communities

A Strong Start : good practices in using a local situation assessment to begin a youth substance abuse prevention project

This publication aims to help to develop a youth substance abuse prevention project with a strong foundation - one that strives to involve young people and other important groups in determining the local substance abuse situation and in planning to address the situation. It is not a step-by-step recipe for planning a substance abuse prevention project on the basis of a local situation assessment but rather, a presentation of principles that, when applied, will increase the likelihood of successful outcomes.

Drug and Alcohol Misuse

This resource provides information, statistics and research on drugs misuse in Scotland. Target users are policy makers, professionals, researchers, employers and the wider community. This website supports the implementation of the Scottish Drug Misuse Information Strategy.

The potential of migrant and refugee community organisations to influence policy

A report on a partnership set up to test how migrant and refugee community organisations could change policies and practices that are crucial to the lives of their communities. 'Change from Experience' addresses the ways in which migrant and community groups can use their own history and experience to develop the skills to bring about change. It challenges ideas about these organisations as ‘comfort zones’ and places them at the centre of debates about identity, gender, migration and cohesion.

Urban extensions, planning and participation: Lessons from Derwenthorpe and other new communities

This report identifies key issues and lessons for current planning policy and practice concerning the development of new urban extensions. It combines the first-hand learning of practitioners – including the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust at Derwenthorpe in York – with an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the current policy framework, and draws conclusions that are relevant not just to high-profile “eco-towns” but to all new communities in Britain.

Dying to belong: an in-depth review of street gangs in Britain

This report presents an overview of the landscape of gangs and gang culture in Britain. It attempts to analyse the nature and scale of gang culture in Britain; who is involved and what they are involved in; how Britain has reached this point; and what society can do to tackle it. The report also aims to formulate a clear unifying definition of a gang, distinguishing it from the everyday activity of young people on the street.