Our story

OUR Social Impact

Stories are what we create. Social impact is why we create them.

Our work aims to:

Support communities — creating opportunities for people and places facing disadvantage.

Improve education — building confidence, understanding, creativity and skills.

Increase inclusion — giving greater visibility and voice to disabled and underrepresented people.

Build social cohesion — creating connection, understanding and a stronger sense of belonging.

Improve wellbeing — supporting confidence, connection and positive mental and physical wellbeing.

We design projects around the needs of the people and communities involved, working with partners to understand what success looks like and how impact can continue beyond the project.

Celebrating People. Place. pURPOSE. Community.

We believe stories can help people feel seen, strengthen connections and create positive change in the places where we live and work.

Our projects are shaped with communities and partners, using storytelling as a way to encourage participation, share lived experience and create lasting social and cultural impact.

Engagement Projects

We create projects with communities, not simply about them.

Through conversations, workshops, lived-experience storytelling and shared activity, we create opportunities for people to take part, contribute their own experiences and shape the stories being told.

Working alongside businesses, public organisations, charities and community partners helps us reach the right people, build trust and create stronger, more meaningful outcomes.

STORYTELLING WITH PURPOSe

Storytelling is the tool that connects everything we do.

Depending on the project, this can include film, photography, podcasts, exhibitions, publications, events and other creative experiences.

The format may change, but the purpose remains the same: to make lived experience visible, create understanding and encourage connection and participation.

Original Initiatives

We don't just deliver projects. We create them.

Our original initiatives begin with an idea, a social need or a story that deserves greater attention.

We develop those ideas with communities and partners, building projects that can grow through collaboration, participation and shared investment.

This allows Local Heroes to create work that responds directly to the people and places around us rather than waiting for a traditional creative brief.

From Concept to Delivery

Every project begins with listening.

From developing the initial idea and bringing partners together to community engagement, creative production, delivery and evaluation, we work collaboratively throughout the process.

Our ambition is for the impact to extend beyond the final film, event or exhibition — through stronger relationships, increased participation, new resources, shared learning and stories that remain accessible to the communities that created them.

WHY IT MATTERS

Because local stories aren't just worth telling.

They can build confidence.
Create understanding.
Strengthen communities.
Challenge perceptions.
And help people feel that their experiences matter.

That's why we create them.

We Are Local Heroes.

Meet the Team

  • Behind-the-scenes of a film shoot in a wooded stream, with a cameraman in the foreground, three crew members in the background, one grilling food, another wearing a yellow hat, and a third wearing a red hat, while filming a scene involving a small outdoor cooking setup.

    DAN PRINCE

    CO-FOUNDER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR

    Dan Prince is a filmmaker, photographer and director with more than 20 years of experience in advertising, documentary and people-led storytelling.

    Throughout his career, Dan has built a reputation for creating authentic work centred around real people, combining strong visual storytelling with an ability to connect, listen and understand the stories behind the subject.

    He has worked with leading brands and organisations including Greggs, Macmillan, Waitrose, BASF, BBC, NHS, Channel 4, Manchester United and Microsoft, with work recognised across photography, film, exhibitions and festivals.

    At Local Heroes, Dan plays a leading role in developing ideas, building relationships and driving projects forward — from the first conversation through partnerships, pitches and development to creative direction, production and delivery.

    He continues to grow Local Heroes’ network across business, public sector and community organisations, identifying opportunities and bringing together the people needed to turn ideas into meaningful projects.

    Dan’s experience, curiosity and instinct for people are central to Local Heroes’ approach — combining creative thinking with the drive to make things happen and create work with lasting purpose and impact.

  • Two men sitting outdoors in a wooded area, smiling and chatting. One man wears a yellow beanie, camouflage jacket, and jeans, holding a wooden cup. The other man, with a beard, wears a dark jacket, holding a wooden cup, and looking at the smiling man.

    Chris Jewitt

    CO-FOUNDER & PARTNERSHIPS DIRECTOR

    Chris is a connector and convener. Someone who joins the dots, grows networks and brings the right people together to turn ideas into action.

    For more than 25 years, he has helped build local, national and international partnerships, from his work with Tradecraft and the Department for Trade to non-executive roles with Food Nation and Food Newcastle, and founding Food and Drink North East.

    His experience spans partnership development, ethical supply chains, international trade and place-based collaboration, helping organisations create opportunities and build stronger networks.

    Chris has also contributed at national level through DEFRA’s Food and Drink Sector Council, helping ensure regional voices are represented in wider conversations.

    At Local Heroes, Chris leads partnership development, relationship building and stakeholder engagement — connecting businesses, public organisations, funders and communities around shared ideas and opportunities.

    Alongside this, he brings his curiosity for people and place to Local Heroes as a podcast host, writer and storyteller.

  • A woman with dark hair, sunglasses, and colorful bracelets eating a slice of cake outside a storefront on a city street.

    Rosie Jenkinson

    CO-FOUNDER & OPERATIONS DIRECTOR

    Rosie brings a sharp editorial eye, strong organisational skills and more than 10 years of experience across publishing, digital content, copywriting and communications.

    Her strength lies in turning conversations into action, organising people, coordinating projects and making sure the detail needed to move work forward doesn’t get lost along the way.

    At Local Heroes, Rosie leads operations and acts as an important link between clients, partners and the wider team. She helps coordinate projects from development through to delivery, keeping communication clear, actions moving and everyone connected around what needs to happen next.

    Her ability to bridge the gaps between ideas, people and delivery makes her central to how Local Heroes works, particularly across projects involving multiple partners, contributors and moving parts.

    Rosie’s editorial experience also helps shape the voice of Local Heroes, ensuring our communications and stories remain clear, authentic and centred around the people behind them.