The Well London Approach

Well London is a locally focussed, integrated, community action approach that improves community health and well-being and is effective and sustainable in even the most deprived neighbourhoods. It works by engaging and empowering people to build and strengthen the foundations of good health and wellbeing in their communities through community action, capacity building and development.

Key features of the Well London community development approach that combine into a unique model are that it:

• Works in the most deprived communities - all target communities in phase 1 were in the most deprived 11% in London as measured by the indices of multiple deprivation.
• A local focus on natural neighbourhoods that have around 2,000 residents
• Integrates with and adds value to what is already going on locally
• Works in partnership with local community and voluntary organisations and builds their capacity to deliver activities
• Uses initiatives that build individual and community confidence, cohesion, sense of control and self esteem – Heart of the Community projects.
• Undertakes an extensive community engagement process through the CADBE project that ensures communities themselves set the agenda and define the issues to be addressed
• Builds networks and structures of mutual support by helping people organise around common issues that affect them
• Makes strategic links locally and regionally so that improvements in health and well-being are sustainable for the longer term
• Includes rigorous evaluation