Sustainability in community organizing: lessons from the Community Organisers Programme in England (2011 – 2015)

This article presents findings from an impact evaluation case study of the UK Coalition government’s Community Organisers Programme (2011-2015). Whilst the program achieved some of its objectives, case study participants raised concerns of how sustainability was understood and practised. Five elements undermined the program’s sustainability: (i) a weak definition of sustainability; (ii) the short duration of the training contract; (iii) an over-emphasis on autonomy; (iv) insufficient training and support for volunteer community organizers, and (v) a lack of progression opportunities. The article concludes the lack of conceptualization of sustainability within the program, and the Coalition government’s commitment to austerity, enfeebled a trailblazing experimentation with state-funded community organizing