Local Trust is a national charity that work to empower community action across England through the Big Local projects. These are unique initiatives that put residents of 150 communities across the country in control of decisions about neighbourhoods and subsequently their lives and futures. The Big Local Programme was set up in 2010 and is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund. It provides each Big Local area with just over £1 million to spend as they see fit over a period of 10 to 15 years. These 150 local communities have historically missed out on lottery and other sources of funding. The Big Local programme is now in its final phase, with all areas contracted to have spent their funding by 2026.
As well as helping each Big Local thrive, we assisted Local Trust to highlight their policy and advocacy work, underscoring the importance of community leadership and continuing to call for improvements to regional devolution. They call for a new focus in government policy on neighbourhoods, giving agency and opportunity to local people.
The challenge – championing 150 unique community stories
Our challenge was to showcase the breadth and depth of Big Local projects across their range of diverse communities. With over 150 areas involved, each with their own unique stories and challenges, our aim was to highlight compelling narratives that resonated with Local Trust’s mission of community leadership and regional empowerment.
Our approach – amplifying local action for national impact
At the heart of our strategy was storytelling that captured the essence of community-driven change. We couldn’t do this without making the essential connections with the people who had been driving change in their communities. Whether that was a retired social worker who has been running their community Big Local, mums who wanted to connect with other parents to discuss important issues, a community dedicated to saving their local library or a local volunteer recently awarded a BEM. Their commonality was the determination they have to improve their communities, often in their free time.
Securing media coverage: local stories on national platforms
Leveraging our media relationships, we secured extensive coverage across broadcast, radio, print and online platforms. These efforts included:
- A feature in ITV Tyne and Tees for a pensioner’s cycling club in Gateshead that aimed to tackle post-retirement loneliness. A follow up BBC Radio interview a few weeks later for their incredible 100-kilometre bike ride.
- The Yorkshire Post revealing incredible imagery of Thurnscoe Big Local’s sell-out closing event, where a stunning art installation storytelling the history of Big Local took centre stage.
- BBC North West Tonight coverage for the residents’ community in Blackpool who aim to improve the lives of the people who live there.
- ITV Meridian prime-time coverage of the volunteers that saved their community library down in North East Hastings.
- BBC Radio Northampton coverage for George Hill, Chair of KHL Big Local, who has been awarded a BEM in The King’s Birthday Honours. There were also many other BBC Radio interviews with leaders driving change in their communities.
Results & impact – lasting reach for community stories
With coverage reaching 8.72 million views, an audience of 627 million and almost 20K engagements, our goal was to raise awareness and encourage local communities to engage with their Big Locals. For many Big Locals whose National Lottery funding will be ending soon, they have established themselves as a legacy charity in order to continue their great work for years to come. Media coverage will only help increase opportunities for future funding.
Lack of previous media coverage in some areas may mean some people didn’t know what was on their doorstep. We covered seven of England’s nine regions, providing relevant and impactful coverage to support twelve Big Locals.
We’re taking away the real-life impacts of our work on the Big Local communities and the people who live there. Whether it’s a deprived area being seen by thousands in a new light, more people going to their Big Local chairpersons for help, or a community volunteer feeling a little more confident reaching out to the media, we wanted our work to have an impact beyond a statistic.
Real-life impact – highlighting community successes
For Lawrence O’Halleron, who has said Teams Wheelers – the cycle club in Gateshead – now has 72 riders, an increase of 25-30 in the four months since their ITV Tyne and Tees coverage. His goal was for people of all ages to get out on their bikes with Teams Wheelers and improve their mental health.
For North East Hastings library, coordinators said they wanted to make sure everyone in their area knew their library – and all the support they give – is accessible to all, especially since it had been closed in 2018. With tens of thousands in the local area viewing their ITV Meridian coverage, we hope more and more people will be flocking to the library for education and connection.
For Blackpool’s Revoelution, the media’s focus on how hard life is in Revoe – England’s second most deprived area out of 32,000 – often shifted focus away from the amazing work they were doing for the people in the community. BBC North West Tonight visited, followed by broadcast, online, and radio coverage, which allowed thousands to hear those voices. “We’re a voice for the people in this area,” said Revoelution chairwoman Angela Buss. “It’s about people being able to aspire to things and to take their own lives in their own hands.”
Raising national awareness for Local Trust
As well as this, we have elevated general public knowledge for Local Trust through the widespread national coverage, getting the charity the recognition they deserve for their support of all 150 areas over the last 13 years.