Active communities bring people together and help shape the character of neighbourhoods. Whether youth groups, sports activities or parent and baby classes, the right activity in the right place for the right people can mean a real step change in local health and wellbeing.
Wood Farm
What the community told us: Families and young people asked for safe spaces and more things to do.
What happened as a result: Community groups have been supported to continue offering free family activity sessions and youth projects. The community health development officer also coordinated local health fairs that have strengthened community engagement with the Primary Care Network (PCN).
Abingdon
What the community told us: Families on low incomes wanted more support and affordable activities.
What happened as a result: Local groups accessed the community insight profile grant scheme to run new family sessions. Parents say they can now join in activities they couldn’t afford before, and more families are taking part in community events.
The Leys
What the community told us: Young people and families said they needed better mental health support and safe and low‑cost places to be active.
What happened as a result: With the support of the community health development officer, a newly established local organisation co-designed new fitness sessions for mothers, expanded leisure access for families, and set up an emergency fund through social prescribers to help those in urgent need. Residents report feeling more listened to and included in community life.
How insight leads to local action
The insight from the community profile told Gertrud that her local community wanted to feel less isolated. This led to a low cost fete, the first in years, and brought partners, local businesses and most importantly the community together.
How grant funding enabled scaling up of a service
For those community and voluntary organisations already in existence, grant funding has provided the opportunity to think bigger and deliver services for more local people.
Inputting into local neighbourhood plans
Using community insight to inform existing local plans has helped strengthen existing understanding while also identifying new opportunities.
SOAP on the difference grant funding has made to a youth skills project
SOAP was able to recruit two young people as playworkers to support with activities over the summer in 2025 - this benefited not only the charity, but also the young people through the experience that they gained.