The Noel Park Big Local area consisted of four estates (Noel Park, Page High, The Sandlings, and Sky City) in a neighbourhood in Wood Green, in the London borough of Haringey. The area was bordered by three high streets, all undergoing regeneration. While there was only one green space (Russell Park), the area had many shops, community facilities, and transport links (including buses and Turnpike Lane and Wood Green tube stations).
The area had a total population of 9,432 in 2021 (ONS, 2022). The population was diverse, with 28 per cent identifying as White non-British (compared to 17 per cent in London), and 17 per cent as African or Caribbean (compared to 12 per cent in London) (ONS 2023a; 2023b; 2023c). Noel Park was in the 20 per cent most deprived areas in England (MHCLG, 2019), with 24 per cent of children aged 19 or under living in low-income families (compared to 18 per cent across London) (DWP, 2025).
The Noel Park Big Local partnership had a core group of community members, representing three of the four estates. They were a diverse in age, ethnicity, gender, and background, and most were already involved in community activity. This meant partnership members brought different skills, experiences, and personal networks, which helped to build momentum for the programme. They hired several workers throughout the programme, mostly residents, to support community engagement, project management, and programme delivery. Consultants were commissioned to help with team building, training, communications, and designing project management tools.
The partnership organised work into thematic subgroups, with individual leads allocated based on interests. The subgroups centred around three priorities identified through community consultation: improving community spaces; supporting enterprise and employment; and improving the local environment.
When developing their first plan, the partnership established a group of community researchers – local volunteers who helped run surveys, events, and activities to engage residents about what they would like to see in their area. Partnership members also carried out an audit of community facilities to identify areas for improvement. They set out with a 10-year vision to create a community that residents felt connected to and proud to belong to, and resident engagement remained a priority throughout.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the partnership introduced a newsletter which helped raise the profile of their work. Ahead of their second plan, Noel Park Big Local engaged residents through posters, social media, events, and by delivering leaflets to every address in the area. They engaged residents through a small grants programme, with grants of £250 to £5,000 supporting local activities, like youth groups, dance classes, and a history project.
Much of the partnership’s approach revolved around improving and creating green spaces, tidying the environment, and creating communal spaces for residents to connect. They designed projects to have a lasting impact, building a ‘green triangle’ – three green spaces surrounding the area, which residents could enjoy long after Big Local ended. Other plans towards the end of the programme included setting up two unincorporated organisations to continue activities in Russell Park and maintain the green triangle – the Noel Park Friends of Green Spaces (FROGS) and Friends of Russell’s Hub.
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.
Many Big Local partnerships funded workers to support the delivery of Big Local. They were paid individuals, as opposed to those who volunteered their time. They were different from Big Local reps and advisors, who were appointed and paid by Local Trust.
The Noel Park Big Local partnership identified an overgrown bank on Westbury Avenue, near the high street and Turnpike Lane tube station. In 2017, they partnered with GrowN22, a local organisation which turned disused land in Haringey into vibrant growing spaces. Westbury Banks Nature Reserve was created from a 150m long stretch of land, and was the partnership’s first step towards creating the community’s ‘green triangle’.
The reserve was cultivated into four banks with plants, saplings, a walkway, pond, rockery, bug hotels, a bird box, and two MagPosts (magnifying glasses enabling visitors to view insects and plants). The new space was used to host wildlife workshops and community activities. In 2020, site management passed from GrowN22 to the newly formed Friends of Westbury Banks Nature Reserve, an independent group of volunteers dedicated to maintaining the site.
The partnership identified another area of land, between Lordship Lane and Moselle Avenue, which had become a magnet for fly-tipping. Two partnership members led a team of volunteers to clear and transform it into a small community garden, named Moselle Meadow. The meadow featured a herb garden, wildflower meadow, bug hotel, bird box, and bench for visitors to enjoy. It became a much-loved colourful community space, supporting wildlife, including resident Blue Tits in the bird box. Towards the end of the programme, volunteers helped Noel Park Big Local to install a pond in the meadow.
Monthly resident get-togethers were held at Moselle Meadow to help maintain and enhance the space. This also provided opportunities for residents to learn gardening skills and spend time outdoors with neighbours. As Big Local came to a close, the Noel Park Friends of Green Spaces (FROGS) planned to continue maintaining this space in future years.
The completion of this work made Moselle Meadow into the third point of the area’s ‘green triangle’, alongside Westbury Banks Nature Reserve and Russell Park, an existing green space.
Following early consultation with residents, over a third of the area’s Big Local funding was allocated to the regeneration of Russell Park, the largest green space in the area. The partnership commissioned Matthew Halsall Design Studio to design a complete transformation of the park, with a total projected cost of over £1m. This was divided into three phases, with £400,000 of Big Local funds committed to Phase One – a community café and new play park.
The partnership took over the lease of a small disused kiosk in Russell Park in 2020 with long-term plans to renovate it. Initially it opened as a community café every Wednesday, serving hot drinks. This created space for residents to mingle, learn about what Noel Park Big Local were doing, and have a say on changes they’d like to see in their community.
Within three years of taking over the lease, the kiosk had been refurbished and was relaunched as Russell’s Hub, a community café with outdoor seating and a small team of paid staff, who served hot drinks and homemade cakes. As part of the lease, the partnership took on custodianship of the park’s public toilets, which they renovated. The café ran a suspended coffee scheme, allowing residents to pay it forward by covering the cost of someone’s drink or snack. Russell’s Hub also housed a mini community library, with books, litter picking equipment, and sports balls and toys (donated by Alive and Kicking).
Noel Park Big Local continued the first phase of regeneration by refurbishing Russell Park’s play park, incorporating community feedback into the design. The new facilities included planting schemes, which placed biodiversity at the heart of the park. There were some delays related to rising material costs, and concerns flagged by a few residents about safety and privacy, which were reviewed by the council before the project continued. The play park opened at an event in 2025, with music, face painting, food from Russell’s Hub, and volunteer-run activities.
On completion, partnership members were proud that the look and feel of the park had been completely transformed and would be a legacy for the area, supported by Noel Park Friends of Green Spaces (FROGS) and Friends of Russell’s Hub.
Towards the end of the programme, the partnership was exploring match-funding with Haringey Council, to implement the next stages of the plan, which included a redesign of the park and improved sports facilities.
With funding from the Mayor of London’s office, the partnership purchased a repurposed shipping container, with an accompanying bike stand and electricity supply, to serve as an office space and workshop. This cabin was in a strategically visible spot in Russell Park, helping to raise awareness of Noel Park Big Local, and acting as a base for their activities. The cabin housed a tool library for residents wanting to borrow tools and equipment, for example for bike repairs.
The tool library proved popular with residents, and skilled volunteers ran workshops and carried out repairs for residents. Cabin maintenance was taken on by Friends of Russell’s Hub, so that these activities could continue beyond the Big Local programme.
As part of their aim to support young people, the partnership launched Changing Gears, from the cabin in Russell Park. This training scheme offered opportunities for young people to gain work experience and develop new skills. The pilot scheme was funded by the Good Growth Fund, Engie, and Haringey Council, and supported by the UK Government’s Kickstart Scheme. The partnership worked with local tradespeople and organisations (like Bikes for Good Causes) to employ and train three young residents in skills such as bike repairs, gardening, carpentry, plumbing, and window fitting. This provided six months of paid employment and all three moved into permanent employment on completion of their training.
Although the scheme was impactful for those who participated, the partnership found there was a general lack of interest from young residents and that the programme required a substantial time commitment from their members. As such, they decided not to continue the initiative beyond the pilot.
The partnership’s 10-year vision was to create a community that residents felt connected to and proud to belong to. A launch event celebrated the new ‘green triangle’ (with guided walks in the three spaces) and raised visibility of the partnership’s work and achievements. Attendees could contribute to further planning, socialise with their neighbours, and take part in workshops on topics like local history and biodiversity.
Noel Park Big Local continued to use the ‘green triangle’ for a programme of regular community events and activities, like yoga, weekly wellbeing walks, and book groups. The partnership collaborated with Cleanup UK to organise weekly litter picking by volunteers in Russell Park, collecting over 75 bags of litter through the initiative.
In addition to weekly activities, the partnership ran larger annual events, bringing residents together and encouraging them to engage with Big Local and the partnership’s work. For example, the Big Lunch – an annual free lunch in Russell Park, with activities and stands by local organisations (like Bikes for Good Causes and Citizens Advice), which often attracted over 200 residents. The partnership also ran a popular annual summer festival, attracting over 1,000 people in 2024 alone. In 2023, they organised a celebration of the 140th birthday of the Noel Park Estate. This festival included performances by local musicians and schools, activities (like storytelling, magic shows, cake decorating, and arts and crafts), stands selling food and crafts, and coffee provided by Russell’s Hub.
The Noel Park Big Local partnership organised a rapid community response at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Big Local funding was allocated to food banks and hotels (to support residents experiencing homelessness or vulnerable circumstances), 100 meals on wheels, and a resident running free online dance classes (to keep people active at home). The partnership created a newsletter – The Voice of Noel Park Big Local – and delivered it to 4,500 homes, helping to direct residents to support services.
The partnership also launched Wheels for Workers during the Covid-19 lockdown, working with Bikes for Good Causes, a local organisation who refurbish old bikes. The scheme provided free bikes and equipment (including helmets and other accessories) to essential workers in the area, providing them with an alternative to public transport.
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 Noel Park Estate Big Local told Local Trust they used their Big Local funding.
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) (2025) ‘Children in low-income families: local area statistics’. (Accessed 21 August 2025)
Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) (2019) ‘English indices of deprivation 2019’. (Accessed 21 August 2025)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2022) ‘UK Census 2021: All persons’. (Accessed 21 August 2025)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2023a) ‘UK Census 2021: Ethnic group: White: non-British’. (Accessed 21 August 2025)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2023b) ‘UK Census 2021: Ethnic group: Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African: African’. (Accessed 21 August 2025)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2023c) ‘UK Census 2021: Ethnic group: Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African: Caribbean’. (Accessed 21 August 2025)
