PLAIN TEXT - Timeline of Big Local

A timeline of the journey of Big Local, a place-based funding programme empowering communities to improve social infrastructure and build community wealth.

This timeline guides you through the key milestones, decisions, and learning on the journey of Big Local. It was developed by reviewing sources through the lifetime of the programme and by learning from the experiences of those involved from the start. The timeline features the most important milestones: often these were the culmination of years of work, development, and learning.

This timeline is split into four phases:

• Getting Started (2010 — 2012)
• Early Delivery (2013 – 2016)
• Peak Delivery (2017 – 2021)
• Moving on from Big Local (2022 – 2027)

There are also different types of milestones:

• Management and support milestones
• Research milestones
• Context milestones

Big Local programme announced. (Management and support milestone)

The Big Lottery Fund (now The National Lottery Community Fund) announced and managed Big Local in 2010, while tendering for a consortium to take over delivering the programme.

July: First 50 areas announced. (Management and support milestone)

A phased approach helped identify the 150 areas that would be involved in the Big Local programme. Fifty areas were brought on board in the first wave in July 2010. Areas were selected based on several criteria including: level of social and economic disadvantage, not previously receiving Lottery funding, and population size.

May: Austerity policies began. (Context milestone)

Significant cuts to public services began under the Coalition government. Cuts to local councils affected children’s centres, youth services, libraries, leisure centres, and transport. Local authorities reduced funding for community facilities.

Process of Lottery handover to Local Trust. (Management and support milestone)

This period involved developing programme infrastructure, support systems, a learning programme, communications, and a website. It also involved addressing all legal and technical matters linked to developing Local Trust as a legally incorporated organisation and planning to meet the needs of the next 100 areas in addition to continuing support for the first 50 areas.

Social entrepreneurs support in 100+ areas. (Management and support milestone)

Star People (a programme run by social entrepreneurship charity UnLtd) worked with individual social entrepreneurs in approximately 110 Big Local areas between 2011 and 2014. A total of 532 funding awards were made. Engagement with the local Big Local programme varied – some partnerships in participating areas were not aware of who had received UnLtd funding.

Launch of funds to help areas get started. (Management and support milestone)

The first funding pot was the ​‘Getting Started’ grant (initially ​‘Getting People Involved’), to help areas develop a vision, involve the community, and form a partnership. There was also £2,000 for creating a Big Local plan. This funding was in addition to the main £1m. From 2012, areas could draw a small amount from their £1m to maintain momentum while they developed their plan.

Regional events for areas began. (Management and support milestone)

The Big Lottery Fund organised a series of summer events in 2011. The 15 events took place across England and were attended by 49 areas. Research in the early years showed that these opportunities to meet staff were valued for clarifying, explaining and inspiring; and meeting other areas helped with learning from others’ experience and getting reassurance.

July: Appointment of delivery consortium. (Management and support milestone)

Following a competitive bidding process the Community Development Foundation in partnership with Renaisi, CCLA, IVAR, Living Space project, the National Association for Neighbourhood Management, and UnLtd were appointed by the Big Lottery Fund to deliver the programme. From this, Local Trust would be established.

Big Local reps in place. (Management and support milestone)

In the beginning, the role of the rep helped establish Big Local areas by bringing together and forming Big Local partnerships. Reps’ role included providing support and appropriate challenge to partnerships, and representing Local Trust on the ground within areas. They usually worked with 3–4 areas each. For wave 1 areas, reps pre-dated the establishment of Local Trust.

November: Local Trust established. (Management and support milestone)

In November 2011, the consortium of partners started delivering the Big Local programme and set up Local Trust. Local Trust was established with an endowment from the Big Lottery Fund, becoming a new funder created to deliver the Big Local programme. CCLA were responsible for investment of the endowment. The Big Local Trust would be established in 2012.

Start of work by delivery partners. (Management and support milestone)

Starting as a small organisation, Local Trust worked with partners. Renaisi managed in-area support. The National Association for Neighbourhood Management ran learning and networking events. UnLtd, Living Space Project, and Small Change gave thematic support. IVAR and the Community Development Foundation helped manage strategic learning, and CCLA undertook investment management.

November: Localism Act. (Context milestone)

This introduced new rights and powers for communities, neighbourhoods, and individuals. Neighbourhood planning was intended to help communities to influence where they live. This Act was a part of the Prime Minister, David Cameron’s ​‘Big Society’ initiative.

Regional networking events and site visits. (Management and support milestone)

Popular spring events were organised with the National Association for Neighbourhood Management. A total of 112 Big Local areas attended at least one networking event in 2014 or 2015. They were at a bigger scale than the 2011 events, bringing more people together across a larger region. Site visits, which gave areas inspiration and showed different ways to approach the programme, ran until 2019.

February: Second 50 areas announced. (Management and support milestone)

The second wave of 50 Big Local areas was announced.

Launch of grant for training or support. (Management and support milestone)

Early in the programme, marketplace grants of up to £2,250 per area were available to areas once their plan was agreed. This was earmarked for training or support needs and was in addition to the £1m allocated to each area.

First chief executive appointed. (Management and support milestone)

Debbie Ladds was chief executive of Local Trust from 2012 to 2016. Her early priorities included establishing Local Trust as an organisation and reinforcing the resident-led nature of the programme. Debbie also prioritised governance arrangements and systems to support effective running of Local Trust and delivery of Big Local.

Start of support with social investment. (Management and support milestone)

This support programme, delivered by Small Change, facilitated Big Local areas to engage with community finance institutions and credit unions. Fourteen Big Local reps (individuals appointed by Local Trust to support areas) were trained in social investment and delivered events on this topic. Small Change worked with Big Local until 2022, seeing 139 areas engage with this work in some way.

December: Final 50 areas announced. (Management and support milestone)

The third and final wave of 50 Big Local areas was announced.

Lottery-appointed Protector in place. (Management and support milestone)

The Big Lottery Fund appointed a legal protector of the Big Local Trust. This was to provide stewardship of the charitable trust and ensure that the Big Local programme aligned with the funder’s objectives.

Welfare Reform Act. (Context milestone)

This introduced universal credit, a benefit cap, and major changes to disability benefits. It also introduced the ​‘bedroom tax’ in which households with a room deemed ​‘spare’ faced a reduction in housing benefit.

Training provided by in-area Reps. (Management and support milestone)

These training events took place across England, at a regional or sub-regional level. They were in addition to the training managed by Local Trust centrally. Reps’ wider role was to provide bespoke support to a few areas, and training topics spanned a large range.

Two pilots of new support. (Management and support milestone)

UnLtd piloted a new approach to support about the local economy. Another pilot of support, delivered by Living Space Project, focused on helping Big Local areas improve their natural environment. 

Looking back, staff felt that some early support pilots came before areas were ready to engage in specific topics, and so the take-up was low.

Chairs’ action learning set. (Management and support milestone)

Big Local partnership chairs got together to solve issues by learning from their peers, in an action-learning approach, which helps solve problems using a structured approach to group discussion.

Initial programme evaluation completed. (Research milestone)

‘Big Local: the early years’ was a major evaluation report carried out by NCVO, the Institute for Volunteering Research and the Office for Public Management.

Start of Communities in Control study. (Research milestone)

An independent evaluation using qualitative and quantitative methods, this study looked at the relationship between collective control (communities having decision-making power) and health. The study was led by Lancaster University and funded by the then National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The study finished in 2022.

March: Over half the areas are drawing from £1m. (Management and support milestone)

Each area within the Big Local programme was given £1m to spend on whatever they chose to prioritise. This was the first financial year that more than half the areas were drawing from their £1m fund. Further funds were given to areas to help them engage with their communities, and when interest was earned on the original endowment.

March: All areas accessed funding. (Management and support milestone)

This is the first financial year that all 150 areas accessed some form of funding for their activities.

New Board subcommittee established. (Management and support milestone)

A new subcommittee of the Local Trust Board focused on key policies for the programme and research.

Small central team relying on partners. (Management and support milestone)

Local Trust support was described in one report as a small team at the centre, working alongside national partners and Big Local reps (who provided bespoke in-area support on a freelance basis). According to the 2015 annual report, the number of full-time employees averaged 11 in 2014 and 2015. Many early research reports characterise support delivered in this period as ​‘light touch’.

Beginning of skills-focused courses. (Management and support milestone)

Courses were run by Directory of Social Change, Talk Action, and Northern College. Topics included public speaking skills. They were less popular than spring events, attended by 56 areas in 2015. They required attendees to travel (sometimes over 100 miles) and even though Local Trust funded expenses, this was a challenge. From 2020, more courses were online, which was easier for many participants.

April: Start of the Our Bigger Story study. (Research milestone)

A longitudinal evaluation working with 15 Big Local areas, this study produced outputs in different media and formats. The study was originally led by the University of Birmingham and then by Sheffield Hallam University.

Start of annual partnership reviews. (Research milestone)

A resident-led partnership was a fundamental part of the Big Local model. Data from partnership reviews was collected to examine whether an area was meeting the requirement for partnerships to be led by at least eight people, over half of whom were residents. The reviews also investigated how the partnerships functioned and the process and data informed programme delivery and support.

Plan review process began. (Research milestone)

Big Local areas were asked to review their progress, outcomes, learning, and community involvement at least once during the length of their Big Local plan. Local Trust specified six to eight questions, and partnerships could submit answers in any format. From 2023, areas delivering their final plan were not required to submit a plan review.

Number of partnership members. (Research milestone)

Local Trust conducted annual counts of partnership members from 2015 to 2023. In this period the peak number of partnership members was 1,925, in 2016. The average number of partnership members at any one time was just over 1,600.

Voluntary sector income changed. (Context milestone)

In the financial year 2014/15, income from central government was higher than from local government for the first time in over a decade. Levels of funding from local government had reduced since the late 2000s. In the early 2010s, small and medium sized charities were more likely to be losing income than large ones.

Start of partnership members survey. (Research milestone)

Every two years since 2016, Local Trust carried out a survey of Big Local partnership members. This survey covered a range of topics: including their experience of delivering the programme; views on Local Trust’s support; and personal achievements, challenges and health and wellbeing.

Deadline for first Big Local plan. (Management and support milestone)

Partnerships needed to create Big Local plans and have them endorsed by Local Trust to access their £1m funding (other pots of funding could be accessed prior to this). They needed to include a long-term vision about how the money would benefit their area, and an outline of plans for funding over 2–3 years.

Areas received population statistics. (Management and support milestone)

These were usually based on public data – for example, Census data. Datasets and, in 2018, bespoke maps for each Big Local geographical area were provided.

Chairs’ action learning sets. (Management and support milestone)

Big Local partnership chairs got together over four meetings aiming to solve issues by learning from their peers, using action learning — a group approach, solving problems through regular meetings and critical thinking. The action learning sets (groups of chairs) met in London and York. While attendance was low, participants gave positive feedback on the value of a peer learning space.

June: UK voted to leave the EU. (Context milestone)

The UK voted to leave the European Union by 52 per cent to 48 per cent through a referendum on 23 June. Leave won the majority of votes in England and Wales, but not in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Turnout was 72 per cent, higher than any general election in the 21st century.

New chief executive appointed. (Management and support milestone)

Local Trust appointed Matt Leach as the new chief executive. This resulted in more focus on external policy engagement and a change in how support was delivered to Big Local areas. Over the next few years, the first national event for all areas was introduced and the support provided included some new topics and themes.

Additional funds released. (Management and support milestone)

In 2017, Local Trust announced that each area would receive an additional £105,000 from the returns on the original investment. A further £50,000 per area was released in 2020.

Plan assessment process updated. (Management and support milestone)

Local Trust staff initially completed plan assessments. From 2017 a team of regional, freelance assessors with specific expertise were also engaged to assess Big Local plans. Assessors began to provide written feedback on plans to Big Local areas. The assessments checked if the plans met the ethos of the Big Local programme, including if the Big Local partnership was resident-led.

Conflict resolution support revised. (Management and support milestone)

Managing conflict within areas was previously addressed by Local Trust, using a range of methods. A new approach was introduced in 2017, including mediation and conflict management training for Big Local reps, who provided bespoke support to areas.

In a 2024 survey of partnership members, 83 per cent of respondents agreed that they were able to deal constructively with disagreements or conflicts.

June: Fire in the Grenfell Tower. (Context milestone)

The fire in the Grenfell social housing estate in London killed 72 people. It spread disastrously because of cladding on the building’s exterior. The fire prompted a groundswell of community action, national action on building and fire safety, and conversations around the role of government and the private sector in the fire, as well as the factors of class and racial inequality.

National two-day event ran annually. (Management and support milestone)

Local Trust organised a total of five residential Big Local Connects events aimed at all 150 areas. The aim was to provide Big Local areas with the opportunity to learn, network and build relationships in one space and feel like they were part of something bigger. The first event was attended by 126 areas. Many smaller-scale, single-topic learning and networking events also ran in these years.

Start of new support for areas. (Management and support milestone)

A new menu of support offers from six partner organisations responded to the diversifying needs of areas, and brought in fresh perspectives. Support themes included land-based projects, sports, communications, and behaviour change. The purpose was to target areas who either needed inspiration and momentum, or areas who required technical or specialist expertise to deliver their plans.

Focus on Locally Trusted Organisations. (Management and support milestone)

Responding to some insolvencies of Locally Trusted Organisations (LTOs), Local Trust staff increasingly focused on identifying and managing LTO risk. This included the financial resilience and capacity of LTOs to support Big Local areas to deliver their plans.

In a survey of partnership members, 86 per cent of respondents indicated that the overall support they received from their LTO was helpful.

Local Insight tool introduced. (Management and support milestone)

This tool was developed with Oxford Consultants for Social Inclusion (OCSI) for Big Local areas to access data specific to their area boundaries. This gave residents access to statistics like number of people, age range of the population, and economic activity. Big Local areas used it to build a community profile, identify key priorities when creating their plans, and measure change over time.

Number of Big Local workers. (Research Milestone)

By 2018, 136 out of 150 Big Local areas employed an estimated 245 workers. In 2021 this increased to 265. For the 10 per cent of Big Local areas that did not employ workers throughout the programme, they often had a member of staff from their LTO performing the role of paid support unofficially.

Start of research into paid workforce. (Research milestone)

Responding to the important role of workers in day-to-day delivery of the Big Local programme, Local Trust carried out research into the paid workforce. The research explored the varying roles and responsibilities of workers, and how these differed across the Big Local areas. The findings helped Local Trust to develop support specifically focused on workers in Big Local areas.

Research hypothesis developed. (Research milestone)

A research and evaluation action plan was developed, including a hypothesis and three lines of inquiry. The hypothesis was: ​“Long term funding and support to build capacity gives residents in hyper-local areas agency to take decisions and to act to create positive and lasting change.”

Research and learning investment increased. (Research milestone)

The original trust deed was amended, allowing significantly more investment in research and learning. Systems were implemented to capture progress and share information and learning with Big Local areas, funders, and policymakers. Research findings continued to help shape decisions around delivery.

Research into Big Local rep role. (Research milestone)

Reps provided bespoke, in-area support to Big Local areas. The 2018 research explored how this role (and the skills needed to support areas) was evolving alongside the needs of areas. Changes included an increased focus on planning for an area’s legacy. The research helped Local Trust to later adjust the support provided by the Big Local reps.

Community Leadership Academy. (Management and support milestone)

The Community Leadership Academy (CLA) had 139 participants. The aim was to provide support for residents to lead change in their area, and help them develop and share skills and knowledge that would benefit the whole community. Ongoing learning and evaluation support enabled the design and delivery of the CLA to adapt.

Big Local rep role changed. (Management and support milestone)

Reps provided in-area support to Big Local areas. The role was adapted following research on the role and the changing nature of the programme. As part of this, the management of reps was transferred from an external organisation to Local Trust. The revised role led to some new reps entering the pool and added options (such as interim chairs) for partnerships needing more targeted support.

Start of Measuring Change support. (Management and support milestone)

Measuring Change was a responsive, flexible support offer for partnerships. Bespoke support helped Big Local areas build the skills to decide what they wanted to measure, and the best methods to evaluate their work. This was part of Local Trust’s strategy to build capacity so that Big Local areas could demonstrate their impact, improve decision making, and attract extra funds.

‘Not going to plan’ research. (Research milestone)

Internal research took place to understand why some areas were not spending as much as planned. This was part of Local Trust’s wider review of the risk of areas not spending the £1m by the end of the programme. It was intended to help Local Trust further develop the support offers to Big Local areas and noted the potential of alternative approaches to delivery that kept the Big Local ethos.

Community hubs report and guidance issued. (Research milestone)

Responding to the increasing number of areas either operating a community hub or planning to do so, Local Trust teamed up with Power to Change to commission research into the financial viability of community hubs.

Strong market performance. (Context milestone)

Steady growth in stock markets throughout much of the 2010s led to high returns on investments, including for charitable endowments.

Zoom licences for all areas. (Management and support milestone)

Licences and training on how to use Zoom were provided to all Big Local areas to support partnerships to continue to meet during the Covid-19 pandemic. Research showed that for most areas this enabled the partnership to effectively make decisions and continue delivering their plan.

March: Networking opportunities moved online. (Management and support milestone)

Physical networking opportunities moved to virtual events during the Covid-19 pandemic. By May 2020, 131 out of 150 areas had engaged in Covid-19 support.

Review of support offer. (Management and support milestone)

Local Trust reviewed how they worked internally to support Big Local areas to deliver and spend by the end of the programme. This review was part of a wider focus on understanding the specific and diversifying needs of areas, and prioritising resources. This included issuing guidance on creating legal entities, in response to more areas thinking about what would happen once the programme ended.

Partnerships’ investment in physical assets. (Research milestone)

By 2020, just under half (49 per cent) of Big Local areas had purchased or funded significant physical assets (such as buildings and play areas). A further 32 per cent planned to do so in the future. As of July 2023, £15.1m (15 per cent of all Big Local programme spending) had been spent on community spaces, and open spaces and parks.

March: Covid-19 lockdowns started. (Context milestone)

The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, ordered households to stay at home. Restrictions closed schools, workplaces, and non-essential businesses. Thousands of mutual aid groups formed quickly to help people in vulnerable circumstances.

Guidance on assets issued. (Management and support milestone)

Local Trust issued guidance on the purchase, funding, and management of assets. This guidance set out expectations for funding assets of £50,000 or more, such as land or buildings.

October: Start of support for areas to spend out. (Management and support milestone)

Big Local areas entered the final third of the programme. As part of Local Trust’s strategic plan for 2021–2026 there was an increasing focus on supporting areas to effectively spend their entire fund and to think about their legacy once the Big Local programme ended.

July: Most Covid-19 restrictions ended (England). (Context Milestone)

All restrictions on social contact came to an end. Limitations on large scale events came to an end, following businesses and schools reopening.

Cost-of-living crisis took hold. (Context milestone)

The costs of food and energy rose rapidly in late 2021. Living in the UK continued to be expensive beyond 2021. In 2022 and 2023, universal subsidies were temporarily provided to assist with gas and electricity bills.

In a survey of partnership members in 2024, 81 per cent of respondents indicated that the cost-of-living crisis changed the priorities of the partnership.

Area coordinators and advisors introduced. (Management and support milestone)

Local Trust began directly employing staff (known as area coordinators) to work closely with Big Local partnerships to help them achieve community-led change. They worked alongside freelance Big Local area advisors. Prior to this, in-area support was provided by (freelance) Big Local reps. Support by area advisors was intended to be even more tailored to specific areas. 

Social investment support ended. (Management and support milestone)

The support programme run by Small Change came to an end. It had offered guidance around financial enterprise and investment. The social entrepreneurship support provided by UnLtd had also come to an end by this point.

First area finished Big Local. (Management and support milestone)

CELL Big Local — Lynemouth, Cresswell, Ellington and Linton — became the first of the 150 Big Local areas to distribute all its funding.

Launch of Make It Happen support. (Management and support milestone)

Make It Happen offered a range of support to help areas spend their funding before the programme deadline in 2026. Through this initiative, Big Local partnerships could access free support from partner organisations.
In a 2024 survey of partnership members, 96 percent of respondents reflected that the support they received from their Big Local advisor or coordinator was helpful.

October: Massive spike in interest rates. (Context milestone)

In October, inflation reached its highest rate in 40 years at 11.1 per cent, following the budget in September under then Prime Minister, Liz Truss. The cost of borrowing finance hugely increased, impacting households, communities, and businesses. By the end of 2022, following planned tax cuts being reversed, borrowing costs were more in line with other European countries.

Support focused on post-Big Local. (Management and support milestone)

Support addressed the transition away from the Big Local programme, for those partnerships planning to continue community-based work. On closing, partnerships were offered membership of Locality and the Community Organisers Network. There was also work to link areas with local partners who could support the sustainability of ongoing work.

Close-out guidance issued. (Management and support milestone)

Local Trust developed guidance to support Big Local partnerships and Locally Trusted Organisations to close. Information in the guidance included the requirements to close, and preparations and actions for closing out successfully. Areas could close out of the programme with up to £75,000 cash remaining. These funds were released with no further reporting required, to encourage areas to spend out.

First alternative delivery approach. (Management and support milestone)

In areas that were no longer able to operate in line with the standard programme model, delivery continued without partnerships and alternative delivery approaches were implemented. In these areas, Local Trust worked with partner organisations to fund projects aligned with residents’ priorities.

Worker pool rolled out. (Management and support milestone)

As the end of the programme approached, some partnerships raised that they had found it challenging to recruit and retain good quality workers. Local Trust pulled together a pool of workers that could support delivery in Big Local areas where there was a clear, time-limited need.

October: Final two-day national event. (Management and support milestone)

Big Local Connects ran for five consecutive years before the final event on 27 and 28 October 2023, at the East Midlands Conference Centre. It acted as an important touchstone for Local Trust and the areas. With the Big Local programme in its final phase, this event focused on celebrating the achievements of Big Local areas and looking ahead to what would come next.

Final partnership reviews conducted. (Research milestone)

Local Trust reviewed each Big Local partnership for the last time in 2023. The data showed whether an area was still meeting the requirement for partnerships to be led by at least eight people, over half of whom were residents. The review process and data informed programme delivery and support.

Events focused on the future. (Management and support milestone)

These events, which mostly took place online, focused on topics such as celebrating endings, business planning, and continuing community action. There were fewer events overall, with no national in-person event in 2024. The final event, We Are Big Local, will take place in Birmingham in March 2026 and will focus on celebrating the volunteers which have driven the Big Local programme.

Fifty Big Local areas closed. (Management and support milestone)

In September 2024, the Big Local programme reached a significant milestone, with 50 areas having completed their journey.

Final partnership members survey. (Research milestone)

The final biennial survey of Big Local partnership members was conducted in 2024. This survey covered a range of topics: including their experience of delivering the programme; views on Local Trust’s support; and personal achievements, challenges and health and wellbeing.

Partnership members’ reflections on legacy. (Research milestone)

There was a significant increase in the proportion of partnership members who agreed that they had the support and resources they needed to achieve their legacy: from 75 per cent of survey respondents in 2022 to 92 per cent in 2024. In addition, 88 per cent of respondents in 2024 agreed that they were confident that they would spend all the £1.15m by March 2026.

Change of Local Trust chief executive. (Management and support milestone)

Matt Leach oversaw Big Local for eight years. As the organisation moved out of the peak delivery phase, Rachel Rowney (part of the Local Trust team since 2012) took over as chief executive.

One hundred Big Local areas closed. (Management and support milestone)

In July 2025, the Big Local programme reached the significant milestone of having 100 areas complete their journey.

ICON research published. (Research milestone)

An evaluation using quantitative methods conducted by the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods (ICON) compared Big Local areas with matched comparisons. Results indicated that Big Local areas showed greater economic resilience and saw neighbourhood crime rates fall faster in comparison with other similar areas.

Taking learning to new audiences. (Research milestone)

In the second half of 2025, Local Trust focused on synthesising and packaging up its learning for distinct and new audiences, such as trusts and foundations, housing associations, regional policy-makers and local authorities. Learning focused on sharing how to effectively support community-led change.

Big Local programme ends. (Management and support milestone)

All Big Local areas must finish spending by early 2026.

Local Trust and Big Local Trust close. (Management and support milestone)

In February 2027, Big Local Trust will be dissolved as per the Trust Deed. Following that, Local Trust will close as an organisation in March 2027.