Tags: social connections

Birch Collective - Improving mental health through nature

Birch Collective's project in Bristol works with young people experiencing mental health problems and social isolation. Staff member James Broadley discusses how accessing nature can improve young people’s confidence and…

One Stop - Accessing vital support

Azra Jan, project leader at One Stop Advice and Training Centre, discusses how the organisation supports women’s empowerment by ensuring women know their rights and have access to vital support.

Homes for Health Gorton

The project is establishing a Black-led tenants pressure group aimed at addressing challenges faced by Black Caribbean and African tenants who rent from private landlords in Gorton, Manchester. Many tenants…

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…

CYCD - Women's empowerment

This year’s International Women’s Day theme is ‘Inspire Inclusion’. We spoke to Aminah* who is a member of the WOWS (Women offering women support) group in Luton about her experiences…

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…

Artistic Spectrum: Creativity and wellbeing

Jo, who has autism, talks about how art classes in her former mining town provided relief following the death of her parents.

Cymer Afan Community Library: Renewing Our Community Spirit

Project member Sheila speaks about moving to the Afan Valley, Wales and how the project made her feel less isolated following a cancer diagnosis.

Willow Tree: Skills and safety

Project lead Heather Sayer helps young people with learning disabilities learn how to make pottery, food and clothes, and sell the goods at local hub Willow Tree Stores.

Khalsa Youth Football Academy - Connecting Hope

Khalsa Youth Football Academy provides sports programmes, forums and training for people with learning disabilities in Hertfordshire. Project Leader Bal Singh talks about Khalsa's anti-racist origins and how it supports…

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 .

MyBUS - Community Transport

Mary Parry, founder of MyBUS, talks about isolation among older people in Leven, Fife, and how the project is supporting social connections by providing transport and arranging activities and outings…

Scoonie Sunshine Club

Scoonie Sunshine Club runs a bus for people with mobility issues and older people, providing them with essential transport in an area where services have been cut and accessibility is…

SNaP Youth Service - back to school

Project lead Mandy Mangold talks to us about how SNaP Youth Service supports young people taking the step from primary to secondary school and why it's so important for their…

SNaP Youth Service

SNaP Youth Services runs after school clubs for children in years six seven (aged 10 to 12), providing them with a space to come after school and dealing sensitively with…

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…

Refugee Roots: Building skills, confidence and connections

Refugee Roots members come together to improve their wellbeing and social connections and to learn English. Mohammed*, an asylum seeker living in Long Eaton, speaks about how the project has…

LGBTQ+ Youth Groups in Fenland: Cost of living affecting members and staff

This project supports young people in Wisbech and March who identify as LGBTQ+ or who are questioning their sexuality or gender identity. Youth Group Lead Debi Mordanti talks about how…

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…

Newport People First: removing barriers

Newport People First works for a more accessible south Wales led by and for people with learning disabilities. Zarah Kaleem, a member since 2008 now a Training and Awareness Leader,…

Pebble in My Pocket: Community for isolated women

Pebble in My Pocket supports isolated women aged 50 and over in Corby. Sessions begin in a cafe and then move to a library for arts and crafts sessions to…

Pebble in My Pocket

Pebble in my Pocket supports isolated women aged 50+ to meet up to socialise and for arts and crafts sessions in Corby The group is made up of local women…

Youth Wellbeing Out of Covid

Youth Wellbeing Out of Covid supports young people from African backgrounds in communities in North Lanarkshire through teaching music and providing a space for people to socialise. Following the Covid-19…

Getting Outdoors

Getting Outdoors supports people affected by drug and alcohol use, including people who feel isolated or who feel stigmatised by attitudes towards them. Through weekly sessions the group comes together…

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…

Getting Outdoors: Providing a purpose

Getting Outdoors supports people who have issues related to alcohol and drugs. The group cycle, hike and walk together to improve physical and mental health. Project member Fiona speaks about…

LGBTQ+ Youth Groups in Fenland

LGBTQ+ Youth Groups in Fenland supports young people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or who are questioning their sexuality or gender identity in the Wisbech and March areas…

LGBTQ+ Youth Groups in Fenland: Making a difference

This project supports young people in Wisbech and March who are in the LGBTQ+ community or who are questioning their sexuality or gender identity. Youth Group Lead Debi Mordanti talks…

Local Conversation in Govanhill: Local Leaders

The Local Conversation in Govanhill enables the Roma community to improve their health through supporting young people to have a voice, training community leaders and providing spaces to meet. Alex…

New report shows benefits of community involvement

New research shows that people involved in People's Health Trust's funded programmes are more likely to feel that they can change how their area is run and to have meaningful…

Gardening for Dementia: Transforming people

Spending time in green spaces can be hugely beneficial to the mental health of people with dementia. Scotswood Natural Community Garden's Jenny Hopper explains how connecting with nature has helped…

Local Conversation in Kirkley: Making a more accessible community

Enabling Kirkley campaigns for better accessibility in the area. Project Leader David Lawrence talks about how the group uses local influence to improve the environment for disabled people.

Bristol Active Women Walk and Talk: Welcoming Walks

Bristol Active Women Walk and Talk brings women together for walking, swimming or other outdoor activities. Community Activity Manager Wafa Suliman talks about how the group has helped women build…

Support U: Creating a community

Support U youth group member Ash Skeet talks about her experience transitioning, and how the organisation's support groups have improved the mental health of the LGBTQ+ community in the Thames…

A conversation with CAHN: Meeting the health needs of Caribbean and African communities

Charles Kwaku-Odoi talks about how Caribbean and African Health Network challenges structural discrimination in health services across Greater Manchester.

StereoHype Social

StereoHype Social brings together racially and culturally diverse creatives in Birmingham who have lived experience of mental health to make friends, share experiences and create artistic work challenging stigma. Workshops…

StereoHype Social: Music changes mental health

Greg Rogers shares his own experience of mental ill health, and how he's supporting fellow artists and creatives in Birmingham to improve their own mental health by creating a night…

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…

Armchair Adventures: Fighting Prejudice With Poetry

Pauline Omoboye shares some of her personal experiences with inequality and talks about how Made by Mortals' Armchair Adventures uses poetry to share important messages of injustice with younger generations…

Armchair Adventures

Armchair Adventures was born during Covid-19 for people over 65 who were affected by the isolation of lockdown, to help rebuild social connections. They get together each week to…

Positive About Deafness: Changing lives in Wigan

Katie O’Reilly, trustee and founder of Wigan and Leigh Deaf Children’s Society, talks about the lack of resources for parents of sensory impaired children in the area and how she…

Positive About Deafness

Positive About Deafness continues the work of Wigan and Leigh Deaf Children’s Society to support deaf and sensory impaired children with a schedule of regular activities, as well as…

Street Factory: Everyone needs support

During Covid-19, Toby Gorniak, Creative Director at Street Factory, shifted the group's activities to help its Plymouth community through the rise in mental health needs. He discusses the strain he…

Great Yarmouth and Gorleston Young Carers: friendship and education

Lauren Randall has been a Youth Worker for Greater Yarmouth and Gorleston Young Carers for two years, supporting young people whose lives are affected by caring responsibilities. She discusses how…

BCA Community Café: Keeping costs low in a crisis

Alyx Dawid, Volunteer Development Co-ordinator at the Highwood Café, has been involved with the Brackenwood Community Association in Leeds for seven years. She discusses how the project has adapted to…

Brackenwood Community Association Highwood Community Café

Residents of Brackenwood estate previously had few places to meet one another, and many felt isolated. BCA Highwood Community Café provides a space where residents can socialise, eat, or learn…

Church Street Football and Muay Thai

There are very few play areas in the Church Street neighourhood and the ward is densely populated. There is only one football pitch which people have to pay between £30…

London Tigers: Community projects improve wellbeing

London Tigers is a semi-professional football club, a cricket club in the County Cricket League, and an award winning charity. Chief Executive, Mesba Ahmed, spoke to us about how their…

Southall Bangladeshi Families engagement

The overall aims of the project are to support newly arrived Bangladeshi families to become more active and connected with the local community, though taking part in activities that connect…

Pride in Mind

Participants have control over the project and at the monthly meetings, members plan future social activities. The meetings are also a safe space to share their mental health concerns and…

Young Again: Affordability is the biggest barrier

Young Again brings together older South Asian residents in Huddersfield. Jamil Akhtar, Treasurer of The Pakistan Huddersfield Association, reflects on their latest trip to Wales and the wider benefits of…

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 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.

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.

Inequalities in mental health

In Mental Health Awareness Week 2022, Dr Lisa Doyle, Director of Engagement and Influencing at People’s Health Trust reflects on the intersection of inequalities impacting marginalised people.

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…

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 Lozells

Aspire and Succeed, a local organisation run by residents, partnered with People’s Health Trust to deliver the Local Conversation in Lozells. Using a community organising approach, Aspire & Succeed engaged…

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…

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.

The Engine Shed: Combatting social isolation

Isolation can negatively impact upon physical and mental health. Sarah Snow, Project Manager, explains how The Engine Shed was formed as a space to bring people together.

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.

Arty-Folks is more than an art group

Arty-Folks is more than an art group, it’s a community. Laura Wilde, project member and volunteer, explains more about the peer-empowerment group and its impact.

Happy Together: Tackling social isolation

Project Coordinator, Gill Tan, explains how the Happy Together project supports older people within the Chinese community to develop their social networks and make friends.

Promoting Roles of Father Figures: Everyone has a voice

The Trust’s Active Communities programme funds community projects which are designed and led by local people. Project members, Rob Milligan and Mark Rouse, share their thoughts on how being resident-led…

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…

Refugee Roots: The importance of social connections

Adam Baker, Director of Refugee Roots, speaks about the social connections formed at the Nottingham based project. Social connections have been vital for newly arrived people to find support 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…

Promoting Roles of Father Figures

Stronger social connections helps build confidence, increase skills, and have a greater sense of purpose and hope, which we know are important first steps in being able to address other…

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…

Happy Together

Many older people within the Chinese community find that language and cultural barriers can prevent them from developing their social networks and making friends. By developing a group based around…

Arty-Folks Peer Empowerment Group

Our life circumstances can determine our mental health and create health inequalities. There is not enough provision in the local community in Coventry for people who are living with mental…

Autism Recreational and Support Activities with The Engine Shed

Research from the National Autistic Society shows that people with autism are four times more likely to feel isolated than members of the general public. For autistic adults, their sense…

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…

Our Town

The Our Town project from Artistic Spectrum has a huge range of contributors aged 16 to 64 with a massive range of artistic talents from sculpting to painting. Through creative…

Refugee Roots

The group originally grew out of work with the community and participants have regular opportunities to shape the project’s ongoing development. The aim of the work is to enable people…

Heart of Portsmouth Amateur Boxing Academy

The Heart of Portsmouth Amateur Boxing Club provides a pathway for people in their neighbourhood to progress in their own journey, whether that be building confidence, becoming a coach or…

Covid-Connect

Sunbeams London established the project as a direct response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the rising mental health issues that were evident in young girls who have faced bereavement and…

Unity Youth Projects

The Fort was born from a neighbouring youth centre which offered activities for young people with additional needs. This focus was carried over, and having accessibility and inclusion as priorities…

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…

Social connections

Negative impacts of COVID-19 on charities revealed

A survey by the Charity Commission has found that nearly all (91%) charities in England and Wales have experienced some negative impact from COVID-19.

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…

Get online with Good Things Foundation

Access to digital technology and the internet became essential during the pandemic with many services moving online. Whilst COVID-19 restrictions have eased many services have remained virtual. There has been…

Online resources page to support community projects

People’s Health Trust has recently published an online resources page to support community organisations with their work. The page has links to helpful tools, education materials, third sector and governmental…

Pride in Mind: Tackling barriers through collaboration and social connections

Pride in Mind have been awarded a grant from People’s Health Trust, using money raised by Health Lottery North East and Cumbria, to continue their monthly meetings, social activities and…

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…

Aberchirder and District Men’s Shed receive Queens Award for Voluntary Services

Aberchirder and District Men’s Shed, a project previously funded through People’s Health Trust’s Active Communities programme, has received the Queens Award for Voluntary Services (QAVS) for their work in the…

Study asks why LGBTQ+ People of Colour and Refugees and Asylum Seekers are not accessing services

People’s Health Trust recognise that many people with shared identities, experiences, characteristics or common interests face additional barriers to good health due to discrimination and inequality. Intersectionality refers to the…

People's Health Trust supports World Health Day

World Health Day is recognised on Wednesday 7 April this year and is focused on the theme of ‘building a fairer, healthier world”. This year, the World Health Organisation (WHO)…

People’s Health Trust backs the Never More Needed campaign

The not-for-profit sector has become an important lifeline for many during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite adapting to the needs of their communities during the pandemic, charities and not-for-profits have been…

International Women’s Day: Exploring COVID-19 barriers for women

Monday 8 March marked International Women’s Day. It is also nearly one year since the UK went into the first lockdown due to the pandemic. COVID-19 has had different impacts…

Mental Health 100 Campaign launched in Holyhead Wales

Mental health and wellbeing have become a significant issue for many people across the UK since lockdown restrictions started in March last year. Residents in Holyhead Wales have reported that…

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,…

Heart of a community

The ‘Everyone Together’ project supported by VIP Sports and Arts Academy is a two-year project hosting regular social groups for the whole community in the Fallside area, a local housing…

Interpreting a pandemic

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…

Good Companions

Isolation can have strong and dangerous effects on people’s health. During the pandemic the issue of isolation has become even more prevalent, with many worried the mental health effects of…

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…

The Northgate project evaluation

Northgate Project, supported by the charity TakeOff, brought individuals from the Northgate ward in Canterbury together to support them to share their interests and skills with one another.

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…

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,…

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…

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…

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.

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

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…

CounsellingCare: Café Chat project

Café Chat provided peer support and friendship for local people on the Isle of Skye. Evaluation shows it helped address mental health problems, social isolation and loneliness and developed social…

Borderlands: Drop in project

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

Armenian Mental Wellbeing Project, Centre for Armenian Information & Advice

Carers' rights day

According to Carers UK, there are approximately 6.5 million carers in the UK, and Every day another 6,000 people take on a caring responsibility.[1]. Recent findings from Carers UK show…

COVID-19 report update

Between March and June the Trust surveyed all of our funded partners to find out how they were coping with the effects of the pandemic, and to discover how…

Disability History Month 2020

UK Disability History Month (UKDHM) which runs every year from 18 November – 20 December is an annual event focusing on the history of the struggle for equality and human…

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…

Together We Can

The ‘Together We Can’ project, funded through the Trust’s Active Communities programme, is based in the Zone, a community space in Bridgend, Wales. This is part of the Bridge Mentoring…

Stronger Together

Strong social connections within and between communities is one factor in achieving good health and living longer lives. That’s why all of the Trust’s funding programmes place a strong emphasis…

A-lot-tment of success

Community Action Suffolk has been supporting a Local Conversation in Haverhill South, Suffolk, since 2014. Through the Local Conversation, residents are identifying and addressing shared priorities, including: health and wellbeing;…

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…

Totnes pride online

At the Trust, our overarching aim is addressing health inequalities and creating a fairer society for all. A vital part of this is supporting LGBTQ+ people. So far, the Trust…

Derby West Indian Community Association

Derby West Indian Community Association ran the project, 'Healthy Active Lives' which aimed to enable and support participants to lead, shape and develop the project while building stronger connections within…

Award nominations for LGBT+ project

LGBT+ Service Nottinghamshire offers a range of support and activities to LGBT+ children and young people aged 11-25 across Mansfield, Worksop, Retford and Sutton-in-Ashfield. The project provides a vital opportunity…

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…

Disability Pride Brighton 2020

Disability Pride Brighton is an annual event created to raise awareness of the diversity and experiences of disabled people, to support people living with any kind of disability (visible or…

Working together to reduce health inequalities in Wales

People’s Health Trust is excited to be joining forces with The Bevan Foundation to reduce health inequalities in Wales. The Bevan foundation is Wales' most influential thinktank, whose vision is…

Bboy mental health

Mental health is critical issue that many are facing across the country, with symptoms being exacerbated by the lockdown and distancing measures. On average, men with mental health conditions die…

Raising women's voices

The Trust works to support the foundations of good health, one important foundation being social connections (even while remaining physically distanced). Social isolation has been shown to have the same…

Report on COVID-19

Today we are publishing a report on the experiences of our funded partners in responding to Covid-19. Through speaking to these locally led projects over the past few months, we’ve…

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…

Refugee Week 2020

Refugee Week is a UK-wide festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees. Founded in 1998 and held every year around World Refugee Day on the 20 June, Refugee…

Carers Matter

Recent findings from Carers UK show an estimated 4.5 million people in the UK have become unpaid carers as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.* When combined with the 9.1…

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.

Racism, inequality, crisis and action

Following the unjust death of George Floyd at the hands of police in America, a reinvigorated Black Lives Matter movement is shining a light on systemic violence, racism, injustice and…

Pride Month 2020

This Pride Month we cannot be physically together marching in the streets - celebrating LGBTQ+ people and protesting ongoing inequalities. However we still wanted to take this time highlight…

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…

Donate to People's Health Trust

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has shocked and impacted us all. Yet it has also shown the power and importance of communities pulling together. In this difficult time, People’s Health Trust…

Take a(n online) bow

Beatroute Arts is a community-led charity based in Balornock in the North East of Glasgow. Offering creative activities for young people and community groups, they work to address inequalities in…

Pie Factory Music

Pie Factory Music is a youth club that supports young people in Thanet, Kent. Three years ago, they set up an intergenerational group – Create Community - after multiple requests…

Zooming in on accessibility

The Local People project in Brighton has created a shared vision, supporting disabled people and unpaid carers to identify barriers and bring about change to increase community equity, therefore improving…

Staying creative in lockdown

Taking part in creative activities and staying connected have become vital to support wellbeing as the country gets used to a new normal. Reform Radio support local people to develop…

Delivering food locally

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to create challenges for the Trust’s funded partners, in finding ways to stay connected and continue to support their local communities’ urgent needs. However, even more…

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…

Connecting through art

Having access to creative activities can have a positive impact on our health. Taking part in art projects can help increase social connections, decrease stress, build trust and strengthen the…

Let's Talk Holyhead

'Let's talk Holyhead' is a weekly group set up by local residents to help those who are struggling or have struggled with mental health issues. Let's Talk was conceived due…

Music at the Edge

The Youth Enquiry Service is a charitable organisation which holds twice-weekly free music workshops for residents of all ages, through their project, The Edge Acoustic Band, giving them an opportunity…

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…

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…

National Storytelling Week

National Storytelling Week runs from 1 February to 8 February and celebrates the art from of storytelling, from theatre and dance to books and oral history. People can be connected…

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…

Mental health in January

This month, we’re highlighting how projects we fund are supporting the mental health of local residents. Many people find that January can really challenge their mental health. People living in…

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…

Disability History Month 2019

Disability History Month (DHM), which runs from 18 November – 20 December in the UK, aims to create a platform to explore the history of disabled people’s struggle for equality…

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…

Friends of Constable Street Field

Constable Community Allotment, run by Friends of Constable Street Field and based in Hull, encourages local residents to come together and foster community spirit. Members help to maintain and expand…

MaD Theatre Company

MaD Theatre Company is a charitable organisation, which provides drama workshops for young people and adults living in Greater Manchester. Over a year ago, MaD Theatre Company facilitated drama sessions…

Crafty Fox Café and Hub

Crafty Fox Café and Hub in Foxhole in Paignton, Devon provides a safe space for residents to build connections in their community. The project developed from a previous community hub…

Black History Month 2019

October marks Black History Month in the UK, a celebration of the achievements and contributions of black people around the world. Inaugurated by Ghanaian-born activist Akyaaba Addai-Sebo in 1987, it…

Dance for change

Street Factory uses hip hop culture and dance as a vehicle to help positively change the lives of local people in Plymouth.

The Association of Blind Asians

The Association of Blind Asians (ABA) has been supporting visually impaired South Asian people and their carers in Leeds since 1989. Thanks to funding from People’s Health Trust, they have…

Inspiring allotments

Studies have shown that on average, a 10 per cent increase in exposure to green space translates into five years of better health (The King’s Fund, 2013). People living in…

Local People in Boston

The Local People project in Boston, Lincolnshire supports older people to identify barriers and bring about change to improve their lives, health and wellbeing. Led by a passionate group of…

Connecting through song

The Include Choir are breaking down social stigmas and tackling mental health through singing, song writing and signing. The Include Choir welcomes those with communication difficulties and those without, to…

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

English for Action

A local charity in Tower Hamlets, London is supporting migrants to help create an equal and fair society by providing free English classes. English for Action (EFA) is dedicated to…

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…

Ek Saath - Community Together

‘Ek Saath – Community Together’, a project run by the Indian Community Association (ICA), offers daily activities and get-togethers for older residents in Reading. Project members are encouraged to interact…

Pride Jubilee

50 years ago, the Stonewall Uprising started a series of riots and demonstrations which became the catalyst for the modern Pride movement. Three years later, in July 1972, the first…

Women Sharing Cornwall

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

Sharing stories

Since 1998, Refugee Week has celebrated the contribution of refugees and migrants to the UK, encouraging a better understanding of diversity within local communities. This year, Refugee Week runs from…

Lunch Positive club

Lunch Positive runs weekly lunch clubs enabling people to come together in a safe, friendly peer-led environment to share a meal, socialise and build supportive friendships.The lunch club in Brighton…

Black Health Initiative

Black Health Initiative is a community engagement organisation that looks at inequalities within education, health and social care.Based in Leeds, they run the Love2Live project, funded by the Trust. Through…

Volunteers United

“You are not defined by what you cannot do, but what you can do” - MAP Volunteer Volunteers United, a project run by Mercian Ability Partnership (MAP), provides opportunities for…

Supporting mental health

Each year, approximately one in four people in the UK will experience a mental health issue (Mind, 2017). In recent years there has been a drive for more open conversations…

P4YP Activity Roadshow

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

Molokai Village

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

Newham Chinese

For the last two years, Newham Chinese Association has provided a range of activities for Chinese elders, helping them feel more connected in the community. The project has welcomed Chinese…

Better Bretton

Better Bretton is a group of residents who work together to improve local lives and bring the community together in Bretton. It's part of the Local People project in…

Celebrating women

For more than 100 years, International Women’s Day has celebrated women’s achievements, showing the social, economic and political impact they have had on their communities. The day, which is an…

Time out for carers

The project Inspirational Us, run by Carers4Carers, provides a friendly space and complementary therapies for carers living in the London Borough of Lambeth. Project members are supported to lead weekly…

Ethiopian community

The Ethiopian Community Association of Greater Manchester recently held an event to bring the community together. Members of the Ethiopian Family Learning Group came together for an event which included…

Surfs up in Bradley

“The group has evolved, there is the odd IT problem here and there but now members just like getting together to have a coffee and chat.” In Wolverhampton, both men…

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.

More than activities

“The project is about so much more than just activities, the classes really bring people together and help them make friends.” Apna Virsa supports older residents living in Slough to…

LGBT+ History Month

February marks LGBT+ History Month, which aims to promote equality and diversity across Great Britain. A series of events and activities are planned as part of LGBT+ History Month across…

Young People Lead

The Local People project in Swansea is supporting residents of all ages to build their confidence and take action on issues that are important to them. The project is based…

Working skills and rural crafts

“The Greenwood Club is for people living with dementia and their carers, and people who are socially isolated or have some cognitive impairment of different scales. They may have had…

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…

Time for action

Fourteen per cent of children aged ten to 12 are ‘often lonely’, according to the first ever figures on child loneliness. For the first time, the Office for National Statistics…

Resolution to connect

The start of a new year is a time for resolutions, with many people talking about what they would like to accomplish in the coming months. People often start to…

Talking empowerment

The Local People project in Brighton supports and empowers disabled people and unpaid carers who live locally to identify barriers and bring about change to improve their lives, health and…

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.

Government announces partnership with the Trust and fellow funders

The Government has announced a partnership with People's Health Trust and fellow funders to better connect individuals across England. The partnership will see £20 million unlocked as part of the…

Evaluating the impact of Active Communities

People’s Health Trust’s Active Communities programme is helping to create stronger connections between people in neighbourhoods and communities. This is according to research conducted by consultancy firm Ecorys.

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…