Big Local Connects 2019
Resources from over the two days
Session materials
In place of a thousand words: advice on photography
Get support and technical tips on taking photographs and learn how to use photography to tell your stories through imagery.
Voices of Big Local
Suzie will be on hand to talk about the creative storytelling mentoring that is available for individuals working with a support partner or attending a learning cluster.
DIY toolkit
Advice and guidance on free exercises that can be run with your partnership, to help generate new approaches, plan-ahead, map power and maximise your Big Local’s impact.
Download the tools:
Mapping power
Planning for measuring change
Understanding roles
Tackling a problem
Understanding power
The power of sport
Sport changes communities. Healthy, active communities are safer, stronger communities. Speak to StreetGames about how sport could help with the biggest challenges in your community.
Solving problems with your local transport
Can’t get where you want to go? Poor transport makes places difficult to live in. Come and discuss what’s wrong with your buses, bike lanes and roads, and how to make them better.
Starting/scaling a land-based community initiative
Have you identified land locally or have ideas but don’t know where to start? Have you started an initiative but are facing challenges? Get inspiration and discuss your ideas with Shared Assets.
Communications health-check
Want to tell your story in the best way possible? Learn your communications strengths and if you’ve got areas to improve on. Have a think about how confident you are at using story-telling techniques, social content, partners or free media and learn more from Media Trust.
I am an activist
Hear inspirational stories of journeys from ‘ordinary to activist’. Joeli launched Pregnant then Screwed after her own experience of pregnancy discrimination. Kay started The Larder, a social enterprise in Preston, to promote food that’s healthy, local, seasonal and waste-free. Jenny and Karen founded IntraQuest out of a passion to increase self-awareness to support positive long-term change and life fulfilment.
Download session slides from: Keates & Jenny Westwood / Joeli Brearley / Kay Johnson
2020 Vision – work, welfare & living standards into the next decade
Explore the fundamental changes that have taken place across Britain over the last 50 years: living standards, the labour market, inter-generational inequalities and an ageing population. We will discuss how to create a brighter future for the next decade.
Great Big Local Get Together
A fun interactive session that will allow you to make new connections by discovering the surprising things that you have in common with one another.
Doing meetings differently
Struggling to retain or attract new partnership members? Engaging people is a challenge for Big Local partnerships but to drive change, people need to get together to make decisions. This session will look at creative ways of meeting to maximise engagement and enjoyment!
Look after your wellbeing
Informal discussion with tips on how to combat stress, anxiety and low mood problems and to help build resilience. Designed for everyone who wants to learn some practical tips for wellbeing.
Local Trust Trustee Q&A
An opportunity to get to know some of the Local Trust Trustees. Hear about their reflections on the past year, future plans and get your questions answered.
GoodGym – using exercise to connect communities
Learn about GoodGym; a unique and innovative project that uses both physical activity and technology to help people feel more engaged in their communities and support isolated older neighbours.
Active collage with active threads
This session will draw on experiences and learnings of being part of a resident-led programme to create lasting change. Make banners using creative collage with unwanted magazines and simple traditional sewing techniques. We will be sending out thoughts of positivity, celebrating our achievements and reinforcing our commitments.
Beyond the foodbank – cook tasty food on a budget
Discuss food poverty, healthy eating, budgeting and the cookbook Community Stuff have developed for foodbanks. Make some food to share, proving homemade is healthier, cheaper, easy and fun.
Each Big Local area was given a copy of the cookbook at Connects. If your area was not represented at Connects and you would like a copy of the book, please email info@communitystuff.org.uk with your address and one will be sent in the post.
Download a cookery book order form
If you have any questions, please contact info@communitystuff.org.uk or 07576 847038.
Laughter yoga
Download: Session slides / Leaflet on Feelgood Communities / Make your own community laughter champion certificate
Mental health and Big Local
This session will explore the barriers people experiencing poor mental health face in being involved and included in our communities, and in Big Local, and ways these can be overcome.
Big Local Legacy – what have we learnt?
Have you thought about your Big Local legacy? This is an opportunity to hear how three areas have defined their legacy, and what difference they hope to make beyond the ten years.
What does it mean to be coastal?
Is your Big Local part of England’s coastline? Share what that means for you and learn what these Big Locals think of the unique opportunities and challenges of being by the sea. Help unite the coastline!
Download session slides from: Withernsea Big Local / Revoe Big Local / Dyke House Big Local
How can community hubs be financially viable?
Most Big Local areas have a community “hub” and see this as an important part of their legacy. This workshop will look at what can help to make these spaces financially viable and sustainable, drawing on research and inviting areas to share their knowledge and experience.
Meet the media
How do you work with the press? What do they need from you to develop a story? What would you look to achieve by doing so? What are the risks? Get the answers to these questions and more to help you manage media interest in your Big Local.
Pom-bombing – combat loneliness and isolation
Find out about the unconventional way one Big Local is addressing loneliness and isolation by harnessing the power of craft creativity and social media.
Listening to young people at risk
Youth exploitation and crime is a common problem and it affects everyone in an area. Talk about how to create safe spaces, activities that engage and how to involve the whole community.
The day after tomorrow
Wondering what might happen after the Big Local programme ends? Come and explore the idea of a post 2026 entity to act as a Locally Trusted Organisation for Big Local areas, raised by these Chairs and Vice Chairs of Big Locals.
Managing conflict
Learn how to improve relationships and reduce the risk of conflict escalation in this interactive, engaging session. See the impact of conflict resolution strategies and share best practice with others.
Intergenerational work: connections and perceptions
Loneliness doesn’t discriminate. Hear about the creative ways old and young are coming together to tackle disconnection and build community in Liverpool, Manchester and London.
Building a strong relationship with your local authority
Hear how Big Locals can build strong and constructive relationships with their local authorities, including a briefing from the New Local Government Network on how local government is changing and the opportunities and challenges this presents.
Download session slides from: Arches Big Local / Church Hill Big Local
Working with sports teams in your Big Local
Sports teams and groups can create a fun and energising space for bringing a diverse community together. Come and hear how Big Locals have worked with sports teams to deliver on their plans.
Download session slides from: Olympia Boxing / Arches Big Local
Big Local, Little Voices – a formula for change
Hear how this youth partnership are looking to make positive change in their area by early intervention and educating younger peers of the dangers around drugs and knife crime.
Becoming your own Locally Trusted Organisation – is it right for you?
Thinking of managing funding yourselves, rather than via a Locally Trusted Organisation? Hear from a Big Local area that has chosen to and explore the advantages and disadvantages. Is it a good idea? What’s involved? What will come up along the way?
Learning from failure
Leila Jancovich, Associate Professor in Cultural Policy and Participation at the University of Leeds, believes evaluations that only celebrate success minimise change and can cause past errors to be repeated. This how-to workshop introduces tools to help you learn from failure.
Improving the local economy part one: panel discussion
Hear about some of the exciting economic development work taking place across Big Local, including firsthand accounts from partnership members, and research findings from CLES. This is a double length session to allow you to explore the topic in-depth. Part 2 is at 2:45pm with an open discussion led by Niamh Goggin on how to kick off a successful community-led economic project in your area.
Creating greener spaces
People grow here as much as plants. In this session, Hulme Community Garden Centre will provide insight into their community-led inner-city horticultural project with big plans and an ambitious model.
START the heart of your community
People are the most important and valuable part of any community. Learn how you can successfully engage the people in your community on their terms using the START method.
The difference you make – deciding what to measure
Your Big Local knows it’s making a difference in your area, but how do you decide what you will measure and get people involved? Share your experience and engage with fresh ideas from other areas.
Telling stronger Big Local stories for funding and support
Telling a strong story about your community group is the biggest thing you can do to win the support you need. Learn how to build a story for funders and turn it into communications materials.
Setting up a youth market
Be inspired and learn from Plaistow Youth Market, an engaging project showcasing the talents of young people living in Plaistow and teaching real skills around how to run a successful business.
#Makingourspace – building strong resident support
Developing the community’s voice is vital to the success and legacy of Selby Big Local’s new sustainable space for residents. Ensuring it is ‘us’ from the beginning and creating strong foundations is key. Join this session to hear their story so far.
Leading from the front: supporting women in community leadership
Fewer women than men rise to leadership positions because of visible, and invisible, obstacles, but how can your community support and benefit from the leadership of women and girls? Explore how Big Local communities can become places of balanced leadership and opportunity no matter what your gender is.
School engagement – practical strategies
It is vital that Big Local areas engage and involve young people. Schools provide a route to that engagement, so why is it so difficult? What can be done to be improve engagement? Come and find out from Alan Fraser and hear his experience of working with Heston West Big Local.
