Matt Leach

@mattleach.bsky.social

CEO at Building Centre/Built Environment Trust. Social capital, devolution, hyperlocal change, public service reform. Thinks about the future a bit. Member of the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods.

In our latest blog, Local Trust’s CEO, @mattleach.bsky.social , outlines how, in an era of crisis and uncertainty, #BigLocal areas have been demonstrating community resilience and effective community first response. Read the blog: buff.ly/wxTSDoH [🧵2/3]

Building resilience: The power of community first response

Matt Leach outlines how local social capital can be vital during disasters, and how Big Local areas have demonstrated community resilience.

localtrust.org.uk

Good report out from NAVCA highlighting the importance of grassroots and unincorporated groups to community life. Far too easily forgotten, but arguably the most important part of what makes up “civil society” www.thirdsector.co.uk/number-under...

Number of ‘under the radar’ voluntary and community groups in England revealed

New research finds there are almost half a million voluntary sector organisations in the country, including up to 335,000 unregistered groups

thirdsector.co.uk

Hugely excited that @localtrust.bsky.social and its new spin-out 3Ni is collaborating with demos.co.uk on a series of important new reports on #socialcapital. The first, by Andy Haldane and David Halpern, makes the case for putting social capital at the heart of policy demos.co.uk/research/soc...

Social Capital 2025: The hidden wealth of nations

Demos is Britain’s leading cross-party think-tank. We produce original research, publish innovative thinkers and host thought-provoking events.

demos.co.uk

Great to see some well deserved #BigLocal #NewYearHon award winners tonight. Massive congratulations to Sonia Clyne from Par Bay BL, James Masters from Grange BL, Fiona Thompson from Keighley Valley BL and Tracy Lowe from Grace Mary to Lion Farm BL. All fantastic community leaders and change-makers!

A month to go in our Community Futures essay competition for early career researchers and policy professionals, PhD and graduate students and independent community practitioners. localtrust.org.uk/enter-local-...

Local Trust@localtrust.org.uk · 2y ago

Open for submissions until 10 January 2025! Explore the future of #communities in our essay competition for a chance to win £5,000 and to have your essay published. Find out how to enter at bit.ly/4gtVwNr

Ahead of our seminar next week exploring effective #community leadership, we’re revisiting our research on the long-term impact of the Community Leadership Academy – set up in 2020 to help #BigLocal participants effecting change in their areas: bit.ly/3YOqDeQ

Understanding the long-term impact of the Community Leadership Academy

These three reports look at the experience and implementation of the Community Leadership Academy, a scheme set up in 2020 to help Big Local participants to effect change in their communities.

bit.ly

The best photo-op I ever set up. John Prescott at Wembley. With his ministerial team taking penalties against him. Something to do with the London referendum. Ended up being the caption round for a whole season of #HIGNFY RIP DPM

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