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Know Your Neighbourhood: Strengthening Communities in Blackpool
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has published its final evaluation of the Know Your Neighbourhood (KYN) Fund.
Launched in 2023, the Know Your Neighbourhood Fund was a national programme designed to reduce chronic loneliness and increase regular volunteering through place‑based, community‑led solutions. Delivered through partnerships including the community foundation network, the fund targeted areas experiencing high levels of deprivation, supporting grassroots organisations to engage people who are often least likely to volunteer.
- Over half of volunteers supported through KYN‑funded projects were volunteering for the first time, demonstrating the fund’s success in breaking down barriers and reaching new audiences.
- Projects successfully engaged people at higher risk of loneliness, including disabled people and those with long‑term health conditions.
- Participants reported improved wellbeing, confidence, skills and pride in their local area, with flexible and sustained funding identified as key to achieving meaningful impact.
We delivered the Know Your Neighbourhood Fund locally. In Blackpool, we distributed over £1.5 million through 38 grants. These grants supported a wide range of activity all rooted in local knowledge if community need including befriending services and volunteer hubs to arts, nature‑based projects and skills development.
The findings from the national evaluation reaffirm what we see on the ground every day: when trusted local organisations are empowered with the right resources, they create lasting change.
Read the full DCMS evaluation report:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/final-overarching-evaluation-of-the-know-your-neighbourhood-fund/final-overarching-evaluation-on-the-know-your-neighbourhood-fund