Guide Neighbourhoods formed as a network of community-led neighbourhood-based regenerators in 2005.  Members included tenant managed organisations, development trusts, faith-based bodies, estate boards and neighbourhood forums. They received UK government funding for three years to help develop neighbourhood groups in other areas.  The network is not currently functioning as such on a national level but members and other groups remain active in effective grassroots regeneration in neighbourhoods  throughout the UK.

The Guide Neighbourhoods Programme was funded by the Home Office (subsequently Communities and Local Government) and managed by Regenerate, part of the voluntary sector organisation Housing Justice. The Programme received £4.35 million and was set up as an action research project to encourage innovation in learning for neighbourhood regeneration. The Programme ran for 27 months from January 2005 to March 2007, and was then awarded £250,000 to continue the network for another year.

Fifteen Guide Neighbourhood organisations took part  in the  programme to disseminate  good practice and to build the capacity of other fledgling organisations outside their own neighbourhoods. The aims of the Guide Neighbourhoods Programme were to promote learning and make an impact on policy delivery at the neighbourhood level. The underlying principle of the Guide Neighbourhoods Programme was that residents in deprived neighbourhoods can learn from one another about ‘what works’ in neighbourhood regeneration and apply those lessons at a practical level within their own communities

Nationally, the network is no longer working as such.  But alongside the 15 organisations that were involved in the GN programme are an increasing number of successful grassroots groups who are putting the ideas behind the network into practice in neighbourhoods throughout the UK.   Could successful community-led neighbourhood initiatives be playing a leading part in developing real, sustainable community-leadership in neighbourhoods?  Would an improved and wider reaching Guide Neighbourhoods programme actually help neighbourhoods become more self-reliant and less dependent on State hand-outs?

Some places to follow up on grassroots community regeneration:

• Arts Factory

• Balsall Heath Forum

• Bromley-By-Bow Centre

• Castle Vale CHA

• Coin Street Community Builders

• Development Trusts Association

• Eldonians

• Faith Based Regeneration Network

• Family Action in Rogerfield and Easterhouse

• Fitzrovia Youth in Action

• Goodwin Development Trust

• Guide Neighbourhoods Network - website maintained by Chamberlain Forum

• Hope in the Community

• New Mill Consultants

• National Federation of TMOs

• Pembroke Street EMB

• People First Housing Association

• Resident University

• Royds Community Association

• Seedley & Langworthy Trust

• Stockfield Community Association

• Walterton and Elgin Community Homes

• Witton Lodge Community Association