The role of money
Previous area based initiatives have included varying degrees of financial investment and community involvement in decision making about how funding is used to improve an area. Under Big Local, residents have control over how at least one million pounds in each of 150 areas is used to make a positive difference.
Learning from the early stages of Big Local’s delivery identified many examples of the funding helping to connect and engage residents and other local organisations. Yet the money could also create tensions between residents and with external organisations over who should control how it was used and who had rights to benefit.
In the video, Anne considers how the ‘money’ acts as a mechanism for change in Big Local areas.
Further resources
CiC research summary #2: The role of money in a place based programme the Big Local programme? CiC Summary #2 Money final
Reynolds, J. Egan, M, Renedo, A, and Petticrew, M. Conceptualising the ‘community’ as a recipient of money–A critical literature review, and implications for health and inequalities. Social Science & Medicine. 2015 143: 88-97.
Other topics
Participation
⇒ The types of opportunities that place based programmes create for participation and extent this is inclusive.
Power
⇒ Markers of collective control – how residents gain more control to influence decisions or work together to improve things in their local area.
Portrayals
⇒ How geographical areas are portrayed and the impact of this for residents living there.