Ridge Hill
Key points
- A team of volunteers advocated for the community and played a crucial role in delivering activities and services, like a bike club.
- A one-stop community hub was developed by refurbishing an unused local church building, following the success of a community garden at the site.
- Community wellbeing was supported through food provision and working to bring healthcare services into the community.
About the Big Local area
The Big Local area spanned the Ridge Hill neighbourhood, in the Stalybridge area of Greater Manchester. The area included four estates: Arlie’s, Springs, Hague, and Ridge Hill.
In 2021, the area had a population of 6,724, with a younger age profile – 23 per cent were under the age of 16, compared to 19 per cent in the North West (ONS, 2022a; 2022b). Ridge Hill was in the top 20 per cent most deprived communities in England (MHCLG, 2019), with 41 per cent of residents receiving financial support due to low income (compared to 28 per cent across the North West) (DWP, 2025a; 2025b). A higher proportion of children aged 0 to 19 were in relative low-income families (31 per cent compared to 27 per cent in the North West) (DWP, 2025c).
There were few green and open spaces, but the partnership felt the green space at the top of Ridge Hill Lane was well used by residents. Despite transport links to Stalybridge, Ashton, and Manchester, residents reported challenges with isolation. Car ownership was lower than in the wider North West (ONS, 2023), public transport was considered unreliable, and — being on top of a steep hill — walking back to the area was difficult. Despite challenges around deprivation and isolation, residents felt there was a lot of community spirit and local pride.
How the Big Local area approached delivery
From the outset, the Ridge Hill Big Local partnership focused on community cohesion and integration to address historic divisions across the four estates in the neighbourhood. Partnership members reflected that during Big Local these divisions lessened, with residents coming together to take part in projects and activities.
Early on, community consultation highlighted that many families and children were affected by low income. This was further compounded by barriers to education, training, and employment, and experiences of poor health. While there was some change during Big Local, partnership priorities largely focused on: health and economic wellbeing; community safety and the local environment; available social activities; a community hub; and young people.
The partnership had between 12 and 15 resident members over the course of Big Local, and worked with a team of volunteers. At the end of Big Local, the partnership estimated that there were around 75 volunteers, with around half regularly delivering services, activities and events.
The volunteer role was varied, including tasks like gardening, and hosting events. For example, volunteers played a crucial role in a Christmas weekend in 2024 that saw over 100 older people attend in one day, and 250 young people another day, each with activities (like fancy dress), a DJ, and children’s entertainment. The volunteers also supported the Big Local worker, who signposted residents to services, support, and community events.
Near the end of Big Local, having found it difficult to engage residents through conventional consultation methods, the partnership focussed on gathering feedback from community members who used their services. This provided the partnership with insight to revise their plan in response to evolving community needs.
Early in the programme, Big Local funding was allocated to help establish Ridge Hill Enterprises (RHE), a not-for-profit organisation with the aim of serving the community and providing charitable initiatives. RHE attracted additional funding and facilitated two key projects: a summer holiday club and a boating lake. While some partnership members were directors of RHE, over time community consultation led the partnership to better understand community need and focus on different priorities, while RHE went on to operate independent of Big Local.
Community feedback highlighted a need for a multipurpose hub. In response, the partnership focused on the new Ridge Hill Together (RHT) Community Interest Organisation (CIO) and the Ridge Hill Together Community Hub. Towards the end of Big Local, RHT had a clear emerging vision:
With this focus, the partnership felt the CIO would enable the lease and eventual ownership of the hub, while also supporting smaller, un-constituted groups through grants. As Big Local came to a close, the partnership was making plans for RHT to ensure that resources met resident priorities while securing long-term, community-led sustainability.
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.
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.
What the Big Local area did
Community assets and spaces
Creating a hub to provide services, support, and activities
From early in Big Local, the Ridge Hill partnership was committed to developing a community hub where groups could operate, residents could access services, and the partnership and volunteers could be based.
In 2015, a premises owned by the Locally Trusted Organisation (LTO) became available for the partnership.
Within three years, the Big Local Hub was open five days a week with many activities, including fitness classes, a youth club, and a British Sign Language club. Financial support and food provision were delivered by a credit union and food distribution charity, That Bread and Butter Thing. Alongside the Big Local worker, volunteers delivered many of the activities and organised celebrations for events such as Halloween, Easter, and Christmas. The worker enabled the hub to be open for longer hours, making it easier for residents to access services.
In 2018, redevelopment threatened the future of the hub and surrounding shops. Working together, the worker, residents, and councillors established that community provision was a legal necessity. Based on this, residents advocated for the space and a compromise was negotiated – the hub and essential facilities were to remain, while housing was built behind. The Big Local Hub went on to be used for health services, while the partnership went on to find a new base towards the end of the programme.
Bringing an underused space back into community use
The Ridge Hill Big Local partnership wanted to make better use of outdoor community resources, and lockdowns in the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated this ambition. Mid-way through Big Local, in 2020, the partnership supported volunteers to form a constituted group – The Springs Botanical Garden Community Group – who worked with a local church to turn unused church land into a community garden.
The garden included a sensory space, ponds, allotments, and event space, offering opportunities to engage with nature and each other. Food from the allotments was shared with the community, and partnership members said it was valued across age groups, benefiting mental health and helping tackle loneliness.
Reflecting on the need for a central community hub and the success of the Big Local Hub, the garden project inspired the repurposing of the adjacent church building into a community resource.
The existing relationship between the church and the partnership meant an agreement was easily reached, with a lease held by Ridge Hill Together. Big Local funding was committed to refurbishing the church building. Once re-opened, the Ridge Hill Together Community Hub became a one-stop hub for all the community.
The volunteer team worked with the partnership to deliver family activities, gardening, food provision, bike repair, fitness sessions, and digital skills training from the new hub. Towards the end of the programme, the hub and its ongoing activities were a key legacy of Ridge Hill Big Local, with partnership members reporting a reach of around 500 residents each month.
Ensuring access to nature and outdoor activities
A few years into Big Local, the partnership and Ridge Hill Enterprises negotiated a lease for a Victorian boating lake and Chadwick Dam with Tameside Council. They wanted to regenerate the green space, creating somewhere that promoted health, community, and education, where residents could take part in activities and young people could learn about nature.
The project attracted external funding alongside Big Local funding. This was used for facilities (like pond dipping platforms and fishing facilities); improved water quality; staff costs; and equipment (like pedalos and paddleboards). This provided an outside education space, walking routes, picnic sites, and activities (like fishing, kayaking, and sailing) for residents to enjoy.
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.
Health and wellbeing
Reducing barriers to healthcare through collaboration
The Big Local partnership supported Ridge Hill residents’ health and wellbeing by supporting Couch to Out and About, Cycling Without Age (indoor cycling sessions with scenic films), and Fit4Life’s weigh-in and social sessions for over-50s.
Community consultation revealed that unreliable transport links and travel costs limited access to healthcare and residents wanted a local medical facility. The partnership worked with Be Well Tameside – a free health and wellbeing support service linked to the Primary Care Network (PCN) – to bring services into the community.
The partnership initially provided the Big Local Hub for vaccination clinics and later worked with the PCN to trial drop-in triage clinics, directing residents to relevant services. These proved successful, leading to monthly and then weekly clinics where residents could talk to GPs. On seeing this success, the Locally Trusted Organisation (LTO) – Jigsaw Housing – provided support by leasing the space at a peppercorn rate.
The partnership engaged wider stakeholders (like Age UK, Population Health, and Be Well) to offer further services from the Ridge Hill Together Community Hub. By connecting stakeholders and providing space for clinics, the partnership improved local healthcare provision.
The project attracted support from the Mayor of Manchester and, towards the end of the programme, the partnership worked with local authorities to create a video for the Greater Manchester Live Well movement for community-led health and wellbeing. These actions raised the profile of the work and, at the end of Big Local, local authorities were expected to roll out similar projects acro ss Greater Manchester.
Investing in young people
Providing affordable activities and holiday programmes
The partnership wanted to provide a space for young Ridge Hill residents to socialise and enjoy activities. This led to several initiatives, including Friday youth clubs, Wednesday football, community outreach, and Active Thursdays – which included a buffet donated from a nearby shop.
Big Local funding was allocated to Ridge Hill Enterprises to provide affordable childcare for ages 5 to 11 during school holidays, often with more than 40 participants a day. This helped reduce financial burden and free up parents and carers for other commitments. The partnership evaluated the programme, which showed how important it was for many families, due to the costs of childcare. The partnership saw it as the most significant project among their youth provision, given its popularity and impact. Resident feedback highlighted the extent of the economic and wellbeing benefits, particularly for families with children with additional needs.
In the final years of Big Local, changes in regulation, limited organising capacity, and lower attendance meant the programme did not continue. However, the partnership ensured that youth provision continued, through easy-to-run family holiday activities, like football sessions.
Responding to crisis and urgent need
Improving access to fresh food and affordable transport
From early on, the Ridge Hill Big Local partnership recognised that the lack of a local greengrocer and the cost of living meant there was limited affordable fresh food. They sought ways to address this, with early ideas including a training kitchen, community café, and food growing schemes.
Work to develop the community garden provided food growing spaces, but following the Covid-19 pandemic as the cost of living crisis began, consultation highlighted that there was an urgent need for food support. The partnership responded quickly, with Big Local funding allocated for fridges and freezers for an established community pantry in Stalybridge, where food donations were made available to residents for free.
The following year, the partnership developed essential links with The Bread and Butter Thing (TBBT ), a membership-based food distribution charity. The partnership provided space at the Big Local Hub for TBBT, with both partnership members and volunteers helping distribute food. This increased access to affordable, healthy food, and by the end of Big Local, there were 70 members visiting the hub weekly. Leftover food was donated to the community pantry. The partnership’s adaptability helped provide the foundation for sustainable, long-term food provision.
The partnership recognised another urgent community need, for affordable and easy-to-reach transport. Ridge Hill Together set up The Bike Project, running from three containers near Ridge Hill Together Community Hub.
The project was run by volunteers and supported by the local police who donated bikes to the scheme. Residents were able to rent bikes for up to six weeks, with some using them to get to work. Volunteers also offered support with bike maintenance, by opening on Saturdays and providing a public bike repair station (with tools and a tyre pump). They also refurbished bikes to sell at affordable prices to the community, selling 18 in 2024, including to a family who bought four for their children. The revenue was reinvested in Ridge Hill Together and bike repair equipment.
As well as community benefits, The Bike Project had positive outcomes for volunteers. For example, partnership members spoke about one volunteer becoming a vibrant part of the community through their involvement.
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 Ridge Hill Big Local told Local Trust they used their Big Local funding.
References
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) (2025a) ‘People on universal credit: not in employment’. (Accessed 4 December 2025)
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) (2025b) ‘Jobseekers allowance’. (Accessed 4 December 2025)
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) (2025c) ‘Children in low income families: local area statistics’. (Accessed 4 December 2025)
Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) (2019) ‘English indices of deprivation 2019’. (Accessed 4 December 2025)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2022a) ‘UK Census 2021: All persons’. (Accessed 4 December 2025)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2022b) ‘UK Census 2021: Age structure of the population: Population aged under 16’. (Accessed 4 December 2025)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2023) ‘UK Census 2021: No cars or vans in household’. (Accessed 4 December 2025)