Somers Town
Key points
- Community events, like Somers Town Festival, were supported to bring people together to celebrate shared joys and identity.
- Existing community groups and activities accessed funding and support to improve their long-term sustainability, through a targeted business-incubator service.
- An emergency relief fund helped to meet residents’ essential needs during the Covid-19 pandemic.
About the Big Local area
Situated in the London Borough of Camden, the Somers Town Big Local (STBL) area was bordered by London landmarks like the British Library, St Pancras and Euston stations, and the Francis Crick Institute. There was limited green space, but an abundance of community assets, including tenants’ and residents’ association halls, two community centres, places of worship, pubs and cafes, two secondary schools, and three primary schools.
Despite its central London location, the area was one of the 20 per cent most deprived areas of England (MHCLG, 2019), with 68 per cent of its 7,312 residents living in social housing (ONS, 2023a; 2022 ). The area was more ethnically diverse than wider Camden. It had a higher percentage of Bangladeshi (21 per cent compared to 7 per cent) and Black African residents (14 per cent compared to 7 per cent), and a lower percentage of White British residents (26 per cent compared to 35 per cent) (ONS, 2023 b; 2023c; 2023d).
How the Big Local area approached delivery
The first Somers Town Big Local (STBL) plan was developed following a two-year consultation process (with events and doorstep conversations) supported by a community association, voluntary sector infrastructure organisation, and residents. The plan outlined the partnership’s priorities of helping residents work and celebrate together, feel safer in the community, and develop new skills or interests.
In line with these priorities, several quick-wins and taster activities were identified and supported through community chest funding. These included dance and art classes, a history group, Tai Chi, an intergenerational IT project helping people to get online, boxing sessions for young people, and tree planting. Big Local funding also supported the annual Somers Town Festival, and as a useful focus for community engagement, such events continued to be a significant priority for the partnership.
The partnership faced several challenges over the course of the Big Local programme, which made it difficult to develop an identity and progress with delivery, leading to a lack of community trust in the partnership. They found it difficult to engage the community, partly due to the range of projects, funding opportunities, and activities already in the area (like football, homework clubs, bocce, girls’ clubs, and cooking classes, all hosted in community spaces). For several years throughout the middle of the programme, there were several changes in Locally Trusted Organisations (LTOs), due to mismatched expectations, confusion over roles, and relationship challenges. Finally, despite high aspirations, interpersonal dynamics among partnership members made it difficult to agree on priorities or bring in new members (to ensure sustainability and representation).
Following a period of rebuilding a few years before Big Local came to a close (while coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic), the partnership appointed a new LTO and brought in a paid worker to support the development of a new Big Local plan. The updated plan identified four priorities: supporting the local economy; bringing people together; cleaner, greener, safer Somers Town; and engaging young people. Community consultation also identified an ambition to create a community hub as a legacy, and while a feasibility study was commissioned, it did not identify a viable option. So, making better use of existing community facilities and supporting existing community initiatives became a key focus.
Working with specialist support through Local Trust, the partnership agreed a new approach to respond to community need and support local groups and projects. This included employing three workers with separate responsibilities for community engagement and support, marketing and communications, and delivering a new fundraising and business support incubator service. These workers enabled the partnership to increase its ability to engage with local people and groups (like contributing to a Neighbourhood Plan as part of the Mayor of London’s Future Neighbourhoods 2030 programme), distribute funding responsively, and support development of local initiatives. This was achieved initially by reviewing the process and communications for people seeking support and funding.
The workers and partnership also focused on being able to tell the story of Somers Town Big Local through an impact report, based on feedback from supported projects. A new website was launched in the final years of the programme, publicising Big Local funding and support, and sharing news on local projects. The incubator service helped small and new organisations to fundraise and grow their provision. Alongside new collaborative relationships that were forged in the final years of the programme, the incubator service was seen as part of the partnership’s legacy.
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.
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.
What the Big Local area did
Place-based pride and connection
Making community events happen
Support for local events was at the heart of the Somers Town Big Local partnership’s approach. In the final three years of the programme, grant funds were available for larger (up to £7,000) and smaller scale events (up to £2,500). By the end of Big Local over £55,000 had been allocated to events, like a Winter Wonderland visit by the New Horizon Youth Club (for 16 to 24 year olds experiencing homelessness).
In 2024, 10 events supported by Big Local funding collectively benefitted over 1,000 residents. These included events by Space for Us (marking 100 years of St Pancras social housing) and screening events for the 2024 European Football Championship.
Big Local funding and fundraising by the partnership helped the annual Somers Town Festival to meet their 2024 budget. Fully resident-led, the festival attracted around 5,000 attendees. It aimed to unite the community and showcase its diversity, by featuring music, art exhibitions, food from neighbourhood chefs, performances, parades, a funfair, and a jumble sale.
Investing in young people
Providing new opportunities and peer support
As part of the consultation for the updated Somers Town Big Local plan, local youth service providers noted a need for more collaboration and greater involvement of different communities. In response, the partnership supported youth projects, particularly those focused on preventing anti-social behaviour, discouraging gang involvement, or creating new opportunities.
Towards the end of Big Local, £116,000 of Big Local funding was invested in 13 projects through a Youth Fund. These projects went on to engage over 670 young residents. A worker also assisted with fundraising and increasing capacity, having understood that many youth clubs and activities lacked consistent funding and were dependent on the time and skills of a few community members.
Funding was also allocated to arts, crafts, sport, and social events. For example, Plot 10 Community Play identified the need for a safe space for local adolescent girls, who were experiencing social isolation, insecurity outdoors, challenges at home, and mental health issues following the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2024, about 30 girls attended their Girls’ Club weekly, with activities like fashion shows, jewellery making, and yoga. Feedback from the Club indicated that the experience helped increase confidence and peer-engagement.
The partnership also supported activities involving arts or sports with a key focus on ensuring sessions were affordable for local families. Near the end of Big Local, funding was allocated to a weekly two-hour community boxing and football session for residents aged 8 to 18. The clubs provided space for young people to get to know each other and exercise. Around 20 young people participated regularly and reported improvements in their mental and physical health.
An art and drama project was also run by Sankofa Storytelling Arts, enabling 38 young people to access a safe environment to explore challenges they might encounter, helping them to build their confidence and wellbeing.
Responding to crisis and urgent need
Funding community support during the Covid-19 pandemic
Over the course of Big Local the partnership reflected that Somers Town residents faced significant socioeconomic challenges and inequalities, intensified by the rising cost of living and the Covid-19 pandemic. They adapted the community chest fund budget and set aside a new Covid-19 Emergency Relief Fund, for residents experiencing increased costs and reduced incomes.
Working with the Francis Crick Institute, the partnership also developed a joint Covid-19 Response Fund for community organisations and groups. A flyer was created, promoting the fund through social media, mailing lists, and distribution across local organisations. To help ensure the application process was as accessible as possible, residents could write, audio record, or video their applications.
During and following the Covid-19 pandemic, over £65,000 of funding was distributed through 100 grants, benefitting an estimated 2,800 residents. Young people were supported in their transition to remote learning through the distribution of laptops and tablets to schools and families. Funding was also allocated to front-line organisations, such as food banks providing free meals and produce to families and older residents.
Working with local organisations to address food poverty
Following the Covid-19 pandemic, Somers Town Big Local used their grant funding to support a new initiative in the community, supporting residents experiencing food poverty. Somers Town Community Association (STCA) and Somers Town Youth Centre (STYC) collaborated to deliver the Community Kitchen, providing meals to residents.
A successful pilot saw 2,800 meals provided in one month, based on a menu designed by nutritionists at a local GP surgery and keeping in mind typical health needs among residents (such as hypertension or diabetes). The space also acted as a warm space, and a place for residents to connect with each other and access local support services, such as from Camden Council. Through the initial funding from STBL, the Community Kitchen was able to bring in a further £35,000 in match funding.
On average, the Community Kitchen provided 600 meals a week, with residents feeding back that the environment felt warm and welcoming. Alongside the sense of community, STCA and STYC reported a greater number of residents reaching out about support needs. They felt the project had helped normalise discussions around accessing support and, once support needs were identified, the organisations were able to signpost or bring in local service providers such as Mind Camden or community police officers.
Working collaboratively
Growing sustainability among local groups
In the final phase of Big Local in Somers Town, the partnership prioritised work with local projects and small businesses, supporting them to build capacity through business planning and securing funding. This was in response to the partnership’s realisation that funding alone was insufficient to ensure the longevity and resilience of community-led initiatives and organisations. The incubator service was designed to provide support beyond funding, to help ensure their sustainability.
In the final years of the programme, a worker was employed to deliver fundraising and business support, alongside a worker with communications expertise. They provided the Somers Town Incubator Service, which (alongside access to grants) focused on business development, fundraising, communications, and evaluation support for new and smaller community organisations. By the end of Big Local, seven organisations had been supported, and through fundraising support the partnership also helped 25 local groups raise a combined total of over £600,000. These included Camden People First (a grassroots organisation supporting individuals with learning difficulties to advocate for themselves) and A Space for Us (a community museum).
Camden People First (CPF) faced a significant income drop following the Covid-19 pandemic and increased competition for grants. The organisation also faced capacity challenges with no paid members of staff. Through STBL’s incubator and fundraising service, CPF were supported across 18 months to build stronger governance and organisational structures. Support with grant applications generated over £90,000 in grants from other funders, enabling CPF to take on paid staff in key roles and build capacity for the future.
A Space for Us focussed on celebrating the impactful histories of radicals, reformers, and rebels, advocating for the protection of local working-class heritage. The group had limited resources and capacity, relying heavily on part-time volunteers. Big Local funding enabled the museum to recruit paid part-time staff and a heritage consultant to assist with further funding bids. The incubator team provided business support (like budget templates and a pitch deck), assisted with grant and funding opportunities, and supported promotions and communications.
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 Somers Town Big Local told Local Trust they used their Big Local funding.
References
Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) (2019) ‘English indices of deprivation 2019’. (Accessed 8 October 2025)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2022) ‘UK Census 2021: All persons’. (Accessed 8 October 2025)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2023a) ‘UK Census 2021: Social rented housing’. (Accessed 8 October 2025)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2023b) ‘UK Census 2021: Ethnic group: Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh: Bangladeshi’. (Accessed 8 October 2025)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2023c) ‘UK Census 2021: Ethnic group: Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African: Black African’. (Accessed 8 October 2025)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2023d) ‘UK Census 2021: Ethnic group: White: English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish or British: White British’. (Accessed 8 October 2025)