The Big Deal builds on the great work of recent years and the continuous efforts of churches across the city. It is a means of bringing together churches, people of good will, public services and private enterprise to work for the common goal of a better, kinder, more caring and more sustainable community.

At the heart of the Christian message is the commandment of Christ to love your neighbour as yourself. The Big Deal is a means of putting this into practice, but doing it in such a way that it encourages mass participation and ownership.

Since May 2005 Salford's churches have linked up and worked on projects of kindness across the city. This carried forward to Stockport during 2006/7 and is set to develop further through its involvement in Hope 2008. The whole process of preparing projects is all about creating or developing local partnerships. The projects themselves range from environmental improvements to sports, crime reducing efforts to childrens activities, old age help to arts and drama activities.

The Message Trust focuses its strength in schools work. They have dedicated team of youth workers and schools bands like Blush^uk ready to take The Big Deal into every High School in each borough with a programme designed to challenge young people about issues of citizenship has been created especially for RE departments and compliments the curriculum. It is highly educational and includes a stage production which presents The Big Deal of the Christian faith in an inspiring way and relevant way. And when it is all over, the work goes on. The partnerships that churches, local communities and service providers have built up will provide the framework for the continued transformation of the city.