Introducing Common Ground

Common Ground is a space for many of us involved in place-based work supported by Lankelly Chase to share our experiences and learning. We work to change ‘business as usual’, the dominant practices which result in further harm to people already subject to marginalisation. 

The Work and Us

A big part of Lankelly’s work happens in relationship with people in five places around England – Barking and Dagenham, Gateshead, Greater Manchester, Oxford and York.

A group of us, from Lankelly and from each of the places, have been bringing together learning and insights from this work. We’ll be sharing these on Lankelly’s website over the next six weeks.

A letter to the people we are working with in Barking and Dagenham, Gateshead, Greater Manchester, Oxford and York from the Lankelly team

We are more than five years into this work now. We’ve had to learn and unlearn a lot as an institution and as a group of people. We’ve had to let go and be shown a different way to be in the world – not a traditional foundation, something else… Sometimes we’ve felt confused by this, sometimes disorientated (and often we have been confusing). We’ve appreciated your support and also your challenge ‘Come on! It’s ok!’ and also ‘If you can’t do it, with all your freedom, security and resources, who can?’

Lankelly Chase’s journey into place

National funders, including philanthropic funders, don’t have a great track record when it comes to working in places. The alienation and fatigue created when funders parachute outside agencies into local places or when they turn the funding tap on and off abruptly are all too familiar.