Local Trust

Communities across England will continue to benefit from the Big Local programme for years to come, as more than 120 locally led legacy organisations carry forward the work started through a pioneering resident-led change programme in England. Although March 2026 marks the formal conclusion of the Big Local programme, the impact of the initiative will continue to grow in communities across England.

Over the years, Big Local has shown us what is possible when communities are trusted with money, time and control — residents step up, forge connections, and build things designed to last. As the programme comes to an end, Local Trust’s chief executive, Rachel Rowney, reflects on 15 years of resident-led change, what made Big Local work, and why the idea behind it will continue. Now that Big Local has come to an end, it feels like a moment of pride and reflection.

Community spirit Across Big Local areas, stories of change are often found in the relationships built, the confidence gained and the small moments that bring people together. In this blog, Kayla Jones, the host of our Community Pride Podcast, reflects on what she learned from capturing these stories and how small moments and shared experiences come together to shape lasting community pride.

Community spirit Health and wellbeing As demand on frontline health services continues to grow, communities are increasingly stepping up to address the wider factors that shape people’s health and wellbeing. In this blog post, our strategic partnership manager, Ruby Frankland explores why Social Prescribing Day deserves more attention, and how community-led organisations are proving to be one of our most powerful tools for improving lives.

In Big Local areas nationwide, we’ve seen clear evidence of new and strengthened networks and relationships,with communities taking ownership over what happens in their area. In this blog post, Local Trust researchers, Lisa-Marie Giquel and Ruby Brooks, share how building community capacity helped Big Local areas be better prepared for crises. Over 15 years, Big Local partnerships had to contend with multiple crises.

Supporting young people to thrive takes more than good intentions — it takes funding, trusted adults and spaces where they feel they belong. In this blog, Local Trust’s senior researcher, Laura Fisher, and senior public affairs and communications officer, Cameron Pannell-Rae reflect on how Big Local partnerships addressed the challenge of declining youth services, and explore what this means in light of the government’s Youth Matters strategy.

There is no community-led change without community, but what does it take to nurture a vibrant and involved one? In this blog, Georgie Burr, programme manager at Local Trust, reflects on practical lessons from the Big Local programme, drawing examples from Big Local areas to explore how investing in people and prioritising every voice, can create lasting change.

Community spirit Skills In February, Local Trust hosted an online seminar on the topic of community-led research. The latest in a series of seminars focusing on community development, this session brought together academic, community and third-sector researchers to reflect on their experiences of community involvement in research projects. In this blog, Local Trust’s senior researcher, Jack Loughnane, summarises some of the key learnings. Not all researchers get place-based research right.

Sue Ansarie started her Big Local journey as a resident volunteer. Today, she’s part of our research team, bringing lived experience into how we learn from community-led change.In this blog, Sue shares insights from across Big Local areas on improving health and wellbeing in neighbourhoods.

As Big Local comes to an end in 2026, we’re reflecting on the ways communities have addressed local health and wellbeing challenges. In this blog, Lucy Thurley explores how shared meals and inclusive gatherings in Big Local areas like Wick Award and Pimlico Million have tackled loneliness and social isolation, by creating community spaces where people feel welcome, visible and valued.