Feeling the impact of Big Local
Allenton Big Local was one of 20 Big Local areas chosen to participate in a piece of research conducted by Resources for Change on behalf of Local Trust. The aim of the research was to:
“Capture the impact, achievements and learning of some of the earliest plans to be endorsed to demonstrate what the Big Local model has been able to achieve and draw out learning for other Big Local areas moving into delivery. “
Additionally, the researchers were tasked with finding out how each of the Big Local areas they talked to were measuring the impact of their activities.
Across the 20 areas, the most frequently reported impacts for individuals were:
- the development of skills and learning
- confidence building
- involvement in the community
- employment and enterprise, and
- social and interpersonal benefits.
These are all impacts that have been felt in the Allenton Big Local area through the activities delivered by Derby Adult Learning (the Work Club), Nacro (parent and family support) and Enthusiasm (activities and support for young people).
The research also considered the collective/community impacts, which included:
- new services/facilities available and being used
- organisational benefits
- improved community spirit
- making the area nicer and improving people’s perceptions about the area.
In Allenton, events such as the Christmas Market have certainly had a positive impact in terms of community spirit, and based on our annual survey, there have been improvements in the way local people perceive the area.
The research recommended some action points for Local Trust to implement. These included helping Big Local areas make the connection between delivery and impact by maintaining a ‘golden thread’ between their activities and their vision. For Allenton Big Local, this will mean asking ourselves whether the activities we are funding are successfully contributing towards our vision and strategic goals. The research report also challenges Big Local areas to question whether the activities they have chosen to fund are the right activities to deliver their vision and the benefits they are seeking for the community.
Our vision for Allenton Big Local area is for a stronger community by bringing about visible change through raising aspirations, opportunities and skills.
At the July meeting, the Allenton Big Local Partnership Group agreed to conduct regular reviews of our themes and linked activities to assess on an ongoing basis whether they are still relevant, beneficial and able to deliver our vision. We will also be improving the way we monitor and report on added value to show the full extent and impact of our activities in the Allenton area.
You can read summary report on this research or the full report on the Local Trust website here.