting local enterprise should be part of any strategy for economic regeneration. Local enterprises are more likely to employ local people, provide services to improve the local quality of life, spend money locally, promote community cohesion and, by reducing transportation of goods from across communities, are likely to have a smaller environmental footprint.

At nef, we develop tools to help innovative and effective community regeneration.