Well London, towards more healthy communities
The programme ‘Well London’ aims to improve the health and well-being of residents living in the capital city’s most deprived areas. Latest’s figures have shown that great disparities exist between those living in the most and least deprived neighbourhoods of London. The programme has been implemented in 20 of London’s boroughs. Through citizen participation and the establishment of strong local communities, Well London encourages healthy eating choices, improves access to open spaces, increases physical activity and promotes positive mental well-being.
The Well London Alliance, guaranteeing community engagement
The programme was initiated thanks to a £9.46 million grant from the BIG Lottery Fund won by the London Health Commission and its six partners. Together they formed the Well London Alliance and have extensive experience in the field of community-led intervention and practice. Each of the following partners led a key theme of the programme and fulfilled the role as lead partner in three out of four target areas:
- London health Commission;
- University of East London;
- London Sustainability Exchange;
- Central YMCA;
- Groundwork London;
- Arts Council England, London;
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.
Fourteen community-based projects scattered around 20
neighbourhoods
Well London is structured around two sets of projects (in total 14) aligned to the residents’ needs in the different target areas:
- The Heart of Community Projects: stimulating community engagement, capacity building, volunteering and skills development;
- Thematic Projects: focusing on physical activity, open spaces, physical activity mental well-being, arts and culture.
Developing evidence-based models to generate robust evidence on
health and well-being
The mission of the programme is to develop robust, evidence-based models and benchmarks for community action focusing on health and well-being. In addition, the programme aspires to influence policy and practice to secure real enhancements to well-being and reductions in health inequalities across all communities in London and beyond. To measure the effectiveness of the projects, the University of East London has designed a cluster randomized control trial which examines the impact of the programme on health and well-being.
Results
The programme ended in March 2011, but its approach will be further developed in other communities. On the whole, Well London surpassed the targets set by the Big Lottery Fund. In its final phase, already a total of 14, 772 people participated in Well London activities of whom:
- 79% reported an increase in healthy eating;
- 76% reported increased access to healthy food;
- 77%
reported high levels of physical activity and 82% said they felt
more positive.
For more information on the programme, please visit the Well London website and the website of Governance International to be found at the See Also folder.
Contact details
Alison Pearce
Well London Project Manager
Greater London Authority
Tel: 020 7983 4544
Email: alison.pearce@london.gov.uk
Document type
Practice