The village of Distington, located in rural West Cumbria, had around 1,600 residents during Big Local, making it one of the smallest areas in the programme by population (ONS, 2022). The village was a 10-minute drive or 25 minutes by public transport from the nearby town of Workington. Over a quarter of households in the area lacked access to a car or van during Big Local (ONS, 2023).
Much of the housing on Distington’s main street dated back to the 18th century, while the remaining village comprised mostly estates built as social housing between the 1940s and 1970s. A significant portion of these were owned by a local housing association. Community infrastructure in the area included a long-standing community centre, youth centre, and church, with most commercial facilities (such as pubs and shops) having closed in the years preceding and during the Big Local programme.
Distington Big Local worked to a range of priorities during the programme. The partnerships’ vision for the area included strengthening local organisations and improving its assets, creating opportunities for young residents, and enhancing the general visual appeal. They felt there was a high level of existing community pride in the village, which they built on throughout the programme.
Paid staff played an essential role in helping Distington Big Local achieve its goals, especially around more complex projects. For example, staff assisted the partnership in setting up a legal entity to purchase land, and worked alongside the local authority to develop a new playpark. Where possible, the partnership favoured hiring locally based staff who already had a good understanding of the community and its needs and values.
From the beginning, the partnership ran a ‘Community Chest’ small grants programme to support local groups and resources, benefitting many volunteer-led organisations such as the Distington Old Age Pensioners (OAP) Reunion Club, which organised Christmas parties and summer trips for older residents.
To make funding more accessible, they allowed groups without bank accounts to receive grants through established local organisations, such as Distington Community Centre or Distington Club for Young People. This adaptable approach enabled the partnership to swiftly respond to emerging needs during the pandemic.
In 2021, after deciding not to move forward with one of their flagship projects, the original partnership members chose to step aside. Residents formed a new partnership to take forward the remainder of the funding and developed a new Big Local plan.
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 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.
Following a series of community meetings, in 2016 Distington Big Local set up a Community Land Trust (a non-profit organisation that acquires and manages land for community benefit) to purchase an overgrown site in the village. Formerly occupied by the Royal British Legion Social Club, it was known locally as the ‘Legion Land’.
Through further consultation, the partnership identified a need for more housing options that would allow older residents to downsize and remain in the village. They collaborated with architects and social landlords to develop plans for sheltered housing on the site for residents over 55, which would include a café and social space. However, the plans did not gain broad enough support from residents, and planning for the housing project was withdrawn in 2021.
Ensuring a robust level of community input into new plans for Legion Land became a priority for the partnership. Transparency around decision-making was important to them, both to build trust with residents and to encourage involvement with and support for the project. From then on, Distington Big Local published their board meeting minutes online, and ramped up their posts and dialogue with residents on social media.
In 2022, they conducted a community questionnaire on Legion Land’s development, and allotments emerged as the most popular option. Towards the end of the programme, the partnership had submitted a planning application and was progressing with new plans, which were to create allotments on the site. Plots would be available at varying affordability levels, and the space was also designed to serve as a communal garden for the village.
The partnership reflected that this approach had led to more excitement in the village about Big Local, with residents showing greater interest in participating in projects when they had been involved in their development.
Community consultations revealed strong interest from residents in the creation of a new playpark in Distington, prompting Big Local to make this a priority in 2021. The partnership identified a suitable site for the park on land that had previously held a play area. They collaborated with Distington Parish Council to negotiate a lease and move the project forward. Through these collaborative efforts, Copeland Borough Council agreed to lease the land to the parish council at a peppercorn rent of £1 per year, and also take on responsibility for the park’s maintenance and upkeep.
Certain technical negotiations with the borough council (as well as complications related to the pandemic) led to a longer timeline for the project. However, the partnership was able to navigate these challenges with the support of their paid worker, whose contract management expertise proved invaluable in helping them address challenges and secure match-funding for the project. The new playpark opened in June 2024 with a large community celebration. It quickly became popular among children and families in Distington, fulfilling a key community vision for the partnership.
The Distington Club for Young People (DCYP) had been a central part of village life for over 50 years by the time the Big Local programme began. The partnership felt the club was the heart of the community, and an essential resource for young residents. However, its previously strong track record of fundraising had been impacted by austerity, creating a need for additional financial support to continue its work.
Over several years during the programme, Distington Big Local allocated funding to DCYP, including grants that allowed the club to maintain two staff roles. This financial support helped the club to survive, ensuring that young people would continue to have access to a safe, reliable space to socialise, learn new skills, and be themselves.
However, DCYP found that having core funding in place from Big Local led to some reluctance from other funders to extend support for additional projects. This led to the partnership tapering off their grant to the club and ending their core funding, to encourage DYCP to explore other long-term funding sources.
Distington Big Local continued to provide top-up funding to DCYP over the following two years, financing summer trips for young people who might otherwise be unable to leave the village during school holidays and briefly contributing towards the cost of a part-time staff role. The club was still active at the end of Big Local, maintaining an important community resource.
From the beginning of the programme, residents expressed concerns over the appearance of the local environment and decline of certain community assets. The Distington partnership responded by prioritising improving and investing in the area, allocating funding for a series of enhancements. Support came from paid Big Local workers, who offered additional administrative help to those running community spaces to move projects forward.
Local assets were one strand of this work. Throughout the programme, the partnership awarded grants to local organisations to improve their physical spaces and support sustainable operations. For example, the partnership provided funding to restore the local football pitch, including adding a storage container for equipment. Alongside directing funding towards equipment and insurance, this investment enabled the formation of two new junior football teams.
The local amateur rugby league club also received funds to refurbish their clubhouse. Big Local also backed a suite of upgrades to the local Distington Community Centre, including installing solar panels, a defibrillator, and a new kitchen and toilet facilities.
Public services were another important strand to improve life for residents. Recognising the importance of accessible public transport to a community living in a rural setting, the partnership directed funding towards the local bus service as part of their wider investments in the area. They allocated funding for two new bus shelters, refurbished two existing ones, and successfully advocated for a new stop to be added.
Distington Big Local also supported the employment of a resident as a ‘village handyman’, who was responsible for everyday maintenance tasks in the area – including managing hedgerows, litter picking, and keeping bus shelters clean. The handyman also offered discounted services to residents and local groups for commercial jobs. The partnership reflected that employing a local resident in this role made the most of their existing knowledge of the village and its residents, allowing the role to begin effecting change in the area quickly.
Towards the end of the programme, partnership members reflected that their efforts and investments had made a difference in Distington; they had contributed to the area looking clean and well-maintained, enhanced the village’s appearance, and – true to their broader vision – built community pride.
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 Distington Big Local told Local Trust they used their Big Local funding.
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2022) ‘UK Census 2021: All persons’. (Accessed 8 October 2024)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2023) ‘UK Census 2021: No cars or vans in household’. (Accessed 8 October 2024)
