See a decade of community investment up close. A visit to Scotlands and Bushbury Hill

The Big Local Legacy Learning Programme brings together the communities, practitioners, and funders at the heart of Big Local in the West Midlands to share what a decade of resident-led investment really taught us. Delivered by West Midlands Funders Network and Heart of England Community Foundation, in partnership with Local Trust. Free to attend.

About this event

Scotlands and Bushbury Hill residents felt that past investment in their neighbourhoods hadn't been led by the community and benefits hadn't lasted. Through Big Local, the partnership chose a different approach: building the confidence and capacity of residents to help each other, developing community-based services, and supporting residents to be active and involved citizens. By increasing community control over local assets and creating a consortium through which local groups could collaborate, they created a legacy of community ownership and action that continued after Big Local funding ended.

This visit is a chance to see that work up close. You'll hear from residents, volunteers and local leaders about the turning points that changed the direction of the programme, meet people at the community centre and visit local developments, and explore what enabled this transformation from lost trust to community leadership.

The visit will include:

A facilitated conversation exploring building trust, critical turning points, managing conflict, and legacy

A local tour to see key community developments and meet the people involved

A fireside conversation with residents and volunteers about what changed and what mattered most

A facilitated discussion about lessons for future place-based investment

Who should attend

This session is open to anyone working in or around place-based and neighbourhood change. It will be particularly relevant to funders, local authorities, voluntary and community sector organisations, community infrastructure bodies, and public sector commissioners and practitioners.

You will come away with:

A grounded understanding of how long-term investment, community development and resident leadership can enable neighbourhoods to build voice and agency

Insight into the critical turning points that shape community-led programmes and how to navigate conflict and difficult relationships

Understanding of what conditions are needed to sustain change beyond a funding programme

Practical learning about how institutions can better support communities to lead and how to position investment to support what gets measured as success for communities

Delivered by West Midlands Funders Network and Heart of England Community Foundation, in partnership with Local Trust.

Description supplied by the event organiser.