Pride of Place Programme

In communities across the UK that have long endured hardship, BITC’s Pride of Place programme unites people from all walks of life around a vision for a better future, nurturing collaboration, sustained investment and self-belief to drive action so that millions can thrive in a place they call home.

The Pride of Place programme

Connect with the Place Team

Pride of Place programme overview

The Pride of Place programme helps places across the UK take ownership of their futures and tackle their most pressing challenges. We bring businesses, the voluntary sector and the local council together in a place and work with them to build and deliver a vision for their future that serves everyone, with input from everyone. We provide sustained resource, advice and support to motivate and empower local stakeholders so that each place can identify its own challenges and innovate its own solutions.

Pride of Place locations

Since its inception in 2016, The Pride of Place programme has had an impact in 18 places across the UK. Active Places include Blackpool, Bradford, Coventry, Hounslow, Lowestoft, Newport, Norwich, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Rochdale, Sheffield, Wisbech and York. Places coming soon include Belfast, Bristol, Colchester, Glasgow and Southampton. Our mission is to be supporting communities in 50 places by 2032.

Active Place
Place Coming Soon

Our mission

Improve millions of lives: By working in 50 of the poorest places across the UK, we’ll improve opportunities for millions, together.
Impact in places that matter to you: Bring your purpose to life in places that matter to you – achieving demonstrable impact through a bespoke partnership.
Advocate for change, nationally: Champion the issues holding places back which only government can address.
Inspire other businesses to follow: Become a leader for all businesses, showing what is possible.

Our Pride of Place Brochure

Learn more about the Pride of Place programme, our vision, our impact, and how you can get involved in uplifting communities across the UK.

Find out more

The Pride of Place Learning Hub

The Pride of Place Learning Hub is a one-stop shop for effective placemaking, created by Business in the Community and supported by Aviva. This Learning Hub comprises a range of ‘modules’ designed to share learnings and help you drive lasting change in places across the UK through BITC’s Pride of Place programme.

Explore the Learning Hub

Explore our place work

As our place work in each Pride of Place location expands, we will share highlights of the programmes successes and hopes for the future. We hope these deeper dives into each Place programme will both celebrate the impact made in and with these communities as well as serve as a learning resource for placemaking across the UK. You can currently explore our programmes in Blackpool, Coventry, and Norwich.

“It is inspiring to see how […] through businesses and local communities working together, new opportunities are being created, are being improved and Blackpool is being regenerated. The success of this partnership approach is why Aviva has joined forces with BITC to help other communities in the UK become more financially resilient and inclusive, through improving access to education, work and housing.”

Dame Amanda Blanc

Group CEO, Aviva Plc, National Place Partner

Community voices of Coventry and Newport

Pride of Place: Coventry

Pride of Place seeks to support the city’s growth as an emerging centre of innovation, particularly around its advanced manufacturing expertise and growing digital and creative sector.

Pride of Place: Newport

Pride of Place has helped connect Newport businesses and community programs, addressing key issues including homelessness and food deprivation.

Find out more…

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Pride of Place Frequently Asked Questions

Where are you currently working?

See our current locations here.

How can I get involved in the Pride of Place Programme?

Each BITC Place location has a Pride of Place Board. Through joining a Pride of Place Board, you will contribute to the strategic direction of the place, collaborating with other leaders and leveraging expertise and resource from within your organisation.

What does BITC mean by ‘Place-Making’?

BITC defines place-making as long-term and transformational change in a particular geographic location. For us, it is underpinned by some core principles:

Collaboration – bringing together business, public and VCSE sectors
Business leadership – senior business leaders working together on a shared agenda
Community-needs-led: based on the priorities and needs of the Place, as defined by the people in the place.

Our Pride of Place Partnership is made possible through partnering with Aviva

Aviva is the first Pride of Place Partner, working together with BITC, the partnership will build thriving communities by breaking down barriers that impact access to education and employment, improving housing and local facilities, and tackling wider inequalities facing individuals throughout the UK. The work will bring together key local stakeholders in places such as community groups, businesses and local councils to create a strategic vision for long-term change.

Our Leadership Boards

Pride of Place provides sustained resource, specialist advice and best practise to support, motivate and empower local stakeholders so that each place can identify its own challenges and innovate its own solutions.

Pride of Place Programme

Pride of Place Programme