An interconnected web: How funding can develop community power

In what ways does giving communities just over £1million of non-prescriptive funding with 10-15 years to spend it support residents to take the lead and develop community power? In 2023, Local Trust commissioned research to explore the role that Big Local funding plays in building community power in Big Local areas. In this blog Laura Fisher, researcher at Local Trust, explores what makes up the web of community power.   

The research, delivered by the Stop, Collaborate and Listen (SCL) Agency, found that the way in which Big Local funding develops community power is best displayed as an interconnected web, where no single component is enough on its own to enable community power.

Instead, communities are able to use non-prescriptive funding, such as through the Big Local programme, to adapt to their own local contexts and build in different components of the web to unlock community power.  

What makes up the web of community power? 

1. When residents have control of money, existing structural power imbalances are made visible and become negotiable
   Introducing just over £1million of non-prescriptive funding to historically underfunded communities often led to early challenges from existing local powerholders who expected to take the lead on how the funding should be spent, with less interest in supporting resident-led decision-making. Many Big Local partnerships have put specific effort into building relationships with local powerholders who welcomed the programme’s ethos, but this was easier in some communities than others. These early, but challenging, steps were key to local residents building skills that form an essential part of community power: consensus-building, conflict management, and confidence.
2. Money strengthens community capacity and power through investment in external support and learning by spending
   The Big Local programme is volunteer-led, with groups of residents coming together to make decisions on how the funding is to be spent in their area. But many communities unlocked a greater potential for community power by recognising limitations and using their funding to buy in support.  While those providing paid support needed to take care not to overshadow resident-led ideas, paid staff and consultants could play an essential role in navigating challenges and supporting projects to move forward. 
3. Investing in the development of a distinct community identity makes resident-led power visible
   Many Big Local areas felt their communities historically had no collective identity, while some suffered from negative public perceptions. The non-prescriptive funding was therefore often used to create a strong, unifying community identity.  By creating new branding, merchandise and running effective communications operations to publicise their Big Local area, partnerships were able to engage more community members, strengthen community connections and demonstrate the value of the Big Local ethos. 
4. Funding physical assets creates bases for community action, enabling connectedness and collective power to grow
   Well-funded community assets provide residents with a space to meet or run activities and services tailored to their needs.The Big Local funding of just over £1million has provided many Big Local areas with the opportunity to purchase, redevelop or build brand new community spaces.  
5. Investing in resilient, empowered and responsive resident networks empowers distributed leadership, amplifying the power of collective community voice
   Resident networks – made up of volunteers, activists, community organisations and those working in community spaces – have often been essential in supporting Big Local partnerships to understand and meet community need. Investment in building resident networks was also important. Increasingly confident resident volunteers were supported to pass on their growing skills and mentor others, while some Big Local partnerships celebrated their volunteers through award schemes and community events.
6. Investing in resident-led activities enhances individual and collective capacity, and promotes ownership
   The flexibility of Big Local funding has enabled partnerships to encourage local residents to suggest new ways to meet community need. This has often been done through small grants schemes, which has enabled groups to solidify their role in the community landscape.  This approach has encouraged residents to see themselves as experts in their own communities. It has also promoted learning amongst individuals and organisations, and helped to provide a diverse range of projects, services and events that could bring people together and meet community need. 
7. Money helps strengthen local connections and cohesion between organisations, facilitating opportunities to exercise community power
   The Big Local funding has given – and in some areas continues to give – residents a seat at the table, enabling them to collaborate with local organisations and agencies on important decisions that affected their area.  Big Local partnerships have often been able to influence local service delivery by supporting or part-funding events and projects that could meet local needs. The funding has also enabled them to encourage local authorities and other organisations to work together.  
8. Using money to establish a track record of successful community leadership and delivery leads to a new enabling climate for engaging residents as agents of change
   The examples above of spending Big Local funding has enabled partnerships to develop a reputation for success. This has been important for fostering positive local relationships with key stakeholders.  Many Big Local partnerships have also been able to use their existing track record to leverage in significant amounts of additional funding, which has increased opportunities for meeting community need. 
9. Money plays a key role in establishing a legacy that will continue to advance community power
   Sustaining community power requires investment in creating spaces and opportunities to embed community leadership into local power structures. How money has been spent to establish new organisations, spaces and projects during the course the Big Local programme so far is important for setting up a strong foundation for a legacy of community power in Big Local areas. 

Taking all of these nine components together, the research concludes that the Big Local funding “open[ed] spaces of discovery and allow[ed] communities to be responsive and active participants in the forces and resources that affect their daily lives”.  

The research highlights the role that flexible approaches, such as non-prescriptive funding with a long timeframe to spend, can play in enabling neighbourhoods to build and sustain community power.

Download the full report, which provides valuable insights for funders and other policymakers seeking to develop resident leadership and strong, community-led infrastructure.