In the United Kingdom, community empowerment networks (CENs) are networks of a collection of local community, voluntary and third sector organisations and groups, set up by the central government as part of an initiative to foster community involvement in regeneration at a local level.
They get together periodically to discuss issues of concern to them in relation to regeneration plans.
A CEN forms an important but small part of a Local Strategic Partnership.
Statement from the Improvement and Development Agency's Website idea statement: As a crucial part of the Government's drive to reduce the gap between England's poorest communities and the country as a whole, the ‘National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal’ published in 2001, seeks to influence change at a local level.
The Neighbourhood Renewal Fund provides a grant to 88 of the most deprived local authority areas to fund the work of Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs) in improving services and targeting resources more effectively.