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    The latest news and stories from Big Local areas and beyond, exploring community power and resident-led change.

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Insights

In-house and independent research and essays sharing observations on community-led development and change.

Community power

Demonstrating the potential of community-led, place-based change across society
What is community-led social prescribing?

Good health depends on more than just medicine. There are many factors – such as debt, loneliness, and poor…
Learning from Big Local

Our research and evaluation of the Big Local programme

Research

Explore all our research in one place

research
Policy spotlight 3: How investing in social capital builds cohesive communities

The final paper in our policy spotlight series summarises the evidence...
Local economies
research
Bridging the divide: the hidden power of social capital to drive social mobility

This paper examines the relationship between social capital and social mobility...
Community spirit
research
Mission Critical 04: A new relationship between people and the state

This report proposes a new framework for rethinking the relationship between...
Power and leadership
research
Everybody needs good neighbourhoods 2

This report shows that empowering communities boosts local economies, reduces crime,...
Community spirit Local economies
research
Health starts in the neighbourhood

This report shares a new vision for healthcare that prioritises prevention,...
Health and wellbeing
research
The Impact of Scaling Social Infrastructure Investment

An updated analysis shows the proposed £500m ANT fund could deliver...
Local economies
View all research

Essays

Read essays written by independent thinkers looking at the impact and longevity of community-led change

| Big Local
Where do we go from here?

How COVID influenced community action

Ryan Herman
| Big Local
‘Us and them’: A mindset that has failed our communities

Why have the last three decades of community development initiatives left us with so many ‘left behind’ places?

David Boyle & Steve Wyler
| Big Local
A history of community development

Linking the stories that connect community organisers across the world, from 1940-2020

David Boyle
| Big Local
Community responses in times of crisis

Glimpses into the past, present and future

Steve Wyler
| Big Local
The courage to succeed

Taking action to make a change

Louise Tickle
| Big Local
Counterweight

How Big Local areas are levelling the scales of local power

David Boyle
| Big Local
A level playing field

How sport can unite and transform communities

Ryan Herman
| Big Local
Beyond age

Why communities are investing in young people’s futures

Antony Mason

| Big Local
Creating the future

Art, communities and change

Maddy Costa
| Big Local
Building wealth

How communities are reshaping the economy from the bottom up

Hazel Sheffield
| Big Local
Designs on the past

What can history do for hard-pressed communities?

Carey Newson
| Big Local
Community Spirits

The changing role of faith in place

Stephen Bates
| Big Local
Skittled out?

The collapse and revival of England’s social infrastructure

Dan Gregory
| Big Local
New seeds beneath the snow?

Big Local neighbourhoods in action

Julian Dobson
| Big Local
The grammar of change

Big Local neighbourhoods in action

David Boyle
View all essays

Independent evaluation

Communities in Control

How health is affected by the power to make decisions
‘Our Bigger Story’ evaluation of Big Local

An innovative longitudinal multimedia evaluation of Big Local
Coming soon:

Our new website launches January 2026 with 15 years of Big Local insights. Sign up to our newsletter to stay updated.

Our new website launches January 2026 with 15 years of Big Local insights. Sign up to our newsletter to stay updated.

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