Welcome to the evaluation reports for Our Bigger Story. These cover the period from January 2015 to December 2016 and are available in three formats:

• A short summary report
• The full report as a pdf and
• The full report online.

Each presents the learning from the 15 Big Local areas involved in the evaluation over the last two years and present:

• Thumbnail sketches of each area; what they are doing and what they aim to achieve
• An overview of the progress being made against the Big Local outcomes
• How the Big Local process works
• Key themes identified by participants over time
• The challenges and opportunities of resident led change
• A summary of the research methods.

The reports are illustrated with films about:

• Big Local outcomes
• Resident experiences of being a Big Local partner: Diary Lines
• Five short films on the themes identified by the areas involved in the evaluation: Big Local as a catalyst for change, how change is managed in communities, the expectations placed on Big Local partnerships, community leadership and how Big Local areas are working towards sustainability and leaving a lasting legacy. This material is also available as a single themes film.

A further 34 films are available on the Our Bigger Story vimeo channel; Residents Stories. These record both what is happening in each of the 15 areas as well as “in conversation” recordings where Big Local partners and residents reflect on their experiences and learning. Further multi-media material about each of the communities participating in Our Bigger Story can be found on the timeline. The ambitious goal of Our Bigger Story is to record, in different media, change in 15 Big Local areas over a decade. This will form a unique digital archive of, and a valuable resource about, the resident led change ethos of Big Local.

You can now view the online report at beyondtheearlyyears.ourbiggerstory.com