Local Trust
Local Trust is a UK place-based charitable funder, established in 2012 to deliver the Big Local programme by distributing £1m each to 150 communities across England from 2011 to 2026, ahead of its planned closure in early 2027.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Local Trust firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Local Trust
- Legal name
- Local Trust
- Website
- https://localtrust.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Local Trust is a UK place-based charitable funder, established in 2012 to deliver the Big Local programme by distributing £1m each to 150 communities across England from 2011 to 2026, ahead of its planned closure in early 2027.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Local Trust industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Charitable Community Development Funding
- NAICS
- Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)
Keywords
Where Local Trust is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Local Trust business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Local Trust product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Local Trust operates as a place-based charitable funder that delivered the Big Local programme from 2011 to 2026, distributing £1m each to 150 communities across England for resident-led community development. The organisation provides long-term flexible grant funding, learning and events, legacy support through Beacon Areas, health inequalities programmes, the Community Leadership Academy, and research outputs including the Community Needs Index. Operating as a grant-making charity rather than a transactional entity, Local Trust uses locally trusted organisations to channel funding directly to resident-led partnerships in doubly disadvantaged neighbourhoods.
Product overview
Local Trust is a place-based funder that operates primarily as a charitable organisation rather than a technology product company. Its core offering is the Big Local programme, which distributed £1m to each of 150 communities across England for resident-led change from 2011 to 2026. Supporting programmes include the Beacon Areas (legacy support), Health Inequalities Programme, Community Leadership Academy, and Creative Civic Change. Learning from Big Local is a resource platform capturing programme insights. The Community Needs Index (CNI) is a research tool identifying disadvantaged neighbourhoods. The Empowered Communities research initiative provides evidence and insights on community empowerment.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Big Local: A resident-led community funding programme that provided £1m to each of 150 communities across England from 2011-2026
- Learning from Big Local
- Community Leadership Academy
- Star People
- Creative Civic Change
- Beacon Areas
- Health Inequalities
- Community Needs Index (CNI)
Products and services
- Big Local Programme A resident-led community funding initiative that provided £1m to each of 150 communities across England to drive lasting change in their neighbourhoods, running from 2011 to 2026. For community organisations and resident-led partnerships in doubly disadvantaged neighbourhoods.
- Beacon Areas Supporting connections between community organisations that are continuing resident-led action beyond the Big Local programme, sustaining legacy impact in former Big Local areas.
- Health Inequalities Programme Supporting community-led health and wellbeing approaches to tackle health inequalities in disadvantaged neighbourhoods.
- Learning and Events Community development learning programmes and events including training, networking, and opportunities to build skills and make connections for community organisations and residents.
- Creative Civic Change A programme exploring the role of creativity and arts in community-led change, including projects examining race, community leadership, and co-creation in Big Local areas.
- Community Leadership Academy A programme created by Local Trust in partnership with Koreo, The Young Foundation and Northern Soul to support volunteers in Big Local communities to develop leadership skills.
- Learning from Big Local A resource website that captures 15 years of learning from the Big Local programme, including reports, guidance, and case studies for community-led change, targeted at policymakers, funders and communities.
- Community Needs Index (CNI) A research tool developed by Local Trust that maps social infrastructure in England to identify 'left behind' neighbourhoods that lack places to meet, community engagement, and connectivity.
- Star People A programme delivered in partnership with UnLtd to support social entrepreneurs in Big Local areas, providing funding and support that has created 3,700 local jobs and volunteering opportunities and developed 292 social leaders.
- Empowered Communities An 18-month research project exploring what needs to happen for communities to feel and be more powerful, conducted in partnership with IVAR to produce evidence including 'Building on Assets' and 'The Future for Communities: Perspectives on power'.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 120 legacy organisations established to continue community work beyond the programme
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Local Trust
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Local Trust technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Local Trust partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- KoreocorePartner in creating the Community Leadership Academy, launched in 2020 to support volunteers in Big Local communities to develop leadership skills. Academy created in partnership with Koreo, The Young Foundation and Northern Soul.
- The Young FoundationcorePartner in creating the Community Leadership Academy, launched in 2020 to support volunteers in Big Local communities to develop leadership skills.
- Northern SoulcorePartner in creating the Community Leadership Academy, launched in 2020 to support volunteers in Big Local communities to develop leadership skills.
- UnLtdcorePartnership with UnLtd to deliver the Star People programme, finding social entrepreneurs in Big Local areas and offering funding and support. Over £3 million invested in more than 1,000 awards to social entrepreneurs across 133 Big Local areas. Developed nearly 300 social leaders and created 3,700 local jobs and volunteering opportunities.
- Bristol Energy CooperativeminorPartnered with Lawrence Weston Big Local to develop a community-owned solar energy farm. This investment opportunity allowed the community to participate in renewable energy while building social capital and community resilience.
- IPPR (Institute for Public Policy Research)minorCollaborated on research exploring community climate action and the role of communities in responding to climate change. Report 'The climate commons: How communities can thrive in a climate changing world' articulates the opportunity for community power in climate action.
- IVAR (Institute for Voluntary Action Research)minorResearch partner for the Empowered Communities project, conducting literature reviews and qualitative research on community empowerment. Produced reports including 'Building on Assets' and 'The Future for Communities: Perspectives on power'.
- Cross Keys HomesminorHousing provider and locally trusted organisation for WestRaven Big Local in Peterborough. Provided the building for community café, organised change of use, and supported with tendering and finding suppliers.
- HMP PeterboroughminorPrison within the WestRaven Big Local area provided prisoners released on temporary licence (ROTL) for construction work and volunteering. Governor offered first year's rent of £10,000 for community café.
- Peterborough Environment City Trust (PECT)minorTaking on lease of community space for 2 years, employing café manager and supporting development of energy saving initiatives, cooking projects, and bicycle-powered cinema.
- Shared AssetsminorPartnership announced to support Big Local communities to own and manage land. Joint initiative to help communities understand and pursue community asset transfer opportunities.
- Cultivate LondonminorAward-winning urban farm and social enterprise providing horticultural training to Hanwell Big Local. Training apprentices funded by Big Local in woodland development and orchard management.
- Groundwork North YorkshireminorLocally trusted organisation for Barrowcliff Big Local, key partner in developing and refurbishing community play park with support from Scarborough Borough Council and Yorkshire Coast Homes.
- Community Wealth Fund AlliancecoreLocal Trust is a founding member and provides secretariat to the alliance of nearly 400 organisations advocating for £2bn of dormant assets to be invested in left behind neighbourhoods. Includes charities, funders, and 30 combined and local authorities.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Local Trust competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- The National Lottery Community Fund: The largest community funder in the UK and founding funder of both Local Trust and the Big Local programme. Overlaps in mission and geography but operates a much broader portfolio and is not place-based at the resident-partnership level.
- UK Community Foundations: UK-wide network of 47 accredited community foundations distributing place-based grants in disadvantaged areas. Overlaps with Local Trust's community-foundations category but operates as a membership/aggregator rather than single-funder resident partnership model.
- Garfield Weston Foundation: Major UK grant-making foundation supporting communities, welfare, and education with multi-year unrestricted grants — comparable funder profile serving similar community organisations but a broader thematic remit.
Direct peers
- Tudor Trust: UK charitable trust providing unrestricted, multi-year grants to small community organisations in under-resourced areas — closely aligned funding model and beneficiary profile to Big Local.
- Esmée Fairbairn Foundation: UK grant-making foundation supporting communities, the environment, and social change through long-term flexible funding and research — highly comparable funding philosophy and beneficiary focus.
- Power to Change: UK place-based funder established in 2015 to support community businesses in left-behind neighbourhoods. Directly comparable in mission, resident-led model, and reliance on long-term lottery/dormant capital.
- Joseph Rowntree Foundation / JRF: Large UK charitable foundation focused on poverty and place-based disadvantage, with research, advocacy, and grantmaking arms — operationally similar mix of evidence-led grantmaking to deprived neighbourhoods.
Emerging players
- Shared Assets: UK charity focused on community asset ownership and land-based community enterprises. Listed partner of Local Trust for community land transfer work in Big Local areas and operates in the same resident-led infrastructure space.
- The Young Foundation: UK social innovation and research charity and a documented Local Trust partner (Community Leadership Academy). Comparable in combining place-based research, programme design, and capacity-building for communities.
- Nesta: UK innovation foundation backing place-based and community-led innovation projects via grants and research. Comparable mix of evidence-building, partnerships, and grantmaking to community-focused missions.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Local Trust social profiles
Digital presenceLocal Trust compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Local Trust financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Local Trust leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Local Trust funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Local Trust M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Local Trust
What does Local Trust do?
Local Trust operates as a place-based charitable funder that delivered the Big Local programme from 2011 to 2026, distributing £1m each to 150 communities across England for resident-led community development. The organisation provides long-term flexible grant funding, learning and events, legacy support through Beacon Areas, health inequalities programmes, the Community Leadership Academy, and research outputs including the Community Needs Index. Operating as a grant-making charity rather than a transactional entity, Local Trust uses locally trusted organisations to channel funding directly to resident-led partnerships in doubly disadvantaged neighbourhoods.
Is Local Trust a public or private company?
Local Trust is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Local Trust founded?
Local Trust was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Local Trust based?
Local Trust is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
Who are Local Trust's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are The National Lottery Community Fund, UK Community Foundations and Garfield Weston Foundation. Direct peers are Tudor Trust, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Power to Change and Joseph Rowntree Foundation / JRF. Emerging players are Shared Assets, The Young Foundation and Nesta.
Does Local Trust have an API?
No public API is recorded for Local Trust.
What industry is Local Trust in?
Local Trust's product category is Charitable Community Development Funding. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAE, Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries, with a secondary code of BPAGAKAB, Community Foundations. Its NAICS code is 81321 and its SIC code is 8300.