Place Knowledge Hub

Browse our library of tools and resources to support your place-based work. Curious to learn more? We’re always here to chat.

Our library for place-based systems change

Explore our collection of resources, ideas, and stories from our decades of experience in place-based systems change work.

Inquiry: How to sustain place-based change

The question of how we can sustain place-based systems change has been one that many of us have been grappling with for years. In recent years, as we've moved to slightly longer funding cycles, people leading this work have faced real challenge when seeking to embed the changes they've made beyond the initial funding they received.

With support from partners including Esmée Fairbairn, Homewards, Turn2us, Pathway Fund and others, we set out to explore how we can change this.

7 Min

Archive

Matt Leach: Early lessons from Big Local -passion mobilised

The aim at the outset was clear – to target funding at those areas which had missed out on Lottery funding in the past, but to do so…

8 Min

Archive

Matthew Humphreys MBE: Reflection on EC1 New Deal for Communities

EC1 New Deal made a difference. This was a difference both to the area where its work was focussed, with improvements to long neglected housing estates and projects…

5 Min

Archive

Miriam Levin: Empower the people

Another way of framing the question is: if a place is improving, how can we make sure that the people living there benefit from the improvements and have…

12 Min

Archive

Moira Sinclair: A grant maker’s perspective

Paul Hamlyn was an entrepreneur, whose success was built on challenging traditional approaches, innovating and bringing new products to market, and backing individuals. He was also a migrant,…

5 Min

Archive

Nick Temple: Financing place-based change

As someone who has spent their entire life working in social enterprise and social investment, I come to this topic biased and have a strong belief that charities…

9 Min

Archive

Paul Anderson MBE: Respecting young black leaders

The recent rise in violence has made me angry. My answer to how we improve places is influenced by that anger, but also by the optimism that we…

Inquiries & Campaigns

Our research collections and campaigns address structural challenges, providing insights to help partners navigate complexity and influence policy changes.

How to sustain place-based systems change

Building on over 30 years of working with over 100+ places across the UK to fund, deliver, and evidence place-based work, we explore what it takes to sustain these efforts.

What does it take to change a system?

A guide designed to support funders and practitioners to understand how to approach systems change and their role in it.

Funding for place based systems change

Chaired by Save the Children UK, we brought charities and funders together to explore how to best manage funds to support long-term, place-based systemic change.