Local Trust
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| Local Trust | |
|---|---|
| Name | Local Trust |
| Type | Charitable trust |
| Founded | 2010 |
| Headquarters | Blakenhall, Wolverhampton |
| Region served | England |
Local Trust
Local Trust is an independent charitable organization established to support community-led change across England. It focuses on neighborhood revitalization, social inclusion, asset transfers, and participatory grantmaking in areas affected by industrial decline, post-industrial regeneration, and social policy shifts. The organization operates alongside national funders, municipal authorities, philanthropic foundations, and academic partners to promote local empowerment and community resilience.
History
Local Trust was founded in 2010 following policy discussions involving the Big Lottery Fund, Cabinet Office, Department for Communities and Local Government, and stakeholders from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. Early pilots drew on lessons from the Urban Community Trust, Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, and the Coalfields Regeneration Trust. Initial governance included trustees with backgrounds at the National Trust, Community Development Foundation, Locality, Nesta, and the RSA. Its work has intersected with initiatives such as the Big Local programme, pilots informed by research at the Institute for Voluntary Action Research, and evaluations by teams at the University of Birmingham, University of Oxford, and London School of Economics.
Mission and Objectives
Local Trust articulates objectives resonant with aims advanced by the Tudor Trust, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, and Comic Relief. Primary aims include community asset transfers similar to campaigns by the Plunkett Foundation, participatory budgeting innovations linked to work at the Young Foundation, and fostering volunteerism akin to efforts by Volunteer Centre Sefton and national platforms such as Do-it (organisation). Objectives reference social inclusion agendas championed by the Equality and Human Rights Commission and place-based strategies promoted by the Centre for Cities and IPPR.
Programs and Initiatives
Programs draw from models tested by the Big Lottery Fund's neighbourhood grants, the Heritage Lottery Fund's community schemes, and urban regeneration exemplars like New Deal for Communities and Future Cities Catapult. Initiatives have included targeted funding for community hubs inspired by community land trusts, participatory grantmaking comparable to work by Barrow Cadbury Trust, and capacity-building workshops run in partnership with Locality and Co-operatives UK. Project examples echo approaches from Transition Towns, CLES (Centre for Local Economic Strategies), and asset-based community development promoted by legislative reforms in devolved contexts.
Funding and Governance
Funding streams have included endowments and grants akin to distributions from the Big Lottery Fund, contributions from the National Lottery Community Fund, and matched funding arrangements observed with the National Trust and private philanthropists associated with the Wolfson Foundation and Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts. Governance structures reflect trustee models used by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and compliance with frameworks set by the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Financial oversight and audits have drawn on practices from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and reporting standards paralleling those of the Nesta and TPAS (Tenant Participation Advisory Service).
Impact and Evaluation
Evaluations have been commissioned from academic partners at the University of Manchester, University of Leeds, and University of Sheffield, building on methodologies used by the What Works Centre for Local Economic Growth and New Philanthropy Capital. Reported impacts reference outcomes similar to those in studies of the Big Local programme, including improvements in social cohesion tracked by instruments developed at the Office for National Statistics, local employment effects comparable to findings from Local Enterprise Partnership analyses, and health-related community benefits aligned with research at the NHS England and Public Health England. Impact measurement has incorporated participatory evaluation techniques used by Community Development Exchange and tools developed by the National Audit Office for public programmes.
Partnerships and Collaborations
Local Trust collaborates with a network of organizations that mirror partnerships between the Big Lottery Fund, Locality, National Trust, Housing Associations such as Peabody Trust and Clarion Housing Group, and civic bodies including Wolverhampton City Council and other local authorities. Academic collaborations have included projects with the University College London, King's College London, and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. It has also worked alongside community intermediaries like Groundwork and policy institutes including the RSA and Centre for Social Justice.
Criticism and Controversies
Critiques mirror debates raised around community funding initiatives such as the Big Local reviews and controversies involving the New Deal for Communities programme. Observers from organizations like the Adam Smith Institute and IPPR have questioned efficacy, scalability, and long-term sustainability, while commentators in outlets such as The Guardian and The Times have probed governance transparency and outcomes. Academic critiques from researchers affiliated with the University of Southampton and University of York have argued for clearer comparators with national regeneration instruments like the Single Regeneration Budget and more robust counterfactual evaluation akin to standards used by the What Works Centre for Local Economic Growth.