We focus on four complex health issues more prevalent in urban areas
With the Social Progress Imperative, we've developed the first neighbourhood level, health-focused social progress index of its kind.
With Wellcome Trust
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Children's health and food
We're supporting multiple partners in one ward in Southwark to test whole-systems approaches to tackling childhood obesity.
Partners: Alexandra Rose Charity, Bags of Taste, Burgess Sports, School Food Matters, Sustrans, PACT (Citizen’s UK), The Social Innovation Partnership, Shift
Funding amount: £2.1m
Duration: December 2017 – Summer 2021
Programme: children’s health and food
We’re working with a group of local and national organisations to deliver a range of activity in the Faraday ward in Southwark. Together, we are encouraging healthier eating and more physical exercise. The Faraday ward has the highest rates of childhood obesity across Lambeth and Southwark, as well as some of the greatest levels of deprivation.
Within the ward, we will fund activities aimed at closing the ‘obesity inequality gap’ – the difference between the high rates of child obesity in the most deprived areas and lowest rates in wealthier areas. By working in a small geography, we can focus on having a maximum impact on the health challenges facing the local community.
We have extended this partnership because we believe we can have a continuing impact in Faraday. In Lambeth, 95% of families reported eating more fruit and vegetables after receiving Rose Vouchers for Fruit & Veg. By expanding the partnership, we hope to reach a further 1,900 families.
Over this five-year programme, we want to test this layered approach and explore four things:
Childhood obesity is a complex issue impacted by many factors. Evidence shows that no single intervention can halt the problem, and that the solution lies in whole-systems approaches. Examples such as Amsterdam’s - which has reduced rates of child obesity in the city through a mix of public and private initiatives - point to the power of working across sectors and layering different solutions.
Faraday has some of the highest rates of child obesity in the UK, with nearly 23% of children under five living with an unhealthy weight. Through our work in Faraday, we look to demonstrate the value of layering activities and a whole-systems approach in lowering the high rates of child obesity found in areas of deprivation down to the lower rates seen in wealthier areas.
As well as our work in Faraday, we're working with The Social Innovation Partnership to explore community research models and developing ways to improve school food with School Food Matters.
Carole Coulon leads our work on the initiative to tackle childhood obesity in Southwark
With Oasis Hub Waterloo
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With Southwark Council
With Public Health England (PHE) and others