What has 15 years of Big Local taught us about community-led funding? Meg Falck reflects on the programme’s successes and challenges, sharing five lessons for funders on supporting communities, building lasting legacies and designing programmes with flexibility.
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tender
Invitation to Tender: Capturing lessons from Closure
Local Trust is seeking an external partner to undertake a learning review of our approach to organisational closure, capturing lessons, reflections and practical insights less than a year before our planned our dissolution in 2027.
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.
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What happens when communities lead on neighbourhood health improvement?
Watch case study videos from community organisations in three neighbourhoods across England who are leading on health improvement in their area.
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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Explore learning by theme
Explore learning and insights from Big Local through themed research and stories, from resident leadership to local economy.
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Explore all 150 Big Local areas
Explore what each of the 150 Big Local areas did with their funding to strengthen social infrastructure.