Brereton, a village adjacent to the town of Rugeley in the Cannock Chase district of Staffordshire, had a population of approximately 6,400 in 2021 (ONS, 2022). The Big Local area encompassed most of the parish of Brereton and Ravenhill, and was bordered by Trent and Mersey Canal, a nature reserve, and Ravenhill Park.
Historically, Brereton was shaped by coalmining and energy-production. For example, Lea Hall Colliery shaped the landscape and provided significant local employment until it closed in the 1990s (with the connected power stations closing in 2016). During Big Local, a large delivery logistics centre opened in the same area, becoming a similarly key local employer until it closed in 2023.
During Big Local, local amenities included three schools, a GP surgery, shops, pubs, and community organisations, while architectural heritage included the Church of St Michael, and Brereton Hall.
Unreliable local bus services were a problem for many residents – particularly in the north-west of the area, where almost one-third of residents lacked access to a car (ONS, 2023). Isolation also contributed to Brereton being classified as a high-risk area for food insecurity (CDRC, 2024). Roughly a quarter of children in Brereton lived in low-income families, compared to nearly 15 per cent in the neighbouring Lichfield district (DWP, 2024).
From the outset, the partnership (known as Brereton Million) prioritised accountability to residents around how Big Local funding was used. They consulted residents as they developed their first plan, gathering over 3,000 responses, which helped shape their priorities. Priorities initially focused on supporting resident health and wellbeing, working with young people, and returning a ‘village feel’ to the area through improvements to the environment.
The partnership acted as an executive body, referring to themselves as trustees and working in themed subgroups. With support from volunteers, members took ownership of different projects within these subgroups and were allocated a budget. Early on, the partnership hired a support worker to build relationships with key local stakeholders. The worker also supported key projects, particularly around young people, and later secured funding for an apprenticeship in youth work.
By delivering much of the work themselves, the partnership helped keep funds local, had greater control, and worked to establish trust and consistent presence within the community, making Big Local a go-to local body. Some funding went towards a Community Fund to enable residents to deliver projects aligned with Big Local priorities through grants of up to £1,000. Delivery was also supported by the partnership’s relationships with local businesses, who often donated funds and equipment to projects. In 2023, several Big Local volunteers were elected to the Parish Council, bolstering project delivery by improving access to the council building.
The partnership registered Brereton Big Local as a Community Interest Company (CIC) to enable the purchase of the Ravenhill Ward Social Club Hall as a hub for their work and the community. Alongside navigating this transition, they became their own Locally Trusted Organisation (LTO) giving them greater financial control over their operations. They later re-registered as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) to continue delivering work beyond Big Local. Towards the end of the programme, they were seeking external support with writing grants and creating business plans, to cover staffing costs. Reflecting on their role in the community, the partnership decided that, while they would continue delivering work themselves, they would also work to empower residents to take more ownership over local activity.
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.
Early in the programme, in 2014, Big Local funding was allocated to keep a Brereton youth club open. The partnership took responsibility for the service and renamed it Vysions Youth Service.
Vysions supported young people to thrive (through tutoring, CV support, and access to counselling, sports lessons, and short courses) and expanded activity provision through regular youth sessions and clubs. Activities included Vysions Fishing (an outdoor weekend group with skills development and social interaction) and Forest Vysions in Ravenhill Park (with arts and crafts, woodland and conservation workshops, and family activities).
The Vysions support worker also led a holiday programme for children aged 8–16, with funding from Staffordshire County Council, food donations from local supermarkets, and equipment donations and logistical assistance from a local employer. The full-day programme included activities, classes, day trips, and three meals (free for those who qualified). By 2024, the holiday programme was fully funded by local businesses and the local authority.
Towards the end of Big Local, the partnership was planning to continue expanding Vysions, with ambitions for a dedicated youth centre and programmes to support young people not in school. They also hoped to find funding to replicate the Vysions model in other communities and had already begun accepting participants from Cannock Chase.
The partnership also sought new ways to address anti-social behaviour and empower young leaders through the reimagined service, creating a volunteering-focused group – Volunteering Vysions.
Volunteering Vysions featured weekly drop-in sessions at the community hub, where young people (aged 12–16 years old) could explore local volunteering opportunities. The programme had four levels of recognition (training, expert, professional, and legend) based on hours completed, and volunteers could exchange their hours for rewards (like trips, camps, free meals, club memberships, courses, and tutoring).
Vysions Youth Service also established a Young Leaders Group to help run their holiday programmes. Young Leaders were aged 14 and over, and played a pivotal role in delivery. Before sessions, they researched activity ideas and familiarised themselves with the needs of the participants. They welcomed participants, led and helped run activities, and assisted with safeguarding and risk assessments. After each programme, they created surveys and conducted evaluations to inform future sessions.
The partnership noted that most young people preferred hands-on involvement to meetings and planning. In this way, the Young Leaders Group acted as a catalyst for youth participation, empowering young people to make decisions, take ownership of projects, and have a say in their area. The partnership’s future ambitions for the initiative included introducing award ceremonies to further recognise their young volunteers.
Early on, Brereton Big Local responded to residents’ desire for improvements to the physical environment through a series of ‘quick win’ projects. These demonstrated their commitment to listening to and acting on community concerns, and helped set the stage for larger-scale initiatives.
In one of these ‘quick win’ projects, 11 metal bus shelters were replaced with wooden structures and fresh planting, visually softening the area. The first bus shelter, at the entrance to Brereton, quickly became a distinctive feature of the village.
The partnership also worked with Staffordshire County Council on the restoration and maintenance of the local war memorial. Vysions Youth Service volunteers played a key role, ensuring the memorial’s cleanliness year-round, especially ahead of the annual November remembrance service.
Responding to resident feedback, Brereton Big Local focused on the ambitious transformation of Ravenhill Park – described by locals as the ‘heart’ of their community – into a vibrant, multi-use space, catering to people of all ages.
One of the first initiatives, informed by consultations with families and children, was to replace the park’s play equipment. The partnership commissioned bespoke designs – which included a paddling pool – from a play-equipment company. Despite some challenges and delays, the new playpark was opened at a celebratory party in 2018, and it quickly became a well-used community space.
The partnership worked with Vysions young volunteers on developing a Woodland Walk, to help support wildlife and offer something for all ages. Volunteers helped establish nature and fairy gardens, a nature play area, a dog agility course, and a memorial garden for local loved ones. The result was a tranquil, engaging space fostering connection between nature and community.
Vysions volunteers also helped restore the park’s historic running track, which had become overgrown and inaccessible. Inspired by the positive community response to having increased access to functional exercise space, funding was subsequently allocated for an outdoor gym.
These local improvements left a physical legacy that honoured Ravenhill Park’s place at the heart of the community. After Big Local, volunteers remained integral to the park’s diverse maintenance needs, from litter-picking and gardening to regular inspections.
The partnership responded proactively to crises, reinforcing their reputation as a reliable and adaptable presence in the Brereton community. During the Covid-19 pandemic, they made persistent efforts to reach every household in the area at least three times, further embedding their local presence. Collaborating with local stakeholders and successfully mobilising new volunteers, they delivered food parcels, shopping, and prescriptions, and offered remote services and support to combat social isolation. Their extensive and compassionate response earned Brereton Big Local the first Compassionate Communities Charter Award from Compassionate Communities UK in 2021.
The partnership were well-placed by this experience to respond quickly and effectively to the subsequent cost of living crisis, by establishing a community shop at their hub. This offered a practical and dignified way for residents to access affordable groceries, while strengthening the partnership’s ties with local businesses and suppliers who provided groceries and discounted offers. The shop was open to all, operating on a subscription-based membership model – an annual fee of £2 allowed members to buy a bag of groceries for £5 each week. By 2024, the shop had around 500 members, with an average of 30 weekly users.
Brereton Big Local led a health and wellbeing initiative, which grew from a local campaign into a district-wide movement. Inspired by the Newcastle Can campaign – which used ‘wellness wheels’ to promote eight key areas of health and wellbeing – the partnership consulted widely to shape their own version: Brereton Can. They approached Cannock Chase District Council about expanding the idea – using Brereton Can as a pilot, the council launched the Cannock Chase Can campaign two years later. In an app managed by the council, residents could track their wellness wheels, take on challenges, and discover local activities and resources to support their wellbeing.
Inspired by the comprehensiveness of the Can campaign’s central principle, the partnership organised all their future projects under its wellness themes – such as a Community Mile walking group, and Nifty Numbers budgeting course. Among their most popular initiatives was a Craft Buddies group (under the ‘Connect Well’ theme), designed to connect the community and inspire kindness by helping participants knit, sew, crochet, and embroider items for gifting or donation. Participants could join weekly sessions at the hub for £2 or work from home, with everything provided by the partnership.
Towards the end of the programme, as Brereton Big Local transitioned to becoming a charity, the partnership planned to continue facilitating projects within the eight wellness areas – ensuring residents’ health and wellbeing remained at the heart of their work.
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 Brereton Million Big Local told Local Trust they used their Big Local funding.
Consumer Data Research Centre (CDRC) (2024) ‘Priority Places for Food Index’. (Accessed 18 March 2025)
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) (2024) ‘Children in low income families: local area statistics’. (Accessed 18 March 2025)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2022) ‘UK Census 2021: All persons’. (Accessed 18 March 2025)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2023) ‘UK Census 2021: No cars or vans in household’. (Accessed 18 March 2025)
