The 2026 New Year Honours List includes three individuals from the Big Local programme – Donna-Marie Inwood, Christine Pattinson and Angie Buss – recognised for their services to their communities.
Launched in 2012, the Big Local programme was set up to enable community-led change in 150 neighbourhoods across the country. Over the last decade and more, we have seen residents dedicate their time and energy to make that local change happen.
As we support the final Big Local areas to complete their journey in the programme by March, we were thrilled to see three Big Local names featured in the New Year Honours List for 2026. Donna-Marie Inwood from Leecliffe Big Local, Christine Pattinson from Distington Big Local and Angie Buss from Blackpool Revoe Big Local have been recognised for their services and contributions to their communities.
Donna-Marie Inwood
Donna-Marie has devoted her life to empowering people in the communities she lives and works in. For the last 14 years, Donna-Marie has volunteered her time as Chair of Leecliffe Big Local. Over this period, she has led projects to bring people in the community together and to support children and young people in the local area.
Under her leadership, several youth projects are providing safe spaces for young people to socialise, take part in sporting activities and learn about topics like knife crime, gangs and anti-social behaviour. This includes the Friday Night Project at Hertswood Academy, where 130 young people gather each week and learn from professional sporting coaches.
Donna-Marie’s mantra is that the mental health and wellbeing of children is vital. She put this into practice through initiating a programme in three local primary schools for children to benefit from talking therapies. The small therapy groups have given over 100 children the opportunity to find ways to improve their mental health and explore their emotional need.
Commenting on her award, Donna-Marie said, “I am deeply honoured to receive this award, but it truly belongs to the whole Leecliffe community. Serving as chair of Big Local for the past 14 years has been a privilege. Everything we achieved was driven by residents working together, supporting one another and believing in what our community could become.”
Read more about Donna-Marie’s work with Leecliffe Big Local to support their community.
Christine Pattinson
Volunteering and helping people in her community is Christine’s philosophy. Since the age of 19 when she set up discos for local people to have something to do, she has dedicated nearly five decades to improving her village of Distington in West Cumbria, through both volunteer and professional roles. She is an inspiring leader in the community where she has lived for 66 years.
For the last 12 years, Christine has brought the community together through her role as a volunteer partnership member with Distington Big Local.
As part of this work, Christine led a group of residents to turn a playground into a modern play park with up-to-date equipment. Now, the play park is bringing young people and families together from across the community including those from the poorest estates in Distington. Christine has also been instrumental in distributing Big Local community and transport grants totalling £14,710. Since 2022, these have paid for everything from the publication of a book of childhood memories for the over 50s group, to trips for young people. Christine is also involved in plans for local land, bought with Big Local funding, to be turned into 18 new allotments.
Christine said, “I am very honoured to receive this award for my work with the Distington Big Local. Its been an absolute privilege to have been able to work with everyone at the Big Local and would like to thank them for believing in me and all the help and support from everyone.”
Find out more about the positive change Christine has been making with Distington Big Local.
Angie Buss
When Angie retired to Blackpool, she felt a duty to volunteer to improve her new community. Revoe is the area around Central Drive in Blackpool, a seaside resort where tourism has decreased over the years. There’s not been any investment here since the 1970s. As chair of Blackpool Revoe Big Local, Angie has played a huge role in changing the area for the better, organising activities and initiatives to bring the community together.
Angie has organised advice sessions for the Romanian community and social activities for them. This is led by local residents and fosters a sense of togetherness among the community. She has organised activities to bring young people together including twice-weekly football sessions on Revoe Park. This helps to move street football away from residential areas and gives teenagers something to do. The group attracts over 40 people and is run by Football Association-qualified coaches.
Angie has also done a huge amount of work leading efforts to support people back into the workplace including a twice-weekly work club where residents get help with CVs and job searches to support people back into the workplace.
Discover more about what Angie and Blackpool Revoe Big Local have been doing to change residents’ experiences of the area.