Local Trust

Local Trust Helping people make their communities even better.

Local Trust enables residents in 150 Big Local areas to transform and improve their lives and the places where they live. This page is used to share Local Trust's work and celebrate the brilliant things that are happening in Big Local areas. When using this page, we ask that you respect the following:
• Be kind and courteous
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• Respect everyone's privacy

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this group are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Local Trust

Local Trust website: http://localtrust.org.uk

You don’t have to start from scratch when it comes to community-led change. Over 15 years, communities across England t...
23/09/2026

You don’t have to start from scratch when it comes to community-led change.

Over 15 years, communities across England tested different ways of building local power, working through challenges and deciding what mattered in their neighbourhoods. On Learning from Big Local, you can explore stories and learning from 150 communities, and take ideas that could be useful into your own work: https://bit.ly/4zdSPsf

As this is our final post on Facebook, we’d also like to say a big thank you to our community here and to everyone who has been involved in Big Local.

Whether you were a partnership member, helped organise an event, shared an idea or simply got involved in something happening locally, you contributed to something much bigger. The relationships, confidence, organisations and local knowledge built through Big Local will continue long after Local Trust is gone.

Our page will close on 9 October, but the learning and the work continue.

You can follow our final updates on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/4hGfTcS

We’re passing the baton 🤝 After more than a decade of resident-led change through Big Local, the learning continues. As ...
21/09/2026

We’re passing the baton 🤝

After more than a decade of resident-led change through Big Local, the learning continues.

As Local Trust moves towards closure, we’re pleased to share that our Learning from Big Local website is now part of Centre for Collaboration in Community Connectedness (C4).

C4 brings together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, funders and residents to build evidence on what helps communities become stronger and better connected.

Learning from Big Local will continue to bring together research, insights and stories from Big Local, helping to inform future research, policy and practice.

Find out more about C4: https://bit.ly/4hB3Qxw

Explore Learning from Big Local: https://bit.ly/4AnerUj

Earlier this week, we launched the visual Big Local Theory of Change. The interactive resource shows how Big Local work...
17/09/2026

Earlier this week, we launched the visual Big Local Theory of Change.

The interactive resource shows how Big Local worked, the pathways to long-term change, and the key conditions that enabled communities to create lasting impact over 15 years.

Swipe through for a summary of the Big Local Theory of Change, and find the detailed version here: https://bit.ly/4gSBjDx

14/09/2026

We’re excited to launch the visual for the Big Local Theory of Change: https://bit.ly/3Tw18jE

Through detailed visual graphics, the Theory of Change maps the context, challenges and enablers that shaped Big Local, and the pathways towards lasting change. It’s a useful resource for anyone working with communities at a neighbourhood level, bringing together learning from more than a decade of resident-led change.

Chloe Juliette shares more 👇

10/09/2026

Completing a funding application can be complex, especially for a small community project run by volunteers.

Throughout the Big Local programme, many areas used part of their funding to provide small grants to local voluntary and community groups. But what did this look like in practice, and how did residents decide where the money should go?

In this article, we explore:

- the different approaches Big Local areas used to make funding decisions
- why small grant processes can be more accessible and community-led
- how small grant schemes can encourage collaborative working.

Find out more about how Big Local areas ran resident-led grant schemes: https://bit.ly/46cKPe

As Local Trust approaches a planned organisational closure, we will be closing our Facebook account at the start of Octo...
09/09/2026

As Local Trust approaches a planned organisational closure, we will be closing our Facebook account at the start of October.

We'll still be posting here over the next few weeks, but we’d like to extend a huge thanks to you for being part of this Facebook community, engaging with our work and sharing your stories.

Although Local Trust is closing, communities across England are carrying on the work that started through Big Local. We encourage you to keep learning from each other, and take what’s useful into your own work.

If you’re working with communities, putting time into building networks and knowledge-sharing can provide critical support and inspiration, and avoid reinventing the wheel.

We’ll continue to share updates, learning and reflections from Big Local on LinkedIn until the end of the year, so follow Local Trust on LinkedIn to stay connected with our work and catch our final updates: https://bit.ly/4r2ybbl

And to find out more about why Local Trust is closing, read our FAQs: https://bit.ly/4r0rDKz

This year, we have experienced an unusually high number of heatwaves, wildfires and heat-related deaths in the UK. Extr...
08/09/2026

This year, we have experienced an unusually high number of heatwaves, wildfires and heat-related deaths in the UK.

Extreme heat conditions pose a serious health risk to communities across the country, particularly disadvantaged areas that lack the resources and infrastructure needed to adapt to rising temperatures.

So, how can we support communities to be more resilient?

Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA)’s community guide to overheating explores how communities can understand overheating risks, identify those most vulnerable, and work together to create cooler, healthier and more resilient neighbourhoods. It also highlights case studies from communities that are successfully tackling overheating, and signposts to practical resources for communities to deal with the heat effectively.

Download the guide here: https://bit.ly/46cWf1L

How does a programme like Big Local actually work? We developed the Big Local Theory of Change near the end of the progr...
07/09/2026

How does a programme like Big Local actually work?

We developed the Big Local Theory of Change near the end of the programme, drawing on over a decade of research and learning to look at the relationship between what went into Big Local, what residents did, what changed as a result, and the challenges and conditions that shaped that journey.

A Theory of Change explains how a programme or intervention leads to outcomes.

With an increased interest in neighbourhood renewal like the government’s Pride in Place programme, the Big Local Theory of Change is a useful resource for anyone designing or funding community-led programmes.

Explore the article on how Big Local worked: https://www.learningfrombiglocal.org.uk/resources/how-did-big-local-work/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social-media&utm_content=post&utm_campaign=toc_teaser

Demand for food parcels has increased significantly over the past decade. With our communities still reeling from the pa...
04/09/2026

Demand for food parcels has increased significantly over the past decade.

With our communities still reeling from the pandemic and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, severe hardship remains a reality for communities across the UK. (source )

Food banks have become a vital source of support for people struggling to make ends meet.

On National Food Bank Day, we’re highlighting some of the Big Local areas that have been tackling food insecurity and ensuring support reaches the people who need it.

Swipe through, and read more about these areas here: https://bit.ly/4qV0Pvb

Over the last 15 years, Big Local has generated valuable lessons and insights for the community development sector. To ...
01/09/2026

Over the last 15 years, Big Local has generated valuable lessons and insights for the community development sector.

To bring these lessons to life, we’ve been running a series of learning events across the country, sharing practical knowledge on resident-led, place-based funding with policymakers, funders and practitioners.

These learning events bring together stories and experiences from people who are directly involved in the design and delivery of Big Local, exploring what worked, and what didn’t.

Some of the themes covered are:

- inclusion, representation and participation
- power, conflict and decision-making
- long-term funding and good endings.

There are still a few sessions to go - learn more and sign up for an event in your area:

📍Impact, outcomes and community building in long-term place-based investment. Delivered with West Midlands Funders Network on 8 September 2026: https://bit.ly/4cOD4is

📍Local Trust Knowledge Programme reflections and what comes next for grassroots funding in the North East. Hosted with VONNE (Voluntary Organisations'​ Network North East) on 15 September 2026: https://bit.ly/3UQksbH

📍Beyond the money – what does Funder Plus look like in resident-led grantmaking? With Yorkshire Funders on 16 September 2026: https://bit.ly/4zQowc1

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