In March 2025, the government announced the introduction of its
Plan for Neighbourhoods programme, in which £20 million would be directed to 75 local areas to rejuvenate some of the most disadvantaged communities in the country. Six months later, in September 2025, the government stated that this programme would be expanded into a new
Pride in Place strategy, in which a further 250 of the most deprived areas in Great Britain would receive £20 million over the course of the next decade.
At the centre of the strategy will be Neighbourhood Boards in each area, responsible for developing a ten-year regeneration plan for their community. The £20 million will be allocated to support these plans, which will focus on the following broad aims:
- To build stronger communities.
- To create thriving places.
- To empower people to take back control.
These Neighbourhood Boards will consist of the local MP, at least one ward councillor, residents, local businesses, grassroots campaigners, workplace representatives, faith leaders, and others with a deep connection to their area. Details of precisely how the boards will be constructed will follow in due course.
This programme could provide an opportunity for independent schools to play a part in developing local rejuvenation strategies, highlighting what they currently do in support of local communities, adapting their current programmes to support neighbourhood plans, and by enable colleagues from independent schools to be board members. The programme will enable independent schools to make a positive, measurable impact on their local area.
In January 2026, ASCL Independent Sector Specialist Neil Smith published
this blog on how schools and colleges can support local regeneration through the Pride in Place programme. If you have already been involved in the programme in Phase 1, your experiences of it would be greatly appreciated. Please contact Neil Smith at
neil.smith@ascl.org.uk if you have any feedback on this programme.