Tags: community power

Homes for Health Holme Wood

This 21-month project works with private and social tenants living on the Holme Wood estate in Bradford. Homes on the estate are in a poor state of repair with main…

Local Conversation in Stanwell

Over nine years, the Local Conversation in Stanwell established priorities for the local community and acted to improve them. Their work is led by a steering group of residents living…

New research on the impact of participation in Trust programmes

The latest wave of research from our partner Social Life finds that participation in the Trust’s programmes can have positive impacts on health and wellbeing .

Language for Change

Language for Change provides support for migrants and refugees in Greenwich to learn English and advocate for change for social issues affecting them. The project provides free weekly English as…

Language for Change: Community advocacy through English lessons

English For Action’s Language for Change project supports migrants and refugees in Greenwich to learn English to help them advocate for issues in their community. Greenwich Project Lead Lucie tells…

New report on Community agency, control and wellbeing

People’s Health Trust has co-funded a new report published today by What Works Centre for Wellbeing on community agency, control and wellbeing.

Wings Great Yarmouth: Expression through arts

Wings Great Yarmouth supports people who have experienced sexual harassment and intimidation. Project member Nadia tells us how members meet up to discuss their experiences and to express themselves through…

Wings Great Yarmouth

Wings Great Yarmouth provides an opportunity for people with experienced traumatic sexual harassment and intimidation to support one another through discussion and the creation of art. It will provide fortnightly…

People’s Health Trust welcomes announcement of community wealth funds

Trust joins announcement of new funding for local communities.

Disabled Women Take Action: supporting change for disabled women

Disabled Women Take Action supports its members to campaign for a more accessible Bristol. For International Women’s Day, Shruthi Venkatachalam talks about how project members have improved counselling services for…

Wigan Caribbean and African Community Support Group

This project supports Caribbean and African communities in Greater Manchester to come together to discuss essential issues affecting their health and well-being. Delivering fortnightly forums, the support group brings together…

Maymessy Mentorship

The project offers the opportunity for the women to get together with others in a similar situation and with similar interests in food and to build friendships, support each other…

Building Happy, Integrated, Healthy Communities

Aber and Blaengwynfi are twin villages in the Afan valley in Wales with a population of around 1,300. Due to its rural location residents have faced issues with social isolation,…

Building Happy, Integrated, Healthy Communities: Doing it ourselves

Simon Matthews runs Gwynfi Miners Community Hall, and their project funded by People’s Health Trust. In a rural village far from other communities and services, Simon explains how this project…

Maymessy Mentoring: Sharing culture in the kitchen

In Refugee Week 2022, Anna Richards, Founder of Maymessy CIC in Oxford, writes about their project which helps refugee women form connections and learn new skills. She also explores the…

Assessing the impact of participation in People’s Health Trust’s programmes: Wave 1

This report summarises the findings of the first wave of Social Life’s research assessing the impact of both of People’s Health Trust’s current funding programmes: Local Conversations and Active Communities.

Assessing the impact of participation in People’s Health Trust’s programmes: Wave 2

This report summarises the findings of the second wave of Social Life’s research assessing the impact of both of People’s Health Trust’s current funding programmes: Local Conversations and Active Communities.

Honley Youth: Building social connection and community power

Young people in Honley emerged from the Covid-19 pandemic feeling isolated. With little for young people to do and feedback from young people who said they would like a safe…

Honley Youth

Honley is a small village in West Yorkshire with pockets of low-income neighbourhoods. Honley Youth is a free to use youth club that all young people can access and contribute…

Puddle Ducks – parents and tots group: Adapting and thriving

Louise Roe, Centre Development Manager at Paston Farm, which runs Puddle Ducks - parents and tots group, reflects on the journey of delivering vital support to the community and adapting…

Puddle Ducks - parents and tots group

Puddle Ducks - parents and tots group aimed to reduce social isolation experienced by parents of pre-school children and increase confidence and wellbeing. Participants can also shape the project by…

Bristol Active Women Walk and Talk: Meet the community leaders

Local women from low income and Black and minority ethnic backgrounds living in Knowle and Brislington area of Bristol connect with nature through organised outdoor activities such as nature walks,…

Bristol Active Women – Walk and Talk

The outdoor activities are designed to support mental health and wellbeing, reduce social isolation, and build confidence, especially following the Covid-19 lockdowns when many people have been isolated. The sessions…

IgniteYou: Dance is a universal language

Founding Directors and Dance Teachers, Kerry Raymond and Becci Gowers, run an inclusive and accessible dance timetable for young people and adults. They talk about the benefits of dance and…

IgniteYou Dance INC

IgniteYou Dance INC was started by two dance teachers who recognised a need for accessible dance classes and workshops in the local area. During the first Covid-19 pandemic they project…

Community Activators: New jobs, new-found confidence, and a new enthusiasm for community change

The Community Activators project hosted by Off the Grid Adventures was co-designed and led by 10 young volunteers from Hebburn Project Lead, Paul Kirkpatrick, shares their story of growth over…

Needlecraft International Project

The project builds confidence and perseverance and supports the participants to develop a skill that they can teach others, and that allows them to produce items to sell or give…

Mums SOCIAL

The aim is to bring new and expectant mothers together to connect, share experiences, provide support and reassurance, develop friendships and improve mental wellbeing. Becoming a mum is a new…

Community Activators

In Hebburn, there is a lack of community activities to keep young people busy and socially connected. A local resident used their background in outdoor activities to design a programme…

What needs to happen to take community power to the next level?

Seven jobs created for young volunteers who helped community during pandemic

Off The Grid Adventures, a community group in Hebburn, South Tyneside has been helping young people get active following the first Covid-19 lockdown.

Mums SOCIAL: Bringing Mums Together

Project Activator, Jen, writes for People’s Health Trust on International Women's Day 2022 about the experience of becoming a mum and how their project has supported people during the Covid-19…

Needlecraft International Project: “We started the project to address intensive poverty”

Lucy Njomo, Project Lead at the Needlecraft International Project, spoke to People’s Health Trust ahead of International Women’s Day 2022 to share more on why the new project is needed…

Get Set Youth

Yellow Door, who provide information, advice, support and advocacy services to young people, identified a need to support young people’s social networks and wellbeing and to reduce the risk of…

Healthy Active Lives

The Derby West Indian Community Association ran the project, with the aim of providing support to people in local wards that are poorer than average and where life expectancies are…

Moving On

The Moving On project was organised by an independent volunteer-run charity, the Rainbow Sunshine Company. There was a wide age range in the group, which included young adults and people…

The Northgate Project

The Northgate Project was an activity-based self-help group for people in the Northgate ward in Canterbury. Many members were (or had been) feeling suicidal and some were living with conditions…

Together We Can

Some local members became volunteers – taking ownership of the centre by making cakes and serving in the café, helping with the garden, or welcoming new members. Purposeful activity like…

Foster Garden

The project was set up by Keighley Urban Meadows, a community group promoting the shared ownership of the local environment. The aim was to create social links within the neighbourhood,…

Local Conversation in Merstham

In Surrey, there are small pockets of disadvantage which are hidden by relative affluence around it. Even within Merstham itself there is vast inequality. Through the Local Conversation, people are…

Local Conversation in Holyhead: Greater control and taking action

Stephanie Pritchard, Local Conversation Project Manager, speaks about how residents have adopted an agenda of taking control of their Local Conversation across their neighbourhood.

Local Conversation in Holyhead: Every voice matters

We hear from Dan Roberts, a resident who joined the Cybi Events group in 2017. The group was set up to encourage residents to plan and run community events, and…

Local Conversation in Holyhead

Local people are at the forefront of the decision-making process and are supported to build confidence and to feel comfortable with making decisions that affect their neighbourhood. As economic conditions…

Local Conversation in Govanhill

The Local Conversation in Govanhill was supported by Community Renewal Trust which leads on community projects across Scotland. They previously ran a community canteen in Govanhill which became a central…

Edberts House: Impact and achievements

Sarah Gorman is the Chief Executive Officer of Edberts House, the host project delivering on the Local Conversation in the Old Ford and Nest Estates. Sarah talks about some of…

Local Conversation in the Old Fold and Nest Estates

Gateshead has some of the highest levels of disadvantage in England and faces issues such as people feeling isolated and apart from their community. Community organisation Edberts House partnered with…

Control and health inequalities: a review of theory and evidence for practitioners

This report, developed by one of People’s Health Trust’s learning partners, the New Economics Foundation (NEF), is a literature review of the evidence base around the relationship between collective control…

Welcome Women: Upskilling is a boost to confidence

Leyla Laksari, Chief Executive Officer for Living Under One Sun, explains how this project is providing the space and resources for women to learn new skills and boost their confidence.

Derby Refugee Befriending Project developing confidence and skills

Ali Neghipooran, Project Secretary at Derby Refugee Befriending Project, shares an insight into the impact the project has on individuals and community.

RIG Arts: “Everything we do is resident led”

Project Manager Karen Orr explains the benefits of the RIG Arts project being resident-led, which is a central aspect of the Active Communities funding model.

Our Roots in the Community: Young people are at the heart of the project

Kebba Ansumana Manneh, Director of Our Roots in the Community, tells us why this project is so important to young people in Wakefield – and why young people are central…

Reform Radio: Helping young people achieve their dreams

Rachel Rogers, Director of The Gorton Takeover, shares how Reform Radio is enabling young people to develop crucial digital creative skills to support them to achieve their goals.

Young Again: Being part of the project has given me a sense of purpose

Mahmood Ahmad Kler, Young Again project member, speaks about the why the project was set up, why they joined and the impact the project has had on them and their…

RIG Arts

Creative workshops are based around waste reduction and include sewing, repair, reuse, upcycling, and sustainable crafts. Participants and the community are supported to become more resilient through supported engagement and…

Tenants Voice - Shieldfield

Rising rents, falling wages and unstable local economies all contribute to housing difficulties which lead to both short and long-term health issues. 8.5 million renters experience stress or anxiety and…

Route 23

Route 23 is a coffee shop named after the bus route serving Spring Lane area of Canterbury where the project operates. The café is open to all residents and is…

LGBT+ Service Nottinghamshire

LGBT+ young people are often socially isolated. Some project participants aren’t attending school, some are too anxious to socialise and lack confidence. The Centre Place gives young people the control…

Aaina Community Hub

A lot of the women that usually attend Aaina Community Hub have experienced multiple challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic. For example, families living in multi-occupancy households who were unable to…

Glenburn My Life My Choice Project

Easthall Residents Association in Glasgow has received funding three times from People’s Health Trust using money raised through The Health Lottery over a period of eight years. An investment totalling…

Tang Hall Food Co-operative

Locally-owned shops where people can buy affordable, healthy food and keep local wealth more equitably within communities is an important part of addressing local health inequalities. The Tang Hall Food…

Café Chat

The provision of mental health services on the island was limited, as was access to those services due to geographical distance. Café Chat provided a weekly meetup in Broadford on…

Second Stitch at Home

The project also encourages members to be actively involved and to undertake additional work in their own time, helping them develop a wide variety of sewing skills and techniques to…

Derby Refugee Befriending Project

Migrating to Great Britain as a refugee or asylum seeker can be an incredibly isolating experience. We know that creating opportunities to reduce isolation can have a big impact on…

Young Again

It’s often presumed that South Asian people look after and live with their elderly relatives. However, as people relocate for work, traditional structures and family ties are loosening. This can…

The Gorton Takeover - Reform Radio

This two-year project delivered weekly dance, art, radio and digital skills sessions for unemployed young adults and their children living in Gorton, an inner-city area of Manchester. Education, skills and…

Curating the Mind

For many Filipino people living in East London, it can feel lonely being isolated from their families and can sometimes feel overwhelming financially supporting their family back home. Home can…

Proud2Be Rural Outreach Project

LGBTQ+ people remain at increased risk of mental ill health due to a range of factors including discrimination and isolation. When people feel unfair shame or stigma, they become more…

Butetown Employment Action Team (BEAT)

Income, employment and working conditions have a huge impact on our health. Having a good job can protect health by giving people stability, financial security and the ability to enjoy…

Bridgend Inspiring Growth

Since it started, the members of the local community have taken control of every aspect of the project, buying the building from the local council using community raised funds, and…

Lee Gardens Pool: Learning Together

Penrhiwceiber had the highest child poverty rates across Wales in 2017/18 with 49.4% of children living in poverty. Health inequalities in Wales mean that people living in neighbourhoods experiencing the…

Our Roots in the Community

The group runs weekly activity sessions which are based around football and, once a month, the young people take part in a series of training workshops designed to build skills…

Welcome Women

Many of the people involved with the project are older women, migrants, refugees, or from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. A lot of them do not speak English as…

Stainforth Outdoor Activity Project

Stainforth has a proud mining heritage and the community experienced high levels of job losses and economic issues when the coal mining industry was wiped out in the 1970’s and…

Ashiana Group

Race Equality First (REF) was established in 1976 the same year that new legislation under the Race Relations Act was introduced. The organisation spearheaded campaigns to tackle racial discrimination and…

The Castle & Beyond - Our Voice, Our Community

A number of groups and activities have been set up such as a teen’s social group, a family friendly play session, drop-in support sessions and arts and crafts activities. The…

#AbilitiesNotDisabilities

The project was set up by existing participants who had an interest in design and wanted to create a business. As more members have joined, the project has grown and…

Touchbase Care CIC

Members come together to tackle isolation and build self-esteem and wellbeing. The project aims to tackle the inadequate representation of people with disabilities in the performing arts, showcase member’s creative…

Sunderland and South Tyneside Centre For People Of African Heritage

This project, provided by African Caribbean Community Association, supports members to increase their employability through one-to-one peer support where people can learn digital and computer skills, how to apply for…

New report finds improved wellbeing linked to greater community power

The final evaluation report for the Local Conversations Programme shows that developing community power can make a difference to neighbourhoods by building collective agency and action around social determinants of…

Community power

Neelam Heera: We're Right Here campaign

People’s Health Trust is supporting a new campaign calling for a Community Power Act to put power into the hands of local people. We spoke to one of the community…

Community power as a tool for change: learning from Lozells

The Local Conversation in Lozells saw an increase in the number of project participants during the COVID-19 lockdown. One reason some new residents joined was in response to concerns over…

Lessons from a decade

Over the past decade, the Trust has learnt a huge amount about the importance of supporting neighbourhoods experiencing the highest levels of disadvantage. Communities have worked to develop their skills,…

Annual Review 2021 - A decade of funding

During these ten years over £121 million has been raised, over 3,200 projects have been reached and over 600,000 people have been supported. Our Annual Review showcases some of these…

New Mental Health and Wellbeing Hub launches at Wrexham’s Caia Park

A new mental health and wellbeing hub has launched in Wrexham offering free support and activities for local residents aged 11 and over. Partners and local residents joined together to…

Levelling up funds need to be firmly rooted in community driven approaches

In the Autumn Budget and Spending Review on Wednesday 27 October, levelling up was reaffirmed as one of the government’s key objectives. Looking ahead we need more clarity and assurances…

The Voice cLoud: Community power in coastal communities

A new report by the Chief Medical Officer has found there are high concentrations of chronic diseases and lower life expectancy in England’s coastal towns. Whilst a focus on health…

What makes us healthy?

People’s Health Trust has created a series of infographics exploring what makes us healthy. The infographics look at the importance of the building blocks of health (social determinants of health)…

Local Conversation in Haverhill South is taking action to support young people

The Local Conversation in Haverhill South, funded by People’s Health Trust using money raised by Health Lottery East, supports people living in a neighbourhood experiencing high levels of disadvantage. Mental…

Caia Park community research: The role of gatekeepers in community-led initiatives

Local people know their communities best. They know what issues they face, what their community does well, and the best way they can create change. As the impact of community-led…

ONS Health Index Consultation

In December, Office of National Statistics (ONS) published a new health index for England, and opened a consultation for feedback. The index was first proposed in December 2018 by the…

UK COVID-19 death toll and health inequalities

The UK has now passed a horrifying marker of the pandemic: 100,000 deaths. Every life lost has a truly devastating impact on the surrounding community and, over the past year,…

Celebrating the season

Scottish Minority Ethnic Deaf Club (SEMDC) has members across Scotland and provides a variety of services ranging from a bi-weekly support group to providing bespoke advocacy, advice, signposting and information…

Together We Can evaluation case study

The “Together We Can” project was part of the Bridge Mentoring Plus Scheme, a charity that supports vulnerable people of all age groups in the area. The drop-in enabled people…

Healthy Active Lives project evaluation

The Derby West Indian Community Association ran Healthy Active Lives with the aim of building stronger connections within the community. The project received a two-year grant from People’s Health Trust,…

Moving On project evaluation

The Moving On project provided weekly creative workshop sessions for disabled people organised by the Rainbow Sunshine Company. Group members took part in music, dance and drama-based activities, then performed…

Get Set Youth project evaluation

Run by the youth charity Yellow Door, the Youth Bus at Waterside Skate Park provided a safe space for young people aged 11 to 25 to socialise, have fun, learn…

Exploring Senses CIC

Exploring Senses CIC and their ‘MakerLab’ project delivered weekly MakerLab sessions for young people aged 8 to 19 on Thursday afternoons in Brighton, at the youth club of the l

Motherwell Cheshire CIO: Believe

Motherwell provides specialist support services for mothers with children who have been placed into care, or children at risk of being placed into care.

Keighley Urban Meadows: Foster Garden project evaluation

Keighley Urban Meadows is a community group promoting the shared ownership of the local environment and community development. They set up the Foster Garden project with the aim of saving…

Borderlands: Drop in project

Borderlands is a charity working with refugees, asylum seekers, and other people with immigration issues in inner city Bristol.

Annual Review 2020

It has been an extra-ordinary year. Our new Annual Review highlights the ways in which health inequalities have been bought into sharp focus. It makes clear the challenges neighbourhoods experiencing…

Active Communities programme evaluation 2020

An evaluation was carried out by Ecorys UK from 2016 to 2020 to understand the impact on the Active Communities programme aims to bring people together to form social connections…

Penparcau action team

People’s Health Trust started funding Penparcau Community Forum in July 2014 through the Trust’s Local Conversations programme with money raised by Health Lottery Wales in order to address local priorities…

Evaluating the impact of Local Conversations 2016 - 2021

This final evaluation report summarises five-years of research into the Local Conversations Programme carried out by the New Economics Foundation. It looks at the impact Local Conversations have had in…

Influencing locally

The Local People project in Brighton, supported by Scope, works with local disabled people and unpaid carers to develop shared priorities, including raising awareness and acceptance of disability in all…

Local People programme evaluation 2020

The Local People programme evaluation, published in partnership with New Economics Foundation and Leeds Beckett University, examined the impact of locally led Local People projects established to address health inequalities.

Local People programme report

Today People’s Health Trust, in partnership with New Economics Foundation and Leeds Beckett University, are pleased to publish a new report on the Trust’s Local People Programme which reveals the…

Community at Tang Hall

The places in which we are born and live have a huge impact on our health. People living in affluent parts of York live for an average of eight years…

Building Collective Control

When people have more control over decisions and actions that affect their lives, they have a better chance of improving and maintaining their health. At the heart of the Trust’s…

International Women's Day

On 8 March each year, the world celebrates International Women’s Day highlighting the social, economic and political achievements of women. The day also marks a reminder to strive for gender…

Striving for action at City Hall

English for Action (EFA London) are influencing local leaders to listen to their views and help shape policy that directly affects them, using their collective power to influence and affect…

Local Conversation in Merstham - Repair Café

The Local Conversation in Merstham is a lot of things. It is a space for people to get together and make friends. It is a vehicle for change, and for…

The Marmot Review 10 Years On publishes today!

Eight case studies of projects funded by People’s Health Trust are featured in new report on health inequalities in England, published today. The UCL Institute of Health Equity (IHE) and…

Bridgend Farmhouse

When people have control over their lives and decisions that affect them, they are able to improve and maintain their health. Collective control is power exercised by groups of people,…

Marmot Review: 10 Years On

Published in 2010, The Marmot Review was a landmark study of health inequalities in England. The report stated unequivocally that the fundamental causes of health inequalities were political (unequal policies…

Taking local action

Through the Local People programme, residents in South Wigston and Eyres Monsel in Leicester are taking action resulting in a positive difference to their lives and community. We talked to…

Trip to House of Commons

The Young Again project, run by Pakistan Association Huddersfield, promotes social awareness and integration in the local community for older South Asian people. Earlier this year, members visited London for…

Local Conversations programme evaluation 2019

This report is a summary report of the second year of a four-year evaluation exploring the impact of the Trust's Local Conversations programme carried out by New Economics Foundation (NEF).

Read what we're asking of the new Government

It is well-evidenced that Great Britain is experiencing severe and growing health inequalities. Life expectancy is stalling and for some, reversing. At the same time the difference between the health…

Ethical Lettings Campaign

ACORN (Association of Community Organisations for Reform Now), supports members to deliver campaigns to address local housing issues.

Stitches, Knots and Sails - METcic

Stitches, Knots and Sails, run by METcic (Medway English Training Community Interest Company), based in Medway, Kent was funded by the Trust through the Active Communities programme for two

Celebrate, connect and share

Steering Group members from six Local People projects supported by Royal Voluntary Service came together to celebrate, connect and share. In May, Royal Voluntary Service held their first ever Steering…

Women Sharing Cornwall

Women Sharing Cornwall is a self-help group for women in St Austell who are experiencing mental health issues.

Developing a local vision

Residents from across Caia Park in Wrexham came together for an ambitious event to further develop a local vision for their neighbourhood. The strategy day was organised by the Local…

P4YP Activity Roadshow

“With those who are vulnerable, having the added confidence can spread at school and the community.” (Project staff)

A Local Conversation

Community Renewal Trust has been delivering a Local Conversation in Muirhouse, Edinburgh, since 2016. Local people are determining how they can make their neighbourhood an even better place to live…

Molokai Village

“It’s helped me to improve my social networks, in terms of meeting people I didn’t know.

Marsh Farm Makeover

Futures Community Voice is a group of local residents in Luton who come together to discuss issues and concerns about where they live and how they can improve the area.

A collaborative resolution to build a healthier society

In this piece, we hear from Cathy Irving, Director of Communications at the Health Foundation, about their new Collaboration for Wellbeing and Health.“Looking back over January, it struck me that…

Local Conversations programme evaluation 2018

The Local Conversations Programme Evaluation 2018 is the first in a four year evaluation of People’s Health Trust’s programme, carried out by the New Economics Foundation. It builds on the…

Local Conversations programme evaluation 2020

The Local Conversations programme evaluation 2020 is the third in a four year evaluation of People’s Health Trust’s Local Conversations programme, carried out by the New Economics Foundation, evaluating the…

Active Communities programme evaluation 2018

This report, published by the Trust, is a summary report of the second of a four-year evaluation exploring the impact of the Trust's Active Communities programme.

Local Conversations 2016: an introduction

This report outlines the findings of the foundation research from New Economics Foundation ahead of the four year evaluation of the Local Conversations programme. This initial report has helped us…

Active Communities programme evaluation 2016

This report, published by the Trust, is a full summary of the first year of a four-year evaluation, carried out by Ecorys, exploring the impact of the Trust's Active Communities…