Hello and welcome to our March newsletter. Spring is officially here as are Big Local spring events! We have lots of information, including videos and an agenda on our website, so if you haven't signed up yet and are interested please do get in touch.

We have lots of Big Local stories, blogs and updates to share with you and we hope that you'll enjoy hearing what is happening in Big Local areas as much as we do. If you'd like to see your Big Local area in the monthly newsletter then email info@localtrust.org.uk We look forward to hearing from you.

Debbie Ladds, chief executive, Local Trust

At our first spring event in Little Hulton Big Local, Manchester in March, we asked why people would suggest other people from Big Local areas should come along. Some of their responses are below.  Other people said that 'it helped me to pull everything together' and that it 'helped me to share a creative vision'.

If you'd like to find out more about the spring events or to book, please visit out website.

The 50 Big Local areas which were announced on 10 December 2012 by the Big Lottery Fund are now able to submit a proposal for Getting Started funding to Local Trust. We have designed Getting Started to help you get the most out of Big Local with an emphasis on activities that help you start the conversation in your Big Local area – spreading the word about Big Local, making sure people locally know how to get involved, and begin gathering ideas on what would make your area even better. We look forward to working with you as you begin your Getting Started activities. There is more information available on our website which explains Big Local and Local Trust, and the types of things you might do with Getting Started monies.

On 22 March 2013 Local Trust and UnLtd celebrated over 230 awards of support and funding to Star People in Big Local areas across England.

UnLtd is working in all 150 Big Local areas, offering a range of awards to support community entrepreneurs turn their ideas into reality. Read our blog to find out more about Star People and this celebratory event.

Since its first establishment in early 2012 Local Trust has been busy working on the development of a new Big Local system.

In February 2013 residents from Big Local areas, Big Local reps and Local Trust staff and delivery partners tested the system in development. We have made changes based on this feedback and are now calling for more people to volunteer to help with testing.

You can find out more here on our website.

People who took part in the testing session in February said:

‘I really enjoyed the testing day; I think the portal (system) will be an invaluable tool for the Big Local areas’. – Tina

‘Good to talk in detail about practicalities. It made me think of the functionality of the other websites I’m involved with (including my own!)’.- Dave (Big Local rep)

Our blog 'How are the 50 Big Local areas announced (nearly) a year ago today getting on?' celebrates wave 2 Big Local areas and shares some examples of what Big Local areas have achieved so far.

Rastrick Big Local, one of the 50 Big Local areas which were announced on 29 February 2012 (wave 2) have been celebrating 12 months since the announcement of Big Local in the area - what a fantastic cake!

If your Big Local areas has been celebrating then please let us know!

Debbie recently spent the day visiting East Cleveland villages Big Local area, which was hosted by the group of people that are forming their Big Local partnership and supported by some of their community stakeholders including their locally trusted organisation. Travelling in a minibus, they spent the day visiting all 11 villages that are part of this Big Local area. The partnership are working to 'join up' these 11 different villages 'to identify themes that affect everyone and to identify ways in which Big Local can be a long term investment in their communities. For example, finding job opportunities, supporting social enterprises, bringing unoccupied buildings back into use, providing suitable housing, increasing the benefit from tourism, improving transport and of course, increasing the range of facilities that are provided in each village – from community food schemes and mobile outlets to access to services'. Full blog here.

Mark Breen at Local Trust shares news of what a group of people are doing to turn surplus food into something that communities can cook up and enjoy with their neighbours in this blog. Including some examples of what some communitites are doing around food issues in Big Local areas, this blog provides food for thought!

Moorsley and Easington Lane Big Local has been involved in setting up a new community hut in the area. The area received funding from NESTA and other sources to bring in a portable and temporary building to a disused site. Big Local Getting Started funding has been used to make the hut and site safe and useable, by providing insurance, an alarm, a footpath and fencing. There are regular drop-in meetings at the hut which has created opportunities for residents and friends to meet up and socialise and there are some great ideas for the use of the new hut including:

• Book/CD/DVD library
• Sessions to help people with completeing forms
• Adult literacy and numeracy classes
• Cinema evenings
• Domino, darts and cards afternoons – aimed at male residents
• NHS health sessions
• After school clubs
• Meetings for Big Local

Carr Green Primary School in Rastrick Big Local is celebrating its centenary. Throughout the year they will be organising a range of special events and activities, including children from the school working towards completing 100 good deeds in the community. '100 faces of Carr Green' is a photography project being funded by Rastrick Big Local. Photographs will include pupils and staff currently at the school as well as generations who attended previously. It is hoped that the exhibition will travel and be on show at Brighouse Civic Hall, churches and finish at Rastrick Library.

Elderly residents in Broadwaters got more than just a hearty meal and good company at their new Sunday lunch club held at St Oswald's primary school. Organised by Broadwaters Residents Action Group (BRAG), residents could find out how they could get involved in Big Local and were able to share their views on on how Big Local could be used to make a positive and lasting difference to the area.

This initial lunch was run by volunteers and funded by Big Local DY10 (Horsefair, Broadwaters and Greenhill). BRAG intends to build on this success and make the community lunch a regular event.

'We are delighted with the turnout today and expect the numbers to increase quickly as word spreads. We propose to eventually be offering the lunch to between 40 and 50 people. We won't exclude those elderly local residents who have children in their care, the community sunday lunch will be offered to the whole family in those cases.' - Mrs Sarah Rook, BRAG chair

Developed by students from Blackburn College media department (two of whom are residents of Shadsworth and Whitebirk) - this promotional film speaks out and shows some of the community activities happening on the ward. It is being used in the area as a call for action to get people involved in creating an even better community through Big Local.

We know that many Big Local areas are using film to talk about their areas and get people involved. You can check out our YouTube channel to see what other areas are doing. If you have any films that you are using as part of Big Local, please send us a link so that we can 'like it' on YouTube or share it on your area page.

Fulfilling Lives Ageing Better - Big Local areas, are older people a priority in your area? Well have a look at this £120 million programme just announced by Big Lottery Fund

Social Media Surgery - a website to help people find and run social media surgeries to support their local community and voluntary organisations

Locality to deliver new £9.5m neighbourhood planning fund and support - The Neighbourhood Planning fund and support programme will open on 1 May 2013 and last for two years. Groups will be able to bid for up to £7,000 each to help them produce their plan

Community Plus - funding opportunity from Santander Bank grants scheme, awards of up to £5000 available

Barclays Community Finance Fund - The Community Finance Fund is making £200,000 available to improve access to affordable credit in the UK by providing existing or seedling community finance providers with direct short-term grants of up to £50,000 to deliver services over the course of a 12 month period