• News and stories

    News and stories

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

    Explore

    Go straight to…

    News

    The latest news and announcements from Local Trust and the Big Local programme.

    Read more

    Podcasts

    Conversations exploring the most important issues affecting communities today.

    Listen now

    Blogs

    Ideas and insights about Big Local and the impact of community-led change.

    Read more

    Voices of Big Local

    Inspiring stories from the people making change happen in their communities.

    Read more
    < Back to main menu
  • Insights
  • Policy

Key projects

We believe there is a need to put more power, resources and decision-making into the hands of local communities to enable them to transform and improve their lives and the places they live.

Big Local

Find out what happens when 150 communities are given at least £1m with no strings attached

Communities and coronavirus

Discover research and stories about the neighbourhood-level response to the pandemic

‘Left behind’ neighbourhoods

We define 'left behind' areas as places that rank highly on the indices of multiple deprivation and lack social infrastructure

Local thinking

Local Trust is leading new approaches to community-led change

blog
December 2024
From (Big) Local to national: Reflecting on the APPG for ‘left...

Local Trust’s policy and parliamentary manager, Tilly Steward, explains how the APPG...
Organising and deciding Power and leadership
research
Reflecting on the APPG for ‘left behind’ neighbourhoods, 2020–2024

This report captures the work and contributions of the All-Party Parliamentary Group...
Organising and deciding Power and leadership
News
A street view of a row of houses
Local economies
Press release: Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods launches

Former Social Exclusion Minister Baroness Hilary Armstrong to lead a Commission to...
Voices of Big Local

Meet the people working on Big Local
A timeline of community development

1940-2020: 300 events that have shaped communities
blog
Community members meet in a community run garden
Power and leadership
How funders can facilitate community-led transformation

What does it mean for a funder to enable communities to define...

Long reads

Discover our essay series exploring how people and places are changing through Big Local, and the potential 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
Skittled out?

The collapse and revival of England’s social infrastructure

Dan Gregory

Explore by theme

Browse our content through certain key topics

Community spirit
Coronavirus
Culture and creativity
Environment
Equality, diversity and inclusion
Health and wellbeing
Housing
Local economies
Organising and deciding
Power and leadership
Skills
Spaces and services

Hear from the communities

I’ve always been a volunteer, but I’ve learned through being involved with Big Local that change really is possible. But to make that change happen, having a voice is important
Sarah Rook
DY10 Big Local
What I’m clear about is that a good community development officer works themselves out of a job. You’re not supposed to be there forever – you’re there to build the community to do it for themselves
Val Fendley
Ramsey Million Big Local
We live in really challenging times economically, socially, politically, and so I credit anyone who gives up their time
George Hill
Kingswood and Hazel Leys
Voices of Big Local

Find an area
near you

Explore now