Zest is the trading name for Netherthorpe & Upperthorpe Community Alliance or NUCA.  NUCA was established in 1997 as a community forum and in 1999 was in a position to apply for and then deliver an SRB 6 scheme worth £15 million.  NUCA was accountable body for the scheme.  Based on extensive consultation and evidence bases, the focus of the programme was to add value to the SRB1 programme's capital investment by investing in people.  The programme addressed priorities around community capacity, social inclusions, employment and training, community safety and health.  This programme ended in 2006 and received an excellent external evaluation by Atkins Global.   

This area based regeneration programme made a substantial impact on the renewal of the area - key changes being:

• The good level of community capacity evidenced by the continued development and success of Zest.
• The establishment and continuation of a number of successful projects including the Upperthorpe Healthy Living Centre, One Stop Shop, Youth services and improvements to the public realm.

In 2008 NUCA adopted a new trading name of 'Zest' to reflect its increasing role in the delivery of public services.   In 2007 Upperthorpe Healthy Living Centre Trust  transferred full operational management of its centre to Zest.  

Zest is recognised as a key community anchor organisation and is held up as an example of best practice in its field.   While Zest’s focus is on the local area it also works at a city wide level. 

The demographic profile of the area has and continues to change substantially and there remains significant deprivation. Local residents are more likely to have low skills levels, higher levels of economic inactivity, low levels of business start ups and to experience a range of health related, social and other barriers which impact on their levels of economic activity and prosperity. For these reasons a Local Economic Strategy has been developed which will form the key local strategy from 2006 to 2011.