Prove It!

It is no longer enough to justify neighbourhood renewal projects in physical terms: trees planted; amenities created etc.

Attention has switched to the effect of these projects on local people and the relationships that exist in their communities — otherwise known as ​‘social capital’.

The impacts on ​‘social capital’ are crucial but notoriously difficult to measure. Barclays SiteSavers, a national scheme sponsored by Barclays PLC, has been working in partnership with Groundwork and the New Economics Foundation to pioneer a new approach to measuring social capital. This handbook is the result. It provides a method for measuring the effect of community projects on local people, on the relationships between them and on their quality of life. It also offers a highly readable introduction to the idea of social capital.

This handbook will have wide appeal in regeneration, local government and community development circles. It is especially for you if you are connected to projects and activities and you need to ​‘prove it!’ when it comes to their impact.