What Big Local taught us about community power and neighbourhood governance
This blog is part of a series written by organisations championing community power. As new neighbourhood governance arrangements are introduced across England through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, each blog explores how neighbourhood governance can enable local people to have real influence over their places. The series accompanies A Blueprint for Community-Powered Neighbourhood Governance, written by We’re Right Here, with input from Local Trust, Hope Not Hate, Locality, and Power to Change.
For more than 15 years, the Big Local programme has stood as the single largest non-state investment in resident-led neighbourhood renewal ever undertaken in England. As we approach the programme’s conclusion in March, we’re taking the opportunity to reflect on what we’ve learned and to share insights that can help shape the future of community powered change across the country.
One of the clearest lessons from Big Local is this: strong neighbourhood governance is essential to successful community-led action. Again and again, we’ve seen that when communities have the structures, relationships, and support they need, they don’t just participate – they lead.
This understanding has informed our longstanding focus on research and advocacy around civic capacity and neighbourhood governance. It’s also why we’re proud to support We’re Right Here’s Blueprint for Community Powered Neighbourhood Governance, a framework that calls for policy reforms enabling grassroots organisations to take a more central role in shaping the future of their areas. Communities don’t need new layers of bureaucracy – they need a scaffold that strengthens their ability to act.
Six principles that underpin community-powered governance
The principles we champion as part of the Blueprint mirror those that have guided Big Local since its inception – now reframed specifically through the lens of governance.
- Real place based working
Big Local has always been hyperlocal, shaped by the unique context of each of the 150 communities involved. What works in one neighbourhood can’t simply be transplanted into another; real change starts with the deep understanding held by those with a stake in their community.
- Relational governance
Effective governance is built on relationships, not bureaucracy. People don’t need more committees – they need trust, collaboration, and mechanisms that help them work together.
- Equal basis decision making
In a truly community powered model, residents aren’t “stakeholders” or “consulted parties.” They are equal partners in shaping decisions about their neighbourhoods.
- Integration of social infrastructure
Strong governance depends on strong social infrastructure. Spaces, groups, and networks that bring people together are the foundation upon which community power is built. Learnings from the Big Local Programme shows in some areas local people need support to build the capacity of their community to engage with neighbourhood governance – this investment will lead to more representative and sustainable arrangements.
- Community level leadership
Communities thrive when leadership emerges from within – when residents have the skills, confidence, and support to take forward ideas that matter to them.
- Real accountability
Few things are more disempowering than feeling unheard. Real accountability restores agency to communities and ensures that their decisions lead to meaningful action.
A legacy of confidence, commitment, and collective power
As Big Local enters its final phase, an extraordinary statistic stands out: 76% of the programme’s volunteers plan to continue working in their communities after the programme ends. This extraordinary continuation isn’t driven by obligation – it’s powered by a growing sense of ownership, pride, and belief in what their neighbourhood can achieve.
This belief, known as ‘collective efficacy’, is a core component of social capital. And nurturing that sense of shared possibility has always been at the heart of the Big Local approach.
The programme’s momentum only grew during times of challenge. In 2020, 42% of partnership members reported an increase in volunteers following the onset of the pandemic. By 2022, 54% observed further increases in volunteering compared with the previous year. At a time when many communities were facing unprecedented pressures, Big Local areas saw a surge in people stepping forward.
Many of these volunteers had never been involved in community activity before. What drew them in was the resident-led nature of the programme. When people see that decisions are genuinely in the hands of residents, they feel more motivated to contribute.
Looking ahead
As we share the final chapters of Big Local’s journey, one thing is clear: community power is real, and it thrives when supported by the right governance structures. The lessons of Big Local, and the principles behind the Blueprint for Community Powered Neighbourhood Governance, offer a pathway for building stronger, more confident, and more connected neighbourhoods across the country.
Read: A Blueprint for Community-Powered Neighbourhood Governance