Locality wants to grow its members six-fold by 2020 and increase its national profile, according to its new five-year strategy released this week.

The national network of community-led organisations has said that it wants to grow its membership, which currently consists of around 500 members and an additional 200 associate members, to 3,000 members in the next five years.

By 2020 Locality also hopes to show significant influence in “at least five areas of policy which positively impacts” on the work of its members. This includes having a strong national profile as an organisation and membership network, measured through brand recognition, media coverage, e-news subscribers and digital interactions.

It also wants to have supported members to influence the landscape in local area, including strategic work with local authorities, and providing “campaigning and influencing tools, targeted support on specific priority campaigns and partnerships with other organisations”.

Tony Armstrong, chief executive of Locality (pictured), said: “Across our membership, organisations are delivering innovative, efficient and cost-effective services which transform lives every single day. We know that our members value the role Locality plays in providing a strong and fearless voice for them nationally, and an organisation that supports them in the right way and unlocks opportunities for them to do even more fantastic work. Through this new strategy, that’s what Locality aims to provide.

“Our members make an incredible difference to their communities and the people that live in them. We want to support and foster that spirit and energy, connect like-minded people and help them to share expertise and learning, to ensure that every neighbourhood thrives."

Armstrong said that these are times of “unprecedented challenge” for Locality's member organisations, which are set to continue regardless of who wins the next election. He said that this is why Locality will use its power to speak out for its members at the highest levels, and “support them to influence effectively and bring about real change locally”.

Locality has also said that it plans to develop into "broader funding routes" which will see a reduction in the proportion of funding from any one source.

It has said that it plans to continue working with government on large programmes where these fit within its mission, and by 2020 will have developed at least three new major projects from other funders. By 2020, Locality said it will have a range of mission-led products and services targeted at different audiences generating surpluses to fund member services.