Durham Community Co-Design Project

Overview

Durham Community Co-Design project will co-develop a framework to guide implementation and prioritisation of future investment of UK Shared Prosperity funds in County Durham communities. It will support communities to identify and design projects that can help to unlock community potential.

It is an initiative by Durham County Council and the Rural Design Centre to align funding with community need, and support communities to design project proposals and access funding. It is funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and runs until March 2025 and will work with communities in rural and ‘Left Behind’ areas in particular.

For more information contact liz.gray@ruraldesigncentre.com or katie.aitken-mcdermott@ruraldesigncentre.com.

Project partners

• Durham County Council

• Durham Community Action

• The Rural Design Centre

Project journey

The project began with recognising the need for community-focused investment in County Durham. A partnership between Durham County Council and the Rural Design Centre set the stage for a co-design process with local communities. The Rural Design Centre uses human-centred, design-thinking techniques, working with communities to understand challenges and the opportunities for new or existing projects.

Impacts

Durham Community Co-Design aims to align investment more closely with community needs, ensuring more efficient and effective implementation of local projects. It focuses on empowering rural and 'Left Behind' communities through direct involvement in the co-design process and collaborative planning for community growth and prosperity.