A community-owned investment prospectus is helping Hateley Cross Big Local turn years of local experience and hard-to-measure change into a compelling case for future investment. This WMFN Spotlight explores how a relational communications process brought partners together, strengthened their shared story and created a practical tool for sustainability, partnership-building and investment readiness.

What does it really take for communities to hold power over money in their neighbourhoods? Drawing on three sessions of the West Midlands Funders Network’s Big Local Legacy and Learning Programme, this article explores what fifteen years of Big Local can teach funders designing the next generation of place-based programmes.