Big Local Trust

Analysis

Big Local Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales, based in London. It was registered in February 2012, 14 years ago. Its declared purposes cover economic/community development/employment, which this site groups under community and economic development. Legally it is a charitable trust. It says it makes grants to organisations.

In the financial year ending March 2025, Big Local Trust reported income of £2.1m and spending of £8.8m, spending 413% of what it took in. Across the 5 years on record, from March 2021 to March 2025, income grew from £1.0m to £2.1m (+109%), an average of +20% a year. The sharpest change came in the year to March 2023, when income rose by 351%. Over the whole period it spent 1138% of the income it received.

Among 1,869 England and Wales charities whose main cause is community and economic development and that reported income, Big Local Trust sits at the 95th percentile: it is larger than about 95% of them. Against every charity in England and Wales with reported income it ranks in the 96th percentile. Charities of a similar size with the same main cause include Construction Industry Trust for Youth (£2.1m), Local Trust (£2.1m) and CoLab Exeter (£2.1m).

In its latest detailed accounts, income came from investments 87% and charitable activities 13%. Charitable activities took 97% of spending and raising funds 0.2%. It employed 62 people.

Data notes from the register: Spending has exceeded income in each of the last three reported years, so the charity has been drawing on reserves or other funds.