Community Development Team Impact Report 2024

Health creation

Through funding from East Surrey Place, the Community Development team have spent two years working closely with health colleagues through the Growing Health Together initiative (growinghealthtogether.org). This funding allowed our Community Development Workers (CDWs) to spend one day a week, working with local GPs focussing on projects which made communities healthier places to live. This funding came to an end in 2024.

In January 2024, as part of the evaluation of the work, we delivered a conference to promote the achievements of the project, to give our residents an opportunity to share the impact of the work on their communities and to help build a case for future collaboration with health.

Download the evaluation report: Health and wellbeing impact report 2024 (PDF)

Merstham health and wellbeing event

Alice coordinated a Wellbeing Fair on World Mental Health Day in partnership with Health and Wellbeing Champions, Merstham Library and the Champion Co-ordinator. Over 30 local services, including Age Concern and Adult Social Care, participated. The event aimed to promote mental health and wellbeing resources, with around 150 residents attending.

Community impact: 100% of stallholders reported positive feedback, and many made referrals to support services.

The event fostered community engagement and increased awareness of available services.

Neighbourhood meetings

The team have continued to work closely with health colleagues to support the role out and delivery of Health and Wellbeing Networks (surreyheartlands.org). We continue to explore how these meetings and our regular partnership meetings can work together to impact the wider determinants of health in our Community Development areas.