The gaps in health outcomes are widening. Across the UK, communities facing disadvantage experience worse health, shorter life expectancy, and greater barriers to care. These inequalities are not new—but they are deepening, and the need for change has never been more urgent.
At People Street, we believe that communities must play a leading role in shaping their own health and well-being. That’s why we are launching the Centre for Health Empowerment—a new initiative designed to put power back into the hands of individuals and communities, equipping them with the knowledge, confidence, and tools to drive better health outcomes for themselves and those around them.
What is the Centre for Health Empowerment?
The Centre for Health Empowerment is built on the principle of self-health—the idea that people are not passive recipients of care but active agents in their own well-being. It moves beyond traditional health promotion by focusing on practical, community-led solutions that foster resilience and self-efficacy.
Health empowerment is not just about access to services; it’s about ensuring people have the agency, skills, and support to make informed decisions about their health. This requires more than raising awareness—it demands meaningful interventions that build capacity, challenge systemic barriers, and create lasting change.
Why Now?
The need for a different approach has never been clearer. Communities tell us time and again that conventional health campaigns, while well-intentioned, do not go far enough. They want more than just information—they want opportunities to lead, to shape solutions, and to take control of their health in ways that fit their realities.
Our work in North East London, funded by the NHS, has provided direct insight into these needs. This grassroots intervention was developed in response to what communities themselves identified as the biggest gaps in support. They have asked for practical tools, not just messages; for spaces to build collective action, not just isolated initiatives. The Centre for Health Empowerment is our answer to that call.
How Will the Centre Work?
The Centre will operate as a hub for collaborative practice, bringing together different disciplines, lived experiences, and ways of knowing to explore and test new ways of tackling health inequalities. We will focus on:
Capacity-building: Offering training, workshops, and resources that help individuals and communities develop the skills and confidence to manage their health proactively.
Community-led innovation: Supporting grassroots solutions that emerge from the lived experience of those most affected by health inequalities.
Collaborative learning: Creating spaces for dialogue, experimentation, and knowledge exchange between communities, practitioners, and policymakers.
Action-oriented research: Grounding our work in real-world practice, ensuring that insights lead to tangible change rather than remaining theoretical.
Looking Ahead
The Centre for Health Empowerment is not just a project—it’s a movement towards a fairer, more inclusive approach to health. We are committed to building a space where communities are not just consulted but are at the heart of shaping solutions.
Over the coming months, we will be sharing more about our work, inviting partners to collaborate, and most importantly, working alongside communities to drive meaningful change. If you are interested in joining us—whether as a practitioner, researcher, policymaker, or community member—we would love to hear from you.
Health is not just about services. It is about power, agency, and collective action.
The Centre for Health Empowerment exists to support communities in claiming that power—and in doing so, to create a future where good health is a right, not a privilege.
Join us. Let’s build something transformative, together.
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