Civic Voice

Civic Voice is the new national charity for the civic movement. We work to make the places where everyone lives more attractive, enjoyable and distinctive. We promote civic pride and we talk civic sense. We speak up for civic societies and local communities across England. We believe everyone has the right to live somewhere they can be proud of. We know how people feel about places because we feel the same way.

The civic movement is based on a network of hundreds of local civic and amenity societies in the warp and weft of local communities across England. The civic movement is one of the largest social movements in the country and the first civic society was set up in the 1840s.

Civic societies provide a focus for voluntary and community action to improve the places where people live, work and relax. They champion the importance of these places to decision makers and opinion formers in business, politics, government, the media, the voluntary sector and elsewhere. They play an essential and voluntary role in helping individuals and communities to understand and take action to improve the quality of their lives and everyday experience through the place where they live. Civic societies promote and celebrate the best of what is inherited from the past and what is developed for the future. They are a fundamental source of civic pride. Their work brings benefits to the whole community and not just to those who are members of civic societies.

Civic societies can be provocative, stubborn, forceful, inspiring and outspoken on behalf of the places they care about. They are fiercely independent and grassroots organisations, often providing the grit in the oyster which stimulates people to think, reconsider and widen their horizons. They will celebrate and encourage positive action and be forthright in resisting damaging change. They are also a store of knowledge and expertise about local places which is an essential starting point in recognising and strengthening their identity. This is often reflected in blue plaque schemes run by civic societies or the development of town trails or management of local archives. Civic societies are the country’s most numerous participants in the land use planning system and civic society volunteers frequently act as trusted intermediaries between local government and local people in planning, transport and other decision making. Many civic societies campaign for better management of local buildings and open space and find solutions to their long term management.

The civic movement’s full potential to help the nation discover and listen to its communities and its roots remains untapped. This is at a time of renewed political interest in localism and the benefits from empowering communities. The civic movement is also central to supporting and developing the sense of identity and belonging that comes from positive feelings about the place where people live.

What does Civic Voice do?

Civic Voice’s priority is to champion and support the civic movement – providing a stronger national voice and increasing the capacity and capability of local volunteers and their community networks. While many individual civic societies flourish they also recognise the value of having a national body to represent their views, provide advice and information and strengthen and extend the whole civic network.

Civic Voice leads a number of national campaigns, working through local groups. These include our Love Local campaign to champion what makes people feel proud about where they live and our Street Pride campaign remove unnecessary street clutter. We are also campaigning on a number of other issues ranging from the reform of the land use planning system and proposals for a second High Speed Rail link to the importance of blue plaques and the future of coastal towns.

Our vision

Our vision for 2015 is that everyone lives somewhere they can be proud of. To achieve this we will provide the civic movement with a strong local presence and an influential national voice. We will be active on the national, city and local stage, working in partnership across the UK. Civic societies will perform at the level of the best today and the civic movement will reach more places and benefit more people from all walks of life. Our reputation and authority will make us the first port of call for anyone seeking to develop, conserve or interpret the quality, beauty and character of our towns, cities and villages or to engage people in shaping their future. We will be a source of civic pride and people will know us for our independence of thought, challenging perspective and positive outlook. We will listen, advise, support and act on behalf of communities everywhere. Communities will know they have a voice and a champion for the place where they live.

Who runs Civic Voice?

Civic Voice's core membership is civic and amenity societies and other local groups. They pay a fee based on the size of their membership. Individuals can also join and we welcome membership from other like minded organisations, town and parish councils, business and public sector bodies. The majority of Civic Voice’s trustees are elected by civic societies. Our Chair is Paula Ridley and our Director is Tony Burton.