William Morris - Priory Court
Key points
- A state-of-the-art theatre was fitted to engage young people and provide space for community use.
- Residents were supported to improve their own homes and revitalise shared outdoor spaces by setting up a popular tool-lending library.
- Residents were empowered to improve life in their neighbourhoods through grant-giving and enterprise support.
About the Big Local area
The William Morris Big Local area in Walthamstow, East London was home to 15,726 residents in 2021 (ONS, 2022a). Just over a third of the population were White British, with a similar proportion of residents with Asian, Black Caribbean or Black African heritage (ONS 2023a; 2023b; 2023c). Like the wider London population, almost 20 per cent of residents were 16 or under (ONS, 2022b).
Taking its name from a famed local designer and social activist, this neighbourhood of terraced homes and purpose-built flats was characterised by independent businesses and striking street art. Local facilities included the Priory Court Community Centre, the William Morris Gallery and a specialist creative arts college, the Big Creative Academy. With only four per cent of the area covered in green space (OS, 2024), residents valued neighbouring Lloyd Park as a precious resource.
Compared with London as a whole, the area was more densely populated, and a higher percentage of children lived in relative low-income families (ONS, 2022c; DWP, 2024a). Youth unemployment was higher than the London average (DWP, 2024b; 2024c) and the number of job opportunities available relative to the working age population was significantly lower than the London average (18 per cent vs 95 per cent) (ONS, 2022d; 2023d).
How the Big Local area approached delivery
At the start of Big Local, a steering group of residents ran community workshops and a ‘Big Ideas Pitch’ where people voted on themes. This engagement identified three priority issues: community spaces, the local economy, and green areas. Intergenerational working was an additional priority but, when members realised it was integral to every theme, it became embedded across all of their work.
At first, the William Morris Big Local (known as WMBL) partnership members were selected by residents. In later years, anyone interested in joining would attend at least three partnership meetings before being formally added at the annual general meeting, which was open to all residents. Throughout the Big Local programme, the partnership benefitted from consistent leadership that offered all stakeholders a say in decisions. Though this approach sometimes lengthened decision-making processes, it helped residents, volunteers and members to feel heard.
As members developed in their roles, several stepped up to lead sub-committees that delivered initiatives, and some became the first directors of WMBL’s legacy organisation. A few years into the Big Local programme, the partnership employed a community development worker, adding a communications worker two years later. This team organised events, administered grant funding, undertook community engagement, and communicated with residents. They also coordinated hundreds of volunteers who supported regular activities (like the community living room), or donated their time and skills at one-off events, like summer fun days and community lunches.
Over the lifetime of the programme, over £300,000 in Big Local funding was distributed to residents, groups, and organisations for projects encouraging community cohesion. Over time, the partnership allowed funding applications from beyond William Morris for projects benefitting WMBL residents, leading to new activities and services centred around health and wellbeing, and community spaces.
Towards the end of the programme WMBL formed their legacy organisation: William Morris Community Threads. This new organisation will continue many of the projects started during Big Local such as enhancing outdoor spaces, creating stronger commercial and community areas, and fostering pride in the area.
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.
What the Big Local area did
Community assets and spaces
Investing in a state-of-the-art theatre for young people
The William Morris Big Local (WMBL) partnership wanted to support creative opportunities for young people, so £150,000 of Big Local funding was invested with the Big Creative Academy to fit-out a 200-seat theatre. The Big Local Theatre enabled young people to participate in creative projects, while generating new opportunities for the WMBL partnership.
As part of the investment, the Big Creative Academy agreed that other young people could use the theatre and community events could be held there. For example, a family-friendly event in 2022 celebrated the area’s diversity by showcasing performances of Sri Lankan, Albanian, and Morris dancing. The partnership also had access to free office space and a base for the local youth club.
Creating a tool-lending library
Responding to residents’ requests, the partnership piloted a volunteer-run tool-lending library. This made garden and DIY tools more accessible and encouraged residents to ‘try before they buy’. Working in partnership with the Forest Recycling Project, the Walthamstow Tool Library’s regular how-to workshops helped residents develop confidence to make improvements in their own outdoor spaces. Though the Library charged an annual fee, residents of Priory Court, where the Library was based, received discounted membership.
The pilot was so successful that the partnership extended its funding. Towards the end of Big Local the Library had over 400 active members and more than 1,600 tools for loan – from cordless drills and garden hoses to fruit presses. The Forest Recycling Project took over the project, working alongside Priory Court residents and sourcing support from the North London Community Fund.
Resident leadership
Setting up a community chest to fund resident-led projects
The partnership’s Community Chest scheme ran throughout the Big Local programme. It enabled over 100 William Morris residents and groups to launch projects tackling social isolation, including weaving and drumming workshops, fitness skills sessions, and street parties.
One resident, frustrated by a lack of after-school activities, set up dance classes for children with special educational needs. Another applied for funding to hold a free street party on Greenleaf Road, which was so popular that regular parties were held over a period of five years. These initiatives helped improve residents’ health and wellbeing by bringing people together.
Funding outdoor activities through Green Grants
In 2018 the partnership launched the Green Grants scheme, with the aim of enhancing residents’ experiences of the urban environment. Over six years, grants of £500 to £3,000 in Big Local funding were awarded to 27 different projects – from installing planters to creating murals. One resident, who was a wild-herb expert, created a community healing garden to improve the appearance and biodiversity of their local area. Another project refurbished old skateboards, distributed them to young residents, and delivered 1,500 skateboarding lessons.
Place-based pride and connection
Providing a comfortable space for residents to relax, talk and play
Towards the end of Big Local, additional funding from Waltham Forest Council was used to set up a temporary, volunteer-run Community Living Room in the Priory Court Community Centre. This provided a warm space for William Morris residents in winter, for enjoying watercolour painting, knitting and crochet, or activities like jigsaws and word searches. Following the success of the warm hub, Big Local money funded staffing costs to keep the hub open permanently, and the partnership secured further grants from Clarion Housing Group to cover other running costs.
Fostering community connections through creative interventions
In 2019 William Morris Big Local was one of 15 communities across England to receive £200,000 from Local Trust’s Creative Civic Change Fund, to shape and lead creative interventions that make positive social change in their neighbourhood. After collecting views about the power of creativity in Walthamstow, the partnership and Wood Street Walls (a local Community Interest Company) focused on creating opportunities for young people and supporting grassroots artists. Three years of interventions – from public art pieces to a story-box sharing residents’ written experiences of ‘home’ – supported connections between artists, residents and venues.
Alongside Big Local, between 2018–2022 Local Trust also ran the Creative Civic Change programme, an experimental funding programme that supported 15 communities across England to shape, lead and commission arts and creative interventions to make positive social change where they lived. Some Big Local areas were involved, alongside other areas.
Local economy
Supporting social enterprises to benefit the community
Recognising that William Morris residents understood their community’s needs better than anyone else, the partnership ran a social enterprise grant scheme from 2018 to 2021. This scheme aimed to support residents who could deliver appropriate and effective community services.
Backed by funding from UnLtd (the Foundation for Social Entrepreneurs), the grants supported 15 social entrepreneurs, who received mentoring to launch their social enterprises and deliver community benefits. A personal trainer’s ‘Walk and Talk’ sessions enabled over 100 residents to exercise while meeting people, helping reduce loneliness and anxiety. The trainer went on to apply for other sources of funding and later set up their own local gym.
Encouraging people to shop locally
A listening campaign in 2020, with independent traders, small service providers, and freelancers highlighted a need to increase visibility of local businesses. The partnership launched several projects designed to boost the local economy. This included a documentary showcasing local independent businesses, and the Around the World in William Morris project linked shops and businesses with their countries of origin via an interactive map and walking trail. Two community markets enabled traders to promote their goods during fun days, an initiative that the Community Living Room took responsibility for organising following the end of the Big Local programme.
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 William Morris Big Local told Local Trust they used their Big Local funding.
References
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) (2024a) ‘Children in low income families: local area statistics’. (Accessed 9 January 2025)
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) (2024b) ‘Universal credit: Employment status by age’. (Accessed 9 January 2025)
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) (2024c) ‘Jobseekers allowance by age’. (Accessed 9 January 2025)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2022a) ‘UK Census 2021: All persons’. (Accessed 9 January 2025)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2022b) ‘UK Census 2021: Age structure of the population: Population aged under 16’. (Accessed 9 January 2025)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2022c) ‘UK Census 2021: Population density’. (Accessed 9 January 2025)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2022d) ‘UK Census 2021: Population aged 16 to 64’. (Accessed 9 January 2025)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2023a) ‘UK Census 2021: Ethnic group: White: English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish or British’. (Accessed 9 January 2025)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2023b) ‘UK Census 2021: Ethnic group: Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh’. (Accessed 9 January 2025)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2023c) ‘UK Census 2021: Ethnic group: Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African’. (Accessed 9 January 2025)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2023d) ‘Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES): Total employees’. (Accessed 9 January 2025)
Ordnance Survey (OS) (2024) ‘Open Greenspace’. Available at: ordnancesurvey.co.uk/products/os-open-greenspace (Accessed 9 July 2024)