New Deal for Communities

A community-led regeneration programme that shaped
today’s North Huyton.

A picture of the North Huyton Communities Future original logo with the original name - North Huyton, New Deal New Future.

North Huyton Communities Future (NHCF) is the successor organisation to a central government-funded programme known as New Deal for Communities (NDC) which was launched in 2001 under the original company name of, North Huyton-New Deal, New Future.

The area designated for Knowsley’s NDC funding in North Huyton covered 6 main sub estates which housed around 10,00 residents in 4000 properties.  The area was awarded £55.8 million over a 10-year period to focus on several key areas.

Unlike many of the 39 NDC initiatives across England, North Huyton’s programme stood out from the start. It was driven by an independent Partnership Board made up of local residents, community and faith groups, ward councillors and agency partners, rather than being council-led.

At the heart of the programme was a pioneering approach to regeneration:

“Plans imposed on a community won’t deliver lasting change. The community must be involved in identifying problems, needs and in the development of the regeneration scheme.”

From start to finish, community and youth voices were embedded in the process and key to decision-making. Projects were designed and implemented with residents, for residents.

A picture of the whole plot of Hope Primary, a newly built primary school under the New Deal for Communities Programme
A picture of the main campus for Knowsley Community College located on Stockbridge Lane next to Hope Primary School.
A picture of the second site for Knowsley Community College on Princess Drive, housing IAMTech, the Institute of Advanced Manufacturing and Technology.

Focus Areas

The £55.8m investment was delivered through over 200 targeted projects across eight key themes:

  • Communication and Image
  • Community Participation
  • Crime and Community Safety
  • Education in Schools and Beyond
  • Employment and the Local Economy
  • Health and Healthy Living
  • Housing, Environment and Neighbourhood Services
  • Young People

Delivery was managed through a mix of in-house teams and external partners, ensuring flexibility, efficiency and high community engagement.

A picture of the River Alt Resource Centre located in North Huyton, once occupied by North Huyton Communities Future, now occupied by Knowsley Council and let out for different services.

Achievements and Legacy

The North Huyton NDC programme was recognised as one of the top-performing initiatives in the UK, achieving ‘excellent’ status in the government's performance management framework. 

In addition to wide-reaching social programmes, the Partnership led the development of several capital projects that transformed local infrastructure including: 

  • A Primary Care Trust Resource Centre
  • A Training and Skills Centre
  • A Youth Centre
  • A purpose-built Community Centre
  • Hope Primary School
  • A Secondary Level Learning Centre
A picture of the North Huyton Primary Care Resource Centre which received funding through the NDC programme.
A picture of the North Huyton Primary Care Resource Centre which received funding through the NDC programme.
A picture of a local newsagents called Kellie’s that North Huyton Communities Future helped move and provide a new location for during the programme.

Notably, NHCF was the primary funder of Hope Primary School contributing £5m, with additional financial support from KMBC. 

As the NDC programme drew to a close in 2011, NHCF was also established as a registered charity, continuing the work and values of the original initiative.

Programmes from NHCF