A key component of developing the toolkit was outlining and learning lessons from the approaches that three pilot localities undertook to culture and sport planning. These pilots are funded as part of the Creating Cultural Opportunities in Sustainable Communities (CCO) Invest to Save Budget programme.

• West Midlands – cultural mapping
• Milton Keynes - South Midlands – cultural co-ordinator
• Thames Gateway South Essex – sub-regional needs assessment

Pilot-testing approaches, to ensure culture and sport is embedded in creating successful places at a local level, is a core element of the Creating Cultural Opportunity in Sustainable Communities (CCO) programme.