EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network

Fit and well, Arnhem

Introduction

A participative approach was applied to the project, to improve the health and welfare of people with a lower socio-economic status.

Problem

Improvement of the health and welfare of people with a lower economic status by means of an integrated approach to the neighbourhood, where the residents and key people themselves indicate their priorities for health and welfare.

Description

Professionals (from, among others police, primary schools, municipal health services (GGD), community workers and housing corporations) drafted a series of measures for the three problem areas (neighbourhood and safety, education and growing up in Het Arnhemse Broek and coping with stress), which were discussed with local residents. The measures were, among other things, a litter team to keep the neighbourhood tidy, more speeding checks, the police to visit homes more often to prevent nuisances, swimming for migrant women, the setting up of a mother/child centre and safe sex parties.

Approach

The project went through three phases:

creation of a health profile;
elaboration of a health programme;
a period of action.

The community worker determines the approach strategy to the neighbourhood in consultation with the GGD co-ordinator, because the community worker knows " his/her" residents best of all. This means that the form of participation is able to connect with the social environment of the residents.
Local residents and professionals have been approached with regular newsletters in which they could read about the state of the project.
The project is well known and has acquired its own image by means of a logo. This has contributed to the familiarity with the project.

Results

More than four fifths of local residents are familiar with one or more of the activities organised within the framework of the project. Two thirds of the residents think that a health project in their district is a (reasonably) good idea.
The professionals are positive about the project, particularly because they have the impression that the activities reinforce each other, the project increases the motivation of workers, problems in the district become more visible and people get a better idea about who does what in the district.
The network of professionals has been expanded and they now know how to find each other more easily.

Contact info

Hulpverlening Gelderland Midden
M. Ekelmans, tel. +31 26 3773344

Project start date

01/07/1997

Links

Hulpverlening Gelderland Midden More information on the project (in Dutch)

Document type

case

Themes

Urban Policy > Social inclusion & integration > Quality of life

Keywords

Health