Bountagu - Bounces-Montagu
Key points
- Volunteers were supported to establish groups and activities for older people, which connected neighbours from the area’s diverse communities.
- Enterprise was a continuous theme with opportunities for people of all ages to try out social business ideas that would benefit the community.
- Children and young people were engaged through centre-based activities and outreach work. All activities focussed on providing new opportunities in a safe environment and raising the aspirations of children and young people.
About the Big Local area
In 2021, 4,918 people lived in the Bountagu Big Local area (ONS, 2022), a neighbourhood in the London Borough of Enfield bounded by two main roads in Lower Edmonton: Bounces Road and Montagu Road. The area was relatively small, taking up to 15 minutes to walk from one end to the other, and had a diverse population that partnership members reflected included established Turkish, Caribbean, and African communities. Levels of deprivation were high, with the area in the top 20 per cent most deprived in England (MHCLG, 2019). The total unemployment rate in the area rose during the Big Local programme, from six per cent in 2020 to 11 per cent in 2025 (DWP, 2020a; 2020b; 2025a; 2025b).
Bountagu was an area of high population density (ONS, 2023a) with few community venues and little open space. Most local housing was rented, with this fairly evenly split across the local authority, housing associations, and private landlords (ONS, 2023b; 2023c; 2023d). Just under half the population lived in purpose-built flats and a quarter of all local housing was overcrowded (ONS, 2023e; 2023f). Residents talked about the area feeling neglected and lacking in community spirit.
How the Big Local area approached delivery
In 2012, an initial steering group selected an Enfield based charity as its Locally Trusted Organisation (LTO), and in 2013 residents combined the names of two major local roads and created the Bountagu Big Local partnership.
The new partnership agreed a plan based on five priorities, which were overseen by sub-groups: Community, Children and Young People, People 50+, Developing Opportunities for Local People, and Environment. The partnership also wanted to develop a sense of community among residents and, recognising the absence of a central community facility in the area, Big Local funding was used to open the Bountagu Hub in a disused shop. Within a year, the hub was staffed by a Big Local manager, an employment and enterprise development worker, a community outreach worker, and several sessional workers. A comprehensive weekly programme of activities and services ran at the hub and in a community hall, led by paid workers and around 40 active volunteers.
Due to interpersonal challenges between the LTO and the partnership, the LTO resigned from its role in 2017, leading to the closure of the community hub and withdrawal of the staff team. Local Trust supported the partnership to recruit a new LTO and provided additional support to the partnership while members voluntarily took responsibility for administrative tasks, project delivery, and managing a new Big Local office base. Local organisations were commissioned to deliver youth work and health activities.
Community engagement activities were initially and primarily provided through the Bountagu Hub. When the partnership moved out of the hub and only had an office base, they created alternative approaches to meeting residents. These included family fun days and four ‘meet and greet’ sessions, where partnership members set up displays in public areas to promote Big Local and engage people about the area and how they could get involved in local activities. The sessions often included free food, and some were themed; for example, a Turkish Meet and Greet involved translating flyers, interpreters, connections with community leaders, and publicity in the local Turkish media.
During its lifetime the partnership experienced significant turnover in membership, which increasingly became less reflective of the diverse community it served. Internal challenges also affected their decision making. Despite significant support to address these issues, Bountagu eventually moved away from the Big Local model, as the partnership was unable to meet Local Trust’s core criteria. In 2023, Local Trust transferred the remaining funds of £330,000 to a local grants pot, managed and distributed by Enfield Voluntary Action (EVA), a local voluntary sector infrastructure organisation.
The Enfield Local Fund launched in May 2023 with objectives reflecting the themes identified in Bountagu Big Local’s final plan consultation: children and young people; community cohesion and/or wellbeing (inclusive of People 50+); developing opportunities for local people; and the local environment. The scheme included decision-making panels comprised of local people, who were recruited and trained by EVA and brought varied experience.
Over two rounds of grant funding, £240,000 was awarded to 42 grassroots groups, with over 10,000 direct beneficiaries. EVA also provided training and tailored support around governance, finances, and budgeting to grantees, as well as peer networking between funded groups. All activities were completed by September 2025, leaving a legacy of increased local capacity: seven organisations received grant funding for the first time, 32 went on to secure additional funding, and 22 formed new collaborations.
A Big Local partnership was a group made up of at least eight people that guided the overall direction of delivery in a Big Local area.
A locally trusted organisation (LTO) was the organisation chosen by people in a Big Local area or the partnership to administer and account for funding, and/or deliver activities or services on behalf of a partnership. Areas might have worked with more than one locally trusted organisation depending on the plan and the skills and resources required.
A Big Local Plan set out what changes the partnership planned to make, how they planned to deliver on this and how funds were to be allocated. It was written for themselves, their community and Local Trust, as a guide and action plan.
Each partnership was expected to reflect the specific needs and characteristics of its own area and was therefore unique. However, every partnership was expected to meet the following criteria:
- it must have at least eight members
- the majority (at least 51%) of members should live within the Big Local area’s boundaries
- members should broadly reflect the range and diversity of people who live in the area – for example, in relation to age, ethnicity, gender, faith, disability or income levels.
Partnership members were asked to participate ‘in their own right’, meaning they could not represent the views of any other person or organisation.
What the Big Local area did
Investing in young people
Improving young people’s life chances
Early consultations highlighted a lack of activities for children and young people. A children and young people’s worker was appointed and quickly opened Hang Out, an after-school club which was very well attended. Weekly sessions included educational, fun, and creative activities, and trips were organised in the school holidays.
Following the closure of the Big Local community hub, the partnership commissioned a local youth-led charity, Northside Youth and Community Connexions (NYCC) to provide street-based youth work. The Bountagu partnership and NYCC, both aware of local youth violence, collaborated to engage young people in positive activities and a youth leadership programme which aimed to have young people’s voices heard in the area. NYCC conveyed young people’s needs to the partnership. This dialogue was particularly significant during the Covid-19 pandemic, when NYCC could relay young people’s needs around food support and social isolation, so Big Local funding could support an appropriate response. For example, Big Local funding provided for lunch packs and food vouchers for young people, which were distributed by NYCC and the local police to engage young people, while ensuring they were safe and not going hungry. NYCC also offered youth work training to members of the Bountagu Big Local children and young people’s sub-group.
After taking on the distribution of the remaining Big Local funding, the Enfield Local Fund continued supporting opportunities for children and young people, including through organisations that had collaborated with Bountagu Big Local. As well as NYCC, this included others that provided safe spaces for play and learning; skills development; and opportunities to raise young people’s aspirations and life chances. For example, a DJ academy (where young people could develop confidence through music-making), a food project (that taught children how to cook healthy food at home), and a Hackathon in eight local schools (to inspire interest in STEM subjects).
Local economy
Generating a culture of enterprise
Unemployment was high in the Edmonton area. Enterprise and employability were therefore key priorities in the Bountagu Big Local partnership’s first plan, and in 2015, a part-time worker was employed to help residents move into work. People were supported to search for jobs and offered volunteer work experience in the community hub. Training opportunities were provided – including in food hygiene, first aid, and health and safety – and the partnership worked with other organisations to provide training in childcare, first aid, and soft play.
The partnership was also keen to support enterprise development and business start-ups and worked closely with UnLtd towards these goals for several years. Start Something Social was a Big Local project in Bountagu that engaged residents in thinking about community needs and supported them to develop business plans and apply for start-up funds from UnLtd.
The Bountagu Big Local partnership saw many of its priorities as overlapping and wanted to ensure that young people were also able to access enterprise support. They set up Freedom‑E to be a dedicated community enterprise development programme, designed to help young people develop their entrepreneurial, leadership, and creative skills. Freedom-E’s work included running a stall with a tuck shop, face painting, and bouncy castle at a local community festival, where they generated £134 to help fund their future activities and training. Similarly, in 2016, the Bountagu Big Local partnership held the £10 Challenge, where young people created a proposal and were given £10 to develop a social enterprise idea. The ventures had to meet a social priority in the area, and the young people competed to raise awareness of their social issue and make the most profit. At an awards evening, the young people involved presented their ideas and received certificates and awards for Best Idea, Best Leader, and Bountagu’s Enterprise winner. Some went on to present at a Local Trust networking event for young people making a difference in their communities.
The Big Local partnership continued to prioritise enterprise development through its theme of Developing Opportunities for Local People. The partnership established the Little Ideas Fund to give out grants of up to £250 to support an enterprise that would benefit the community. It was open to all residents in the Bountagu area, and successful projects included a walk and talk project, period packs, mental health support, and confidence-building for employment.
Place-based pride and connection
Connecting people
As part of their focus on residents aged 50 and over, the Bountagu Big Local partnership provided a range of opportunities for older people from the area’s diverse communities to socialise. Weekly coffee mornings, lunch clubs, and afternoon teas were organised in the community hub and a local church hall. These helped to break down barriers between people, enabling neighbours to connect, look out for each other, and build their confidence. In addition, a befriending service supported people who felt socially isolated and alone, and people could call in to the community hub to meet up with neighbours, access advice, and find out about local activities.
Later in the programme, Big Local funding (through the Enfield Local Fund) was invested in JaZanne Arts CIC, a local community drama group. They ran a series of sessions supporting residents aged 60 and over to devise, write, and perform a play. Over approximately 40 hours of sessions, residents were supported to create characters, explore plot themes, and contribute to script writing. Project leads reported fifteen regular attendees, plus five residents who occasionally joined the group. The process of writing and performing the play gave space for residents to be creative, socialise, and develop new skills in drama, creative writing, singing, and movement.
Their efforts culminated in three showings of ‘Murder at the Manor – A comedy of murder, mystery and merriment’, each of which received a standing ovation from an audience of around 160 people. Despite it being a comedy, the play touched on themes that were important to the participants, including domestic abuse and prejudice against women in a same-sex relationship.
At the end of the project, all fifteen regulars said they had made new friends and began to see each other outside of the group for social events. Alongside new friendships, residents reported that the play brought joy, increased confidence, and renewed purpose. Some said that it offered healing after a bereavement or illness. The group continued to support one another through challenges, and project leads were able to signpost and make referrals to local services.
Community assets and spaces
Beautifying the Bountagu area
In early consultations, residents described the Bountagu Big Local area as looking run down. In response, and following a well-attended public meeting about the environment, the partnership established a range of activities. These included litter-picks and monthly clean-ups, planting flowerbeds and boxes outside the community hub, and creating a community allotment. The allotment was intended to be a place to garden but also to socialise, and was seen as a therapeutic environment by a local mental health group. Partnership members also negotiated a tree-planting project with the local authority that resulted in 3,000 trees planted on Montagu Recreation Ground in 2019.
The Enfield Local Fund continued to support projects to improve the environment and general appearance of the area. Among these was a mural – Passing It On – celebrating the heritage of independent, family-run businesses in Edmonton Green Shopping Centre. A series of creative design workshops were held where residents could draw and share family stories and traditions, and these were incorporated into the final artwork. Around 45 residents engaged in the design of the mural, including local businesses and a youth group. Alongside improving the appearance of the shopping centre, it also helped strengthen community pride, identity, and reinforce local working relationships.
Another local group, Enfield Black Heritage Hub Community Interest Company (CIC), received a grant to transform a neglected walkway into a vibrant community space. After consulting residents about what they wanted from the space, the Litter to Glitter project enlisted volunteers to help clear, paint, and plant the area. A final celebration took place in the walkway after the clear up, joined by the Mayor of Enfield, where residents could enjoy music, food, drinks, stalls, games, and free photography workshops and health checks. The project created a safer, cleaner, more welcoming space for residents and ensured resident voices were at the forefront of shaping their local environment.
How the Big Local area spent their funding
Each Big Local area received approximately £1.2 million (ranging from £1.199 mil to 1.209 mil) to spend over 10–15 years, depending on how much additional funding they accessed from Local Trust to address specific needs. For example, to bring people together at the start of the programme or to access training and support. This has been categorised for areas and at the programme level based on reports received from areas.
Partnerships chose their own priorities and categories for reporting, and were encouraged to use broad categories so they could use the funding flexibly. All areas spent a significant amount of money on‘Big Local delivery costs’ such as workers’ salaries, stationery and IT equipment. You can find out more about programme level spend in this article. This is how Bountagu Big Local told Local Trust they used their Big Local funding.
References
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) (2020a) ‘People on universal credit: not in employment: August 2020’ Available at gov.uk/government/statistics/dwp-benefits-statistics-august-2020/dwp-benefits-statistics-august-2020 (Accessed 8 October 2025)
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) (2020b) Available at ‘Jobseekers allowance: August 2020’. Available at: gov.uk/government/statistics/dwp-benefits-statistics-august-2020/dwp-benefits-statistics-august-2020 (Accessed 8 October 2025)
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) (2025a) ‘People on universal credit: not in employment’. Available at: gov.uk/government/statistics/dwp-benefits-statistics-august-2025 (Accessed 8 October 2025)
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) (2025b) ‘Jobseekers allowance’. Available at: gov.uk/government/statistics/dwp-benefits-statistics-august-2025 (Accessed 8 October 2025)
Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) (2019) ‘English indices of deprivation 2019’. Available at: gov.uk/government/statistics/english-indices-of-deprivation-2019 (Accessed 8 October 2025)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2022) ‘UK Census 2021: All persons’. Available at: ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/populationandhouseholdestimatesenglandandwalescensus2021 (Accessed 8 October 2025)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2023a) ‘UK Census 2021: Population density’. Available at: ons.gov.uk/datasets/TS006/editions/2021/versions/4 (Accessed 8 October 2025)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2023b) ‘UK Census 2021: Social rented housing: Rented from council’. Available at: ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/housing/bulletins/housingenglandandwales/census2021 (Accessed 8 October 2025)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2023c) ‘UK Census 2021: Social rented housing: Housing association’. Available at: ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/housing/bulletins/housingenglandandwales/census2021 (Accessed 8 October 2025)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2023d) ‘UK Census 2021: Private rented housing: Private landlord or letting agency’. Available at: ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/housing/bulletins/housingenglandandwales/census2021 (Accessed 8 October 2025)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2023e) ‘UK Census 2021: Flat, maisonette or apartment: Purpose-built block of flats or tenement’. Available at: ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/housing/bulletins/housingenglandandwales/census2021 (Accessed 8 October 2025)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2023f) ‘UK Census 2021: Overcrowded housing’. Available at: ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/housing/bulletins/housingenglandandwales/census2021 (Accessed 8 October 2025)