"A big moment was sharing the keys to the space"

Pitching in is the third in a series of reports sharing the learnings and outcomes of the Creative Civic Change programme, investigating how community leadership is happening in practice. From Whitley Bay to Plymouth, CCC projects have been sharing their stories.

What happens when you give local people power?

Catch up on the latest episodes of the community power podcast. In April we heard about mental health support in Maryport, climate-proofing communities in North Bristol, community leadership in Walsall and the emergency response effort to COVID in Brinnington.

What might building community power look like?

A recent evaluation of the Big Local programme, Our Bigger Story, by the Third Sector Research Centre has looked at what building community power might look like in terms of creating a community-led infrastructure and control of resources beyond the programme.

Funding available for community-led businesses

Power to Change has teamed up with Crowdfunder to launch Community Business Crowdmatch to back new or existing community businesses to deliver brilliant community-led projects, up to £10,000!

Understanding the cost of living crisis

Join our online workshop on 5 May which will look at how poverty is growing in the UK, what alliances are being built to help cope with the rising cost of living and what our communities are doing to address these issues.

Want to learn more about community fundraising?

Join us for our fifth Keep Connected with Big Local session. This month we are talking fundraising and will be joined by the Directory of Social Change as well as hearing from a Big Local area on their experience.

Connects 22: Opportunity to get involved!

We are inviting areas to submit an expression of interest to have either an Ideas Hub stall or run a session at this year’s Connects. This year’s Connects theme is ‘Celebrate Local’ and we want Big Local areas to be more involved than ever before.

Need funds for your local nature project?

If you have an idea for a local nature-based project that involves working with different people or exploring a new approach, Friends of the Earth want to help. Find out more about their catalyst grant.

Want to buy a building in your local community?

Round 2 of the Community Ownership Fund is launching on 15 July, giving communities time to prepare their bids. After the success of Whitley Bay Big Local's application lest year who were awarded £300k for their green hub transformation, it will present a great opportunity for other Big Local areas to access some of the £1.5m fund.