The Windmill Hill Big Local area was a housing estate within Runcorn in the borough of Halton, Cheshire. It was a relatively small area with 2,755 residents in 2021 (ONS, 2022). Surrounded by woodland, the area had a range of community groups, social enterprises, and assets (including a church, family hub, and primary school).
Self-reported bad health was double the regional average, at 10 per cent (ONS, 2023), as was the proportion of residents claiming Personal Independence Payments (PIP) for mental health reasons (DWP, 2024). Reflecting on the context of Big Local in the community, the partnership described low levels of social capital (networks of relationships facilitating cooperation), and high levels of social isolation and loneliness, poverty, and unemployment. Windmill Hill was in the top 10 per cent most deprived areas in England, with deprivation particularly affecting children and older people (MHCLG, 2019a; 2019b; 2019c).
As part of their initial community consultation, the Windmill Hill Big Local partnership held ‘world café’ events (where small groups discuss a range of topics in rotation) to enable structured group conversations with residents. Three themes emerged as priorities for the partnership: improving community infrastructure; increasing economic opportunities and reducing poverty; and building community togetherness.
Residents wanted to see Big Local projects make an immediate difference to the area and the partnership was keen to communicate the benefits of Big Local investment, and did this by creating an estate newsletter, a Facebook page, and a website. As well as keeping residents informed of Big Local activity, these communication initiatives and other activities created regular opportunities for the partnership to hear from residents. The partnership learned that the best way to engage residents was to be immersed and visible in the community through events, such as their annual Fun Day and Easter celebrations.
The partnership consisted of residents and an engaged group of agencies, such as the local church, local authority and social landlord. Consistent, active involvement of residents of a range of ages working alongside local agencies kept the partnership stable. The partnership also had support from their paid worker and Locally Trusted Organisation (LTO), Groundwork Cheshire, Lancashire and Merseyside. This stability and support enabled the partnership to develop skills in conflict resolution, with partnership members reflecting on the importance of listening to a range of opinions and prioritising the best interests of the whole community over their personal feelings.
Partnership members and the worker regularly attended learning events with other Big Local areas (hosted by Local Trust) and brought back ideas and information. This benefitted the partnership too, with several members reflecting that their confidence and skills had increased due to their role within Big Local.
Collaboration was important to the partnership, they felt there was potential to bring in more funding (beyond Big Local) and encouraged this among the organisations they worked with. As a result, a new BMX pump track was co-funded by Windmill Hill Big Local and Landfill Communities Fund, and the Big Local community newspaper was printed for free by a national telecommunications company with offices nearby.
Throughout the programme the partnership ran a small grants scheme, adapting their approach to target specific groups and needs over the years. They established a bursary fund for young people, a dedicated business and enterprise pot to support small start-ups (which was supplemented by business advice provided by key stakeholders), and a Covid-19 pandemic relief fund. Funded projects included a Gymnastics Club, local businesses (such as a window cleaner and children’s entertainer), a Social History Project, the purchase of two defibrillators, employment support for young people, and Halloween community parties.
The partnership felt their legacy came from how they had used Big Local funding to invest in and sustain key community spaces that brought people together — an event space within St. Bert’s Church and a café run by a local group — Creative Health Initiatives (CHI). Alongside this, Windmill Hill Big Local also helped establish the resident-led Windmill Hill Events Network (WHEN), which explored ways to continue community events and trips after Big Local ended. The combination of prioritising supporting local assets, events and activities (through litter picking and youth funding) helped to create and sustain opportunities to build community connection.
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 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.
Early community consultation revealed the need for an accessible community space for Windmill Hill. Big Local funding was invested in a feasibility study to establish the potential governance, usage, and design of a community hub at St Bert’s Church. The planned refurbishment was the result of a project that involved churchgoers, residents, and local stakeholders over several years. Alongside £200,000 in Big Local funding, St Bert’s volunteers raised £250,000 from trusts and other funders to create the only wheelchair-accessible community space in the area. Towards the end of the Big Local programme, work was done to create a wheelchair-friendly entrance and lobby, accessible toilets, and a modern kitchen capable of catering for community events. The hub was then opened for community use.
The partnership was aware of poor mental and physical health reported in the Windmill Hill area, and towards the end of the programme, Big Local seed funded a community café and activity space. The space was run by Creative Health Initiatives (CHI), a community interest company aiming to tackle poor health outcomes in deprived areas, through activities supporting physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing.
Big Local funding, alongside in-kind funding and donations from a housing provider and kitchen supplier, went into the renovation of a previously disused café space and community room at Phoenix Park. After renovation, the building included the only high-standard accessible public toilet with a hoist facility in Runcorn. The partnership received positive feedback for the new addition, as the toilet provided opportunities for a broader range of residents to use the park.
Since reopening, CHI café with its adjoining community room, quickly became a popular hub offering affordable home-made meals, hot drinks, snacks, and meeting space available for local groups to hire — such as a Big Local funded craft group ‘Crafty Wellbeing’, which grew from one to three sessions per week due to demand.
CHI café increased opportunities for people to get together, connect socially, and become more involved in the community. The partnership reflected that the CHI café was one of their proudest legacies, as it would continue to play an important role in Windmill Hill after Big Local. CHI café was also championed by the area’s local MP, who expressed strong support for the space.
The Big Local partnership supported the introduction of the new Windmill Hill Wood Litter Network, which championed the efforts of residents alongside organisations like the Woodland Trust and Keep Britain Tidy. This network centred around a social media page where litter could be reported, residents could share posts about their individual efforts, and planned group litter picks were shared. Big Local funding was invested in litter picking tools, personal protective equipment, and bin bags, which were made available to any resident who wanted to litter pick as an individual or in a group. Residents were encouraged to pick up litter on their own streets, or to join organised group picks. As part of a local award scheme, young people also got involved, and all efforts were showcased and celebrated on the Windmill Hill Wood Litter Network Facebook page. During 2023, 147 bags of litter and 36 items of fly-tipping were collected by volunteers. The following year, 697 bags of litter were collected.
Big Local funding was also invested in physical improvements, including bulb-planting (led by partnership members and volunteers) and new friendship benches in memory of residents. The first bench was installed at the primary school to foster a sense of community.
The partnership commissioned weekly outreach activities through a Liverpool-based charity to provide young people in Windmill Hill with a place to meet people, socialise, and learn new skills. The sessions were run for ages 11–18 as part of a youth-work offer and engaged more than 100 young residents. The project’s success brought in additional funding for more activities, with some parents also becoming volunteers.
A further Big Local investment intended to benefit young people was for the borough’s first BMX pump track, formally opened at Phoenix Park in 2019 by the Mayor of Halton. This new community facility created outdoor social space and promoted active and healthy lifestyles for young people of varied ages and abilities. Windmill Hill Big Local was acknowledged as a driving force behind the project, and their logo was added to the track.
The partnership established a rolling programme of events and trips throughout the lifecycle of Big Local, to nurture community spirit and togetherness. The partnership viewed community events as valuable ways to engage residents, gather feedback, and promote Big Local.
Events included Christmas celebrations, Easter activities, film nights, community lunches, and woodland clean-ups. They were designed to be inclusive for all age groups, and the partnership made a deliberate effort to reach new audiences, such as older residents and young people. The partnership reflected that over time community events increasingly grew in popularity and became well established in the local calendar. Due to the success of the events, the partnership established Windmill Hill Events Network (WHEN) to run events independently after Big Local.
Responding to the results of their community consultation, the Windmill Hill Big Local partnership prioritised tackling poverty and debt. From early in the programme, they commissioned Citizens Advice to come into the Family Hub at Windmill Hill Children’s Centre every week for drop-in sessions. The sessions, which started as a small pilot, ran for eight years, providing help with finances, bills, weekly shops, and access to benefits. Over 600 residents were supported, resulting in an overall income gain of over £800,000. Citizens Advice staff also ran sessions in the local primary school, teaching children how to budget.
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 Windmill Hill Big Local told Local Trust they used their Big Local funding.
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) (2024) ‘Personal Independence Payment (PIP): mental health claimants’. Available at
gov.uk/government/collections/dwp-statistical-summaries
(Accessed 4 February 2025)
Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) (2019a) ‘English indices of deprivation 2019’. Available at: gov.uk/government/statistics/english-indices-of-deprivation-2019 (Accessed 4 February 2025)
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) (2019b) ‘English Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2019 – Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI)’. Available at: gov.uk/government/statistics/english-indices-of-deprivation-2019 (Accessed 4 February 2025)
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) (2019c) ‘English Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2019 – Income Deprivation Affecting Older People Index (IDAOPI)’. Available at: gov.uk/government/statistics/english-indices-of-deprivation-2019 (Accessed 4 February 2025)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2022) ‘UK Census 2021: All persons’. Available at: ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/datasets/populationandhouseholdestimatesenglandandwalescensus2021 (Accessed 4 February 2025)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) (2023) ‘UK Census 2021: Self-reported general health: bad health/very bad health’. Available at: ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/healthandwellbeing/articles/generalhealthbyagesexanddeprivationenglandandwales/census2021 (Accessed 4 February 2025)
