- Decade of evidence shows community power can protect and restore health by building confidence, connection, influence and wellbeing.
- Professor Sir Michael Marmot says People’s Health Trust’s “remarkable” programme of work shows community power “can be made real”.
- Findings support the Government's shift towards neighbourhood health.
Review of long-term evaluations of People’s Health Trust programmes finds that meaningful community participation strengthens relationships, builds influence and improves wellbeing – offering timely evidence for the government’s move towards neighbourhood health
Community power improves wellbeing and strengthens the conditions that can help narrow health inequalities, according to a major evidence review published today by People's Health Trust.
Drawing on more than a decade of research, the charity says the findings add important evidence to the growing case for community power: when people build relationships, act together and have greater influence over decisions affecting their lives, their wellbeing improves.
The review by Dr Kate Fryer of the University of Sheffield, whose research was supported through a fellowship funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), finds that community-led activity can be health protective by helping people withstand difficult circumstances and, in some cases, health restorative by rebuilding confidence, connection, influence and a sense of control.
The findings provide strong support for the government’s move towards neighbourhood health. The Trust says the greatest benefits will come from initiatives that give communities real influence, generate evidence about local experience and involve statutory services as partners – not only traditional health services delivered in community settings.
At the same time, the research shows why community power should sit alongside continued action on the wider determinants of health. Participants’ stronger connections and improved wellbeing existed alongside concerns about the cost of living, job prospects and local services.
Community action is therefore not a substitute for secure housing, decent work, adequate incomes or reliable public services; it is a vital partner to them.
Community organisations create relationships, confidence and support networks that help people cope with pressure and protect their health. Lasting reductions in health inequalities also depend on action by government, public services and other institutions on the conditions shaping people’s lives.
People's Health Trust Chief Executive, John Hume, said:
“This striking evidence strengthens the case for community power: meaningful influence and strong local relationships improve wellbeing.
“For neighbourhood health to succeed, services must work with communities as partners, drawing on their power and wisdom—not simply deliver the same services in a different setting.
“Community power can protect and restore health, while action on housing, incomes, employment and services tackles the causes of poor health. We need both.”
Professor Sir Michael Marmot, commenting on the report, said:
“The evidence that informed Fair Society Healthy Live, “The Marmot Review”, pointed to the importance for health and well-being of community cohesion and of individual and local control of the conditions of daily life. We were confident about the evidence, but the concern was whether it could be put into practice. This remarkable long-term programme of work from the People’s Health Trust shows that it can be made real. Community strength is a powerful protection against adverse economic and social policies. Just imagine what benefits for health and wellbeing there will be if social and economic policy aligns with action to strengthen communities.”
Among the review’s findings are:
- 83% of participants in People’s Health Trust programmes said their friendships and associations in their neighbourhood meant a lot to them, compared with 49% of people living in similarly disadvantaged communities;
- 77% said they trusted their neighbours, compared with 56% in comparable areas;
- Higher levels of community participation were consistently associated with higher levels of community power and improved wellbeing; and
- At the same time, participants reported worsening experiences of factors such as the cost of living, employment prospects and local services.
Taken together, the findings show two things: community power can strengthen wellbeing, while pressures such as insecure incomes, limited job opportunities and declining local services continue to shape health.
The review shows how community organisations can provide vital coping strategies: building trusted relationships, practical support and local networks that help people manage pressure and protect their wellbeing. In some places, they also create “safety nets that would not have been there otherwise”.
Hume added: “This evidence should give us confidence and hope. Despite rising costs, pressure on family finances and challenges facing local services, communities have built connections and improved wellbeing. They should not be expected to carry more responsibility alone: we must back them with the support and influence to sustain community power while tackling the conditions damaging health.”
The report also highlights the value of sustained, long-term support for community power. Hume notes: “One of the biggest lessons from our work is that lasting change grows from patient, consistent support. It gives communities time to build the confidence, connections and influence that deliver impact today and stronger, healthier communities for the future”.
People's Health Trust typically supported neighbourhoods for up to nine years, significantly longer than conventional grant programmes. The review shows that this sustained investment gives relationships, trust and collective action the time they need to grow.
The Trust is encouraging policymakers, health leaders and funders to build on the current momentum behind neighbourhood health by embedding community power in efforts to reduce health inequalities, alongside action on housing, employment, income and local services.
Hume concluded:
“This review adds to the clear and growing evidence that community power works. The opportunity now is to make it a core part of neighbourhood health, with communities and statutory services working as partners. Strong public services and strong communities must reinforce one another to improve wellbeing and reduce health inequalities.”
