How does a Big Local area work?
Through the Big Local programme, 150 areas across England were enabled to create lasting change in their neighbourhoods over 10 to 15 years, through grants of just over £1m each.
This diagram shows the people and organisations that work with and support a Big Local partnership. There are many small differences in the ways Big Local areas operate – for example, some may have different numbers of paid workers, and some act as their own Locally Trusted Organisation (LTO).
However, the main elements are the same for each area, including the partnership itself. Made up of at least eight people (with at least 50 per cent of them local residents), the partnership works together to lead decision-making in response to their community’s priorities.
You can read more from the people creating change through Big Local and discover our research insights from the programme so far.
Download a copy of the diagram (PDF).
An area advisor is an independent consultant with specialist skills who offers guidance and support to Big Local areas.
Evaluation partners work with our internal research team to assess the effectiveness of the Big Local programme, to inform learning and improvement.
Assessors review individual Big Local area spending plans and advise Local Trust’s funding team on the feasibility of proposed projects.
An area coordinator is a regionally-based Local Trust employee who provides general guidance, advice and challenge to Big Local areas.
Local Trust’s staff team are employees of Local Trust and support the delivery of Big Local and other Local Trust programmes.
Support partners are commissioned by Local Trust. They bring their expertise to support Big Local partnerships to deliver their plans and priorities whilst building the skills and capacity of the partnership. They might offer advice on topics like securing assets, communications or becoming a legal body.
Local Trust is a national charity set up in 2012 to deliver Big Local, a unique programme that puts residents across England in control of decisions about their own lives and neighbourhoods.
The National Lottery Community Fund (NLCF) is the UK’s largest distributor of Lottery money to good causes. It has funded the Big Local programme since 2010, through an endowment of £217m.
A locally trusted organisation (LTO) is an organisation, chosen by the Big Local partnership, to administer and account for the spending of funding, and/or deliver activities or services on behalf of the partnership.
Local partners are commissioned by and collaborate with Big Local partnerships to deliver activities related to their plan. For example, an existing youth group, local housing association or food bank.
Wider community stakeholders are those outside the partnership that have an interest in the area, such as other residents, the council or local businesses and organisations.
A Big Local worker is a person who helps deliver Big Local in their area. Big Local workers are employed by LTOs and paid from Big Local funding.