Abstract

Coastal communities in the UK face several intersecting disadvantages, resulting in perceptions of both geographical and political peripherality, which in turn lead to distrust in government organisations and politicians. Feeling unheard and neglected contributes to that distrust and to poor relationships with institutions. This chapter discusses how participatory and co-production approaches that prioritise relationship building and redressing oppressive power dynamics can enable communities to experience increased trust and agency, leading to positive improvements in their quality of life. Praxis case studies drawn from projects in West Cumbria, UK demonstrate how relational practice can encourage proximity rather than distance in areas experiencing both physical and symbolic peripherality. This chapter argues that working to transform hegemonic structures in disadvantaged communities, by creating the conditions needed to develop co-productive practices that share power and decision-making over issues that impact people's lives, has the potential to turn the most socially and economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods into thriving communities.