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blog Jul 2026 Community spirit Power and leadership

What does ‘neighbourhood working’ look like in practice?

From neighbourhood health to social capital, this year’s LGA conference kept returning to one idea: real change isn’t delivered to communities, it’s built with them. Drawing on conference sessions and 15 years of the Big Local programme, this piece explores what it actually takes — trust, relationships and sustained investment in people — to deliver neighbourhood working.

blog Jul 2026 Community spirit Health and wellbeing

The essential role of communities in a neighbourhood health service

Communities play a vital role in preventing ill health, reducing pressure on NHS services, and tackling the wider determinants of health. Drawing on discussions from NHS ConfedExpo and examples from Big Local, this blog explores why community organisations must be recognised, trusted and resourced as equal partners in delivering a neighbourhood health service.

blog Jun 2026 Community spirit

How can politicians – local and national – best support resident-led initiatives?

As neighbourhood-level initiatives continue to grow across England, politicians have an important role to play in supporting resident-led change. Drawing on 15 years of learning from the Big Local programme, this blog explores how MPs and councillors can help create the conditions for communities to lead, manage competing interests constructively, and build lasting local partnerships that deliver meaningful change.

blog Jun 2026 Health and wellbeing

Building neighbourhood health from the heart of six communities

What does it take to build neighbourhood health that is truly community-led? We share learning from six communities exploring how local organisations and statutory partners can work together to improve health and wellbeing at hyper-local level.

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Ahead of our planned closure in early 2027, discover Learning from Big Local – your resource for community-led change.

Ahead of our planned closure in early 2027, discover Learning from Big Local – your resource for community-led change.

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