Background

Big Local is an exciting opportunity for residents in 150 areas around England to use at least £1 million to make a lasting positive difference to their communities over ten years.

Central Boston (a map on the first page of the plan gives you the exact boundaries) is one of these Big Local areas. 

Local Trust is the national organisation running Big Local. Big Local funding comes from a £200m + investment from the Big Lottery Fund. Local Trust’s mission is to enable people to make their communities better places to live. They do this by helping them develop and use their skills and confidence to identify what matters most to them, and to take action to change things for the better, now and in the future. They provide a mix of funding and support to enable long-term sustainable change, maximise impact and make the best use of resources.

Our Big Local Partnership

A Big Local partnership of residents from within the Big Local area of Central Boston developed its first plan through community conversations and consultations with partner agencies. The chair of the partnership is local resident, Richard Tory. The partnership is supported by Rachel Lauberts who is the plan coordinator, Age UK Lincoln & South Lincolnshire which is the Local Trusted Organisation and Bill Badham who is the Big Local Rep. There are spaces for residents on the partnership board so please get in touch if you are interested.

Who are the key people?

You are! Unlike lots of big initiatives, this is about putting residents in charge. Many many local residents have already contributed to the plans and decisions. We get access to lots of support, including a Big Local rep, but this is basically your shout.

Together, we have at least £1m and at least 10 years to make it happen.

Exploring our Big Local Vision

Our vision arose from listening to many local people about the things they liked and the things they wanted to see change in the Big Local area.  A detailed profile or background report was completed to make sure the vision and plan were routed in local needs and priorities.

Our vision is for a happy vibrant area where people feel a sense of belonging.

We aim to enhance the local area for the benefit of residents and businesses.

Our objectives are to build closer communications between all people, make the area more attractive, encourage new businesses and help make the facilities better, improve the environment for all and help ensure cleaner and safer streets.

Our Guiding Principles are to be:

  • Open, honest, even handed, inclusive and fair.
  • Active in the community, sharing our vision, listening to and hearing what the Community wants and needs.
  • Enabling sustainable environmentally sound projects that are locally run and that benefit as large a section of the community as possible.
  • The best we can, self-challenging, adaptable, impartial, transparent and accountable in all our dealings with the community.

Creating the Big Local plan

The first plan was submitted to Local Trust and approved so that delivery could start in April 2015. The full plan is available to download from this site and it gives all the detail of its background and development, activities, partners and funding. It includes the partnership agreement and expectations.

Delivering our Big Local plan

Delivering our agreed plan is going well. on this site you can find the Service Level Agreements for the groups and organisations we are funding to deliver on local priorities. You can find their reports on what they’ve done and what difference they have made. These are all checked and approved by the partnership before funding is released. Activities include a small grants programme and an events pot that groups can apply for.

The four themes are:

  1. Improving health and wellbeing.
  2. Creating a more attractive environment.
  3. Building community spirit.
  4. Encouraging enterprise.

What it’s not about

  • It’s NOT about the government or a national organisation telling you what to do.
  • It’s NOT about individual groups fixing their favourite problem without talking to a wide range of different people who live and work in their community.
  • It’s NOT about short-term thinking – we’ve got 10 years or more to plan and deliver the best options for our area

Our compliments, concerns and complaints policy

You can read download our compliments, concerns and complaints policy here.

If you would like to submit a compliment, concern, complaint or other comment, download and complete a contact card here.