Yesterday we had the pleasure of attending the West Midlands Funders Network Big Local Legacy and Learning Programme event "Turning Ambition into Reality" at the Grace Mary to Lion Farm Big Local area in Sandwell.
It was a packed morning, starting off with residents and local partners sharing their experience of running the Big Local project over the past decade, followed by a minibus tour of the local area (expertly delivered by our tour guide Lewis), ending with a fireside chat with some of the young people involved in the Wallace Youth Project and Big Local Little Voices.
We were shown how ten years of patient, community-led investment and ambition has helped to build trust, strengthen local leadership and create lasting benefits across neighbourhoods. Grace Mary to Lion Farm Big Local is one of the West Midlands' strongest examples of what long-term community investment can build - you can read more about it here. A lasting legacy of the Big Local is the creation of the GM2LF charity, which continues to deliver across five neighbourhoods, delivering youth work, social enterprise, and community support.
True to form, we asked lots of questions about physical assets in the area and the importance of these in contributing to the success of the project. Tracy Lowe, Chair of the GM2LF charity, confirmed our theory and said that in terms of legacy, having a physical community base is vital in safeguarding for the future. The Big Local utilised a number of bases during the project, including churches and some local authority-owned spaces. The main meeting room used for the Wallace Youth Project was put at risk recently, with Tracy having to fight to retain the space and prevent the LA from converting it into residential properties.
Tracy went on to tell us about the loss of local Neighbourhood Advice Offices, which were prevalent in the area when she was growing up. This has led to many of the older people in the area struggling to access services and support, with everything moving online. Residents still want to be able to go and visit a real life person to get help with filling in forms and accessing advice and information. Something that has been lost with the closure of these spaces.
Some of the young people were also asked what was the most important thing for them in the area. The simple answer: somewhere to go. Not necessarily the provision of loads of activities, but simply a safe place to go and hang out with their friends. Somewhere where the door is always open and it's free to walk in.
The Government’s Pride in Place Programme has been launched this year, with areas being awarded long-term investment for community development over the next 10 years. There is a wealth of learning to be gleaned from Big Local successes.
And as for Save Birmingham, we'll continue to bang the drum for the preservation of local community assets!
