What is Big Local?
Established by The National Lottery Community Fund, Big Local was a fundamentally new approach to community funding which ran from 2011 to 2026.
Designed from the outset to be radically different from other funding programmes, in terms of scale, time horizon and ethos, nothing like it had ever previously existed. At the heart of Big Local was a vision of community development that championed resilient, dynamic, asset-rich neighbourhoods, making their own decisions on what is best for their area. Through the programme, 150 areas across England have created lasting change in their neighbourhoods.
Read more about what the programme was and why it was different on the Local Trust website.
Who are Local Trust?
Local Trust is a place-based funder. Through the delivery of the Big Local programme, they empowered residents in 150 areas to transform their lives and the places where they live.
Local Trust worked to put power, resources and decision-making into the hands of local people, enabling communities to shape their own futures and improve the places where they live.
Local Trust believe that when residents are trusted with long-term funding and the freedom to decide what matters locally, they create stronger, more resilient and more connected communities.
Find out more on the Local Trust website.
North East Knowledge Programme
The Knowledge Programme is a series of six events, tailored to North East audiences, sharing learning from the Big Local programme - what worked, what didn’t, and what funders and community organisations can learn for the future.
The programme will cover:
- Big Local: What was it about, what made it different and how we responded to local priorities
- Inclusion, representation and participation in place-based work: What does it really take to make community-led programmes inclusive and representative? 8 July 1.30-3, online
- Getting Started: Decision Making, Relationships and Managing Conflict in Community-Led Partnerships
- Collaboration and partnership working: Hear Local Trust learnings on funding informal groups, working with intermediaries and supporting the development of local leadership over time.
- Long term support and infrastructure: thinking beyond short-term funding cycles, enabling communities and letting go of control
- Programme reflections and what comes next for grassroots funding in the North East
Register for each event below.
Big Local Learning Programme: What was it about, what made it different and how we responded to local need
Monday 15th June 2026, 2pm - 3.30pm - Online via Teams
In the first of our Local Trust Learning Programme series, this introductory 90-minute session explores the origins and principles behind Big Local, how residents identified and prioritised local needs, and what communities chose to invest in when given long-term flexible funding and decision-making power.
Through practical examples, discussion and a resident voice panel contribution, we will explore themes including resident-led versus data-led priorities, local economies, pride in place, community infrastructure and the role of trust and flexibility in funding.
Natasha Almond
Local Trust
Natasha is a systems change practitioner, programme leader and social entrepreneur with over 30 years’ experience working across community development, public services, participatory funding and resident-led change.
She currently works with Local Trust supporting Big Local partnerships across the North East, Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Humberside, helping communities strengthen local leadership, participation and long-term neighbourhood transformation.
Simon Underwood
North Tyneside Big Local
Simon is an experienced freelancer who previously held a variety of senior roles in the public and third sector. He has worked in housing aid and developing housing cooperatives in London and the North East. He also led the housing association and social research consultancy, Banks of the Wear, and spent six years as Head of Social Policy and Inclusion at Newcastle City Council. He is a former chair of the board of the North of England Refugee Service.
Simon spent 12 years working for Local Trust as an advisor to several Big Local partnerships throughout the North East and Cumbria, and he remains a volunteer with the North Tyneside Big Local .
Laura Elliot
VONNE
Laura leads on Member Services at VONNE. She’s passionate about bringing member voices into our work and providing high quality, meaningful services to the North East VCSE sector. From previous roles, Laura brings charity experience in marketing and commercial management plus experience of local government and employment rights advice.
Away from work, Laura volunteers at Whitley Bay Big Local and is a regular volunteer on creative projects in the North East.
Inclusion, Representation and Participation in Place-Based Work: Learning from Big Local
Tuesday 14th July 2026, 10am - 11.30am - Online via Teams
What does it really take to ensure community-led programmes are inclusive, representative and shaped by the people they are intended to benefit?
Drawing on over a decade of experience across 150 neighbourhoods, this interactive session will explore what helped communities participate in decision-making, where barriers emerged, and what organisations can do to create more inclusive approaches to place-based work. Together, we'll examine how power, accessibility, meeting culture and local relationships influence who gets involved and whose voices are heard.
Natasha Almond
Local Trust
Natasha is a systems change practitioner, programme leader and social entrepreneur with over 30 years’ experience working across community development, public services, participatory funding and resident-led change.
She currently works with Local Trust supporting Big Local partnerships across the North East, Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Humberside, helping communities strengthen local leadership, participation and long-term neighbourhood transformation.
Julie Thornton
Big Local
TBC
Lucy Thurley
Local Trust
Lucy works as Senior Programme Coordinator (areas) for Local Trust.
Lucy has worked with and for communities for over 20 years and has a background in creative practice. She has created high impact projects that have local relevance, and is committed to collaborative practices that democratically involve a broad range of voices and stakeholders in decision making.
Amy Coates
VONNE
As a member of VONNE’s Senior Management Team, Amy leads the organisation’s communications and marketing strategy to amplify the voice of the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector across the North East and champion the incredible work happening in our communities every day. Her role focuses on enhancing VONNE’s profile, driving engagement, and delivering impactful communications that support our mission and strategic objectives – to ensure the VCSE sector is better understood, supported and appreciated.
Amy sits on the Communications Committee at the North East Anti Racism Coalition, the communications group of the One Million Women and Girls campaign and is a Trustee at Projects4Change, a charity supporting young people in the west end of Newcastle.
Getting Started: Decision Making, Relationships and Managing Conflict in Community-Led Partnerships: Learning from Big Local
Wednesday 29th July 2026, 10am - 11.30am - Online via Teams
How do you turn ambition into action in a community-led programme while building strong partnerships, making shared decisions and handling disagreement constructively?
This session explores how Big Local partnerships got started, including recruiting volunteers, building relationships with local institutions, consulting communities and developing plans for action. We'll also reflect on decision-making, conflict resolution and the support needed to help community-led partnerships thrive, offering valuable insights for both funders and delivery organisations.
Natasha Almond
Local Trust
Natasha is a systems change practitioner, programme leader and social entrepreneur with over 30 years’ experience working across community development, public services, participatory funding and resident-led change.
She currently works with Local Trust supporting Big Local partnerships across the North East, Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Humberside, helping communities strengthen local leadership, participation and long-term neighbourhood transformation.
David Carnaffan
North Tyneside Big Local
David Carnaffan has worked as Chief Executive of North Tyneside Big Local (formerly Whitley Bay Big Local) since 2020. He has worked in the voluntary sector for almost 20 years, including 11 years as a funder and a further 9 years for delivery organisations. A member of the Chartered Institute of Fundraising, David has developed expertise in applying for funding to trusts and foundations, but takes a particular interest in different approaches taken by charities to achieve financial and environmental sustainability.
Alongside his day job, David is also chair of a grassroots community organisation in his home-town of North Shields.
Laura Elliot
VONNE
Laura leads on Member Services at VONNE. She’s passionate about bringing member voices into our work and providing high quality, meaningful services to the North East VCSE sector. From previous roles, Laura brings charity experience in marketing and commercial management plus experience of local government and employment rights advice.
Away from work, Laura volunteers at Whitley Bay Big Local and is a regular volunteer on creative projects in the North East.
Resources
Want to know more about what Local Trust learned about grassroots funding through the Big Local Programme? The Local Trust website has an evidence and insights page and resources and toolkits for grassroots organisations to use:
Evidence and insights: https://localtrust.org.uk/evidence-insights/
Resources and toolkits: https://localtrust.org.uk/resources/
Thanks goes to the Local Trust and National Lottery Community Fund for funding this programme.
