Building a better future: lessons from Adur & Worthing Councils

💬 Strong communities are built through openness, innovation, and collaboration.
📢 Public services must adapt to people’s needs, not the other way around.
👥 We create real change when we listen, involve people, and take action together.

Councils across the UK are under pressure to deliver more with less. But instead of just cutting back, Adur & Worthing Councils are focusing on new ways of working — putting people at the heart of decisions, designing services in partnership, and finding creative solutions to financial and environmental challenges.

This post explores key lessons from their work, with practical steps for anyone in strategy, innovation, digital, organisational development, delivery, participation, or change management.

1. Tackling housing challenges through smarter solutions

Access to affordable, high-quality housing is one of the biggest challenges councils face. Adur & Worthing Councils are tackling this by:

✅ Building new council homes — six new homes in Sompting provide safe, affordable places for local people.
✅ Investing in sustainable development — ensuring homes are energy-efficient and fit for the future.
✅ Working with partners — collaborating with housing associations and community groups to deliver long-term solutions.

💡 Example from elsewhere:
The ‘Homes for Lambeth’ scheme, run by Lambeth Council, works directly with residents to shape new affordable housing developments. (Read more)

🔹 Try this in your organisation:

• Use a people-first approach — involve residents in shaping housing plans from the start.
• Think long-term — invest in energy-efficient, low-maintenance designs to keep homes affordable.
• Partner widely — work with local businesses, social enterprises, and developers to share expertise and funding.

2. Taking real action on climate and sustainability

Environmental sustainability can’t just be a policy — it has to be part of how services are designed and delivered. Adur & Worthing Councils are leading by:

✅ Improving air quality — measuring progress in Shoreham and Southwick to create cleaner, healthier spaces.
✅ Investing in green energy — supporting renewable energy projects and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
✅ Enhancing biodiversity — planting trees, protecting wildlife, and improving public green spaces.

💡 Example from elsewhere:
Copenhagen’s ‘City Bikes’ project provides free bicycles across the city, cutting pollution and encouraging active travel. (Read more)

🔹 Try this in your organisation:

• Track environmental impact — use real data to measure improvements and make the case for investment.
• Design for behaviour change — make it easy for people to recycle, walk, cycle, or use green energy.
• Start small but scale up — test local projects and expand what works.

3. Involving people in decisions that affect them

People don’t just want councils to tell them what’s happening — they want to be involved in shaping decisions. Adur & Worthing Councils are making this happen by:

✅ Holding open consultations — inviting residents to shape how the council communicates and engages.
✅ Supporting local projects — helping residents take ownership of community-led initiatives.
✅ Using digital engagement — making it easier for people to have their say through online tools.

💡 Example from elsewhere:
Reykjavik’s ‘Better Reykjavik’ platform lets residents suggest and vote on city projects, giving them a direct role in shaping their community. (Read more)

🔹 Try this in your organisation:

• Make participation easy — offer quick, simple ways for people to share their views.
• Close the feedback loop — show people how their input has shaped decisions.
• Build long-term engagement — don’t just ask for views once — create ongoing conversations.

4. Managing financial challenges with transparency and innovation

Councils across the UK are facing financial pressure. Worthing Borough Council is responding by:

✅ Applying for government financial support — ensuring essential services remain available to residents.
✅ Exploring new funding models — finding ways to generate income while keeping services accessible.
✅ Being honest with residents — communicating clearly about financial challenges and the tough choices ahead.

💡 Example from elsewhere:
Porto Alegre in Brazil pioneered participatory budgeting, where residents help decide how public funds are spent, improving transparency and trust. (Read more)

🔹 Try this in your organisation:

• Be open about financial pressures — clear, honest communication builds trust.
• Encourage co-investment — work with businesses, charities, and communities to fund local projects.
• Look for creative income generation — from community-owned assets to ethical investments.

5. Strengthening community identity and culture

Culture isn’t an ‘extra’ — it’s what makes places thrive. Adur & Worthing Councils are:

✅ Supporting grassroots projects — backing community-led initiatives like the gospel choir that emerged from Black History Month celebrations.
✅ Encouraging diverse participation — making cultural events accessible to everyone.
✅ Using public spaces for creative expression — bringing arts and culture into everyday life.

💡 Example from elsewhere:
Paris’ ‘Nuit Blanche’ is an all-night festival where artists transform streets into open-air galleries, making culture a shared experience. (Read more)

🔹 Try this in your organisation:

• Support bottom-up initiatives — help people create and lead their own cultural projects.
• Use public spaces creatively — from street art to outdoor performances.
• Celebrate local stories — bring diverse voices into community events.

What happens next?

Real change happens when councils, organisations, and communities work together to solve challenges.

This means:
✔ Designing services around real people’s needs — not outdated processes.
✔ Making sustainability a priority — from clean air to green energy.
✔ Involving people in shaping their communities — not just informing them.
✔ Being open about financial challenges — so people understand what’s at stake.
✔ Strengthening culture and identity — because thriving places need more than just infrastructure.

💡 If you work in strategy, innovation, digital, delivery, or change, here’s a challenge:

🔹 Look at a service or project you’re working on. How much input have people had in shaping it?
🔹 Try one small change. Open up a decision to public input, test a new engagement approach, or bring creativity into your communications.
🔹 Share what works. Let’s build a stronger culture of collaboration and innovation.

📢 Seen a great example of a community-first approach? Drop a link in the comments or tag someone doing this well.

🚀 Let’s build places that are greener, fairer, and more connected — together.