Building Healthier Communities: The Case for Investing in Public Health
Explore how targeted, community-based public health strategies can improve lives, reduce NHS pressure, and deliver cost savings for local authorities.
Councils hail 24% rise in attempts to quit smoking
25/07/2025 The number of people attempting to quit smoking using council commissioned Stop Smoking Services has grown by almost a quarter, according to NHSE data. |
Councils benefit from £15m boost for nature schemes
18/07/2025 Councils are to receive £15m funding to enrich green areas in towns and cities. |
Council chiefs demand funding to boost children’s play facilities
10/06/2025 The Local Government Association (LGA) has called for ‘long-term, consistent funding’ to help councils implement the national play strategy. |
Leeds proposes closing dozens of bowling greens
13/01/2025 Half of the council-run crown bowling greens in Leeds under plans to save nearly £275m over five years. |
Landmark Bill to introduce ‘children not in school’ registers
17/12/2024 Council chiefs welcome Bill that could bring in new registers to identify children who are not in school but say it should go further to ensure child safety. |
UK’s happiest place to live revealed
04/12/2024 The East Suffolk port town of Woodbridge has been identified as the UK's happiest place to live in a survey by Rightmove. |
Public support more focus on poor health causes
02/10/2023 The Government should invest more in public health to address the roots of poor health, according to a poll for the charity Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH). |
Boosting the wellbeing of public sector employees
06/06/2023 Sick days are damaging public sector productivity. Alun Baker, GoodShape, looks at how to boost employee wellbeing. |
MP hits out at council's proposals to extend four-day trial
15/05/2023 A Conservative MP hit out at proposals by a council to approve an extension to a four-day week after a trial found improvements to productivity and wellbeing. |
Scottish council leaders and police strengthen collaboration
18/04/2023 Local authority leaders in Scotland have agreed four key priority areas to strengthen collaboration between local government and policing. |
How local government can shatter the menopause taboo
13/10/2022 With 900,000 women quitting their jobs because of the menopause, Suzanne Marshall explores how local councils can support women during this time in their lives. |
Levelling up means making ‘sad Londoners happier’
11/05/2022 The Government’s levelling up agenda should focus more on affluent local authority areas in London that have low levels of wellbeing, think tank says. |
Call for evidence on new 10-year mental health plan
12/04/2022 A call for evidence to inform a new 10-year mental health plan has been launched today by the Government. |
Lack of movement skills in children risks a 'tsunami' of health issues
28/01/2022 The UK will face a 'tsunami' of health issues unless the physical activity skills of children and teenagers are improved, academics have warned today. |
Improving the lives of UK social housing residents
12/01/2022 A new report has revealed UK social housing residents want to feel a greater sense of community and improved safety, finds Doug Sarney. |
Lords call for national plan to tackle inactivity
13/12/2021 Local authorities should have a legal duty to provide and maintain sport and leisure facilities, according to a Lords Committee. |
Government confirms £1m fund to tackle bullying
16/11/2021 Thousands of schools in England are set to benefit from further support and training to help pupils combat bullying, the Government today announced. |
Putting health and wellbeing at the heart of Ashfield
01/11/2021 While many councils are struggling with outdated and under-used leisure facilities, Laura Sharman finds out how Ashfield District Council is bucking this trend thanks to a new leisure management contract and transformation programme. |
How the 15-minute concept is key to tackling the climate crisis
14/10/2021 The concept of a 15-minute city, where everything you need is just a quarter of an hour away, could now be evolving into the ‘15-minute neighbourhood’. Dr Jose Hernandez? explains why. |
Study finds 'alarming' fall in life expectancy even before pandemic
13/10/2021 Life expectancy has fallen in many parts of England over the past decade, a new study has revealed. |
One in six children have poor mental health
01/10/2021 One in six children in England struggled with their mental health in 2021 - the same number as during lockdown last year - according to new figures. |
England’s first land commission publishes ‘radical proposals’ for land use
06/07/2021 England’s first commission to review the use of land for community wealth building has called for all land use to be directed towards achieving social well-being and environmental sustainability. |
Report calls for better data on children’s well-being
01/07/2021 This most vulnerable children are often missing from existing data making it difficult to deliver effective child policies, a new report has warned. |
How to make life good for children in care and care leavers
21/06/2021 Dr. Claire Baker and Linda Briheim-Crookall examine how sharing local authority best practice can boost the well-being of children in care. |
Everyone Active generated £342m in social value
24/05/2021 Award-winning leisure operator Everyone Active generated £342m in social value at its sites across the country in 2019/20. |
Green social prescribing projects chosen for funding
13/05/2021 Funding has been awarded to 10 green social prescribing projects to help communities recover from COVID-19. |
London council offers paid leave for miscarriage sufferers
12/05/2021 Barking and Dagenham Council has announced it will give paid leave for any of its staff who suffer the loss of an unborn baby. |
The key role local authorities play in the mental health of young migrants and refugees
07/05/2021 Amy Spiller explains how accessing mental health support through their local authorities can have a transformative effect on young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds. |
Study to track long-term impact of COVID-19 on year 11 students
26/04/2021 A new study to track the pandemic’s long-term effects on year 11 students in England - particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds - has been launched. |
It’s time for councils to get serious about play
06/04/2021 Naomi Danquah explains how Redbridge and Cardiff Councils are using the pandemic to reimagine outdoor play. |
Private outdoor space for public housing: how much is enough?
23/03/2021 Recommendations for private outdoor space standards for public housing could help local authorities optimise those benefits for residents. Paul Miller reports. |
Charity criticises 'small' increase in public health funding
17/03/2021 The Government has increased councils' public health grants by £45m for 2021/22. |
Majority of parents warn pandemic has made children less active
08/03/2021 More than two-thirds of parents have warned their children are less physically active than before the start of the pandemic in a new survey. |
Councils urged to build community spirit to help reduce health inequalities
05/03/2021 A toolkit to help local areas increase their community spirit beyond the pandemic has been published by the Royal Society of Public Health (RSPH). |
Multi-million funding boost to increase mental health support in schools
05/03/2021 Nearly three million children in England will have access to mental health teams in their schools, following the allocation of £79m funding. |
How to support employee wellbeing within local authorities
19/02/2021 Grainne Elliott outlines the four wellbeing needs of local authority employees. |
Report finds strong gender divide in mental health of young people
28/01/2021 Local authority leaders have emphasised the importance of early intervention and prevention services when it comes to tackling mental health issues affecting young people, particularly during the pandemic. |
How to better support those most at risk of suicide during coronavirus recovery
27/01/2021 As Samaritans launches a new handbook for men’s wellbeing services, Joe Potter explains why it’s crucial that preventative support is prioritised within any COVID recovery plan. |
Lessons learned from the pandemic
19/01/2021 Find out how a recent webinar explored for governments are supporting the health and wellbeing of their communities during the pandemic. |
Six areas secure funding to develop local health partnerships
14/01/2021 Six areas in England have been chosen to take part in a programme aimed at tackling health inequalities and improving the wellbeing of local communities. |
‘Stark variation’ in the well-being of care leavers
25/11/2020 A study has revealed there is a wide variation between the well-being of care leavers across different local authorities in England. |
|
Food poverty linked to mental and physical distress
10/11/2020 New research has revealed that people who have experienced food poverty are more likely to live with obesity and suffer from increased levels of physical and mental distress. |
|
Managing uncertainty - Children’s services and the COVID effect
09/11/2020 Jo Porter outlines what further steps central government and local authorities should take to ensure that the wellbeing of vulnerable children is prioritised if or when referrals spike. |
|
Connecting with 'hardest to reach' holds key to COVID recovery, says report
13/10/2020 Failing to connect with so called ‘hard to reach’ individuals will have wide ranging implications for public health and wellbeing, a report has warned today. |
|
Children ‘responded with resilience’ to lockdown, study says
12/10/2020 Young people have faced a number of mental health challenges during the lockdown but overall they have reported relatively stable levels of happiness, according to the Government’s second State of the Nation report. |
|
Mayor 'rejects' government lockdown restrictions
02/10/2020 Middlesbrough Mayor, Andy Preston, has said he doesn't accept the new lockdown measures being imposed by the Government as they are based on ignorance and factual inaccuracies. |
|
Four-day week in public sector could create 500,000 new jobs, think tank argues
01/09/2020 The public sector should pioneer a shorter working week with no loss of pay, a think tank has argued. |
|
Government announces £5m for COVID-19 ‘social prescribing’
17/08/2020 The National Academy for Social Prescribing (NASP) has been awarded £5m to help people stay connected and maintain their health and wellbeing following the COVID-19 pandemic. |
|
Calls for urgent investment in mental health recovery
07/08/2020 Investment in mental health is crucial to seeing the country through the next phases of the pandemic, a new report has said today. |
|
Pandemic leaves one in five teenagers unhappy with their lives
30/07/2020 More than a million teenagers are unhappy with their lives, according to new research looking at the impact lockdown has had on well-being. |
|
Public parks at 'significant' risk of loss, charity warns
28/05/2020 Hundreds of thousands of people could lose their local green space in the coming years due to development, research has warned today. |
|
High-rise residents warn worries over fire safety causing mental distress
24/02/2020 A survey of residents living in high-rise buildings in Manchester has found fire safety risks are damaging their mental health and wellbeing. |
|
Foster parents at risk of burnout and stress, study warns
12/12/2019 Foster carers are more likely to suffer from secondary traumatic stress due to their exposure to the trauma stories of their foster children, a study has revealed. |
|
Cities of the past, for the future
12/12/2019 Dominic Manfredi discusses why taking learnings from ancient cities could provide the key to promoting wellbeing in the modern built environment. |
|
Watchdog warns Public Service Boards must change to realise full potential
08/10/2019 Public Service Boards (PSBs) are not being used to their full potential or scrutinised properly, a new report has found today. |
|
How accommodation can support student wellbeing
09/09/2019 The number of students seeking mental health support while studying at university has increased by more than 50% in the last five years – and their accommodation can play a huge part in this. Zachary Spire explains. |
|
Launch of £5m fund to support unpaid carers
12/06/2019 A new pot of government money will help promote the health and wellbeing of people who look after others, according to minister for care Caroline Dinenage. |
|
Primary schools to teach about mental wellbeing
26/02/2019 The Department for Education has announced that primary school children are to be taught how to look after their mental wellbeing and how to recognise when classmates may be struggling. |
|
UK youth ‘let down’ on long-term health issues
20/02/2019 Youth in the UK are being ‘let down’ when it comes to treating long-term illnesses such as asthma, according to an independent health think tank. |
|
Manchester’s infant mortality rate rises 40%
04/01/2019 The infant mortality rate in Manchester has increased by around 40% over the last decade, according to a report by the city council. |
|
Hearing the voices of children in care
15/11/2018 Dr Claire Baker explores what children and young people living in care actually feel about their lives and care experience. |
|
Children’s happiness ‘declining’, charity finds
29/08/2018 The well-being of children is as low as it was 20 years ago, according to an alarming new report from a children’s charity. |
|
Getting physical
27/02/2018 Andy Howell explains how active healthier lifestyles are being driven by urban renewal in Slough. |
|
Can local government lead the world?
20/02/2018 Liz Zeidler explains why a new system has been launched to measure 'true' progress and prosperity. |
|
Most children in care believe it has improved their lives, survey reveals
19/02/2018 Children in care are more likely to feel safe than those in the general population, according to a new study. |
|
Council approves plan for new children and family hubs
10/08/2017 Medway Council in Kent has rubber stamped plans to shut six children's centres in a bid to remodel the service and save an estimated £1.6m. |
|
New ‘wellbeing indicators’ to help councils understand their residents published
18/07/2017 Councils will now be able to tailor their services to residents’ needs by drawing on a wide-ranging set of data concerning ‘wellbeing’. |
|
1957 ‘happiest’ year of the twentieth century, study reveals
23/01/2017 The Victorian’s were ‘happier’ than we are today and 1957 was the ‘happiest’ year of the twentieth century, new research into the relationship between happiness and public policy reveals. |
|
Rural areas suffer ‘patchy’ service provision
17/01/2017 Rural communities are suffering due to the ‘patchy’ provision of key services, a ‘worrying’ new report reveals. |
|
Late intervention costing councils £6.4bn a year finds research
17/11/2016 It costs local councils £6.4bn a year to deal with damaging social problems affecting children and their families, new research has revealed. |
|
Are STPs achievable?
07/11/2016 Mike Gill considers whether Sustainability and Transformation Plans can actually be delivered in such a short timeframe. |
|
Post hospital care reduces readmittance rates, study finds
21/09/2016 Post hospital support for older patients improves their quality of life and reduces readmittance rates, new research reveals. |
|
Improving ‘wellbeing’ key purpose of local government
14/09/2016 A leading charity has joined forces with global leaders to produce advice for councils on how to improve people's sense of wellbeing. |
|
Quarter of a million girls in Britain ‘unhappy’, charity finds
31/08/2016 Over a quarter of a million girls in Britain are unhappy, with huge numbers struggling with the way they look, according to a children’s charity. |
|
Holyrood to push ahead with named person plans
25/08/2016 The controversial named person policy in Scotland will go ahead despite being delayed by a UK Supreme Court ruling, deputy first minister John Swinney has confirmed. |
|
Councils back new regulations to reduce gambling harm
06/04/2016 Gambling operators will need to produce risk assessments to show how they are reducing harm in their local areas under new regulations that came into effect from today. |
|
Government publishes profiles of children's health
15/03/2016 New data outlining the state of UK children’s health was published today and will enable local authorities to learn how they are doing in this critical area. |
|
The strong foundations of community involvement
10/03/2016 Tony Armstrong welcomes the new 'healthy towns' initiative but warns engaged communities should be at the heart of any plans |
|
300,000 elderly people suffering from chronic loneliness
10/03/2016 The Government must provide more support for older people suffering loneliness and restore the 'crumbling' social care system, campaigners have demanded. |
|
New £80m fund to tackle domestic violence
09/03/2016 The Government has set aside £80m to help protect women and girls from violence. |
|
Councils call for control over sports funding to help reduce premature deaths
24/02/2016 Council leaders are calling for more control over sports and leisure funding in a bid to reduce the ‘alarming’ levels of premature deaths. |
|
Councils tackle gambling-related harm with ‘cutting edge’ research
15/02/2016 Two local authorities have become the first in the UK to map people at risk of gambling-related harm in their communities. |
|
Extra £1bn a year to treat mental health problems
15/02/2016 The Government has pledged to invest an extra £1bn in mental health care by 2021, following the publication of a new report showing a million more people will access mental health services. |
|
Health professionals ‘overlooking’ malnutrition
10/02/2016 Less than half of health professionals (47%) feel confident they have the right knowledge and skills to help people at risk of malnutrition, according to a new survey. |
|
Public health under threat from cuts, survey finds
03/02/2016 Cuts to health grants will have a detrimental impact on public health, according to the majority of directors of public health (DsPH). |
|
How technology can maximise effectiveness of social care budgets
01/02/2016 Michael White explores the growing trend for councils to use personalised budgets to improve the health and well-being of older people. |
|
Support for abused children ‘inadequate’
28/01/2016 A survey of more than 1,000 professionals has found 96% think support offered to abused children is inadequate. |
|
Concerted effort needed to tackle loneliness, says LGA
28/01/2016 Loneliness among older people is putting huge pressure on local services and must be taken more seriously as a major public health issue, council leaders have warned. |
|
Study reveals the economic value of green spaces
22/01/2016 Every pound spent on maintaining green spaces contributes £30 towards health and wellbeing benefits, a new study has revealed. |
|
Report: Community transport can save public services £1.1bn a year
20/01/2016 Community transport schemes could save up to £1.1bn a year by relieving the pressure on public services and helping older people to remain active, according to a new report. |
|
Guidance offers advice on tackling loneliness in older people
17/12/2015 Local authorities have been urged to organise activities for older people to tackle loneliness and depression. |
|
Experts call for reform of 'fat letter'
10/11/2015 The Government should scrap the so-called ‘fat letter’ sent to parents of overweight children, according to the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH). |
|
Councils spend ‘close to nothing’ on mental health warns charity
09/11/2015 Councils have been urged to improve mental health services after new figures revealed only 1% of public health budgets on average are spent on mental health. |
|
Call for protection of leisure centres to tackle ‘deadly’ inactivity
05/11/2015 Leisure services should be considered as part of public health spending reviews to protect them from cuts and closure, according to the findings of a new report into Britain’s physical inactivity problem. |
|
Council launches drive to register stem cell donors
02/11/2015 Glasgow’s teenagers are encouraging Scotland’s young people to sign-up to be life-saving stem cell donors. |
|
Local authorities should help tackle ‘household food insecurity’
29/10/2015 Local authorities should establish food access plans that will address any physical barriers to affordable, nutritious food in their area, according to a new report. |
|
Public support tax on unhealthy food
27/10/2015 More than half of the British public would support a tax on unhealthy food and rink, according to the results of a new poll. |
|
Tangible actions to tackle FGM
21/10/2015 Javed Khan says a multi-agency approach is needed to successfully tackle FGM |
|
New resource launched to tackle poor housing conditions
21/10/2015 A new online resource to show local authorities the impact housing conditions can have on physical and mental health has been launched today. |
|
Parks group calls for study into 'green prescriptions'
15/10/2015 Clinical trials into how ‘green prescriptions’ can help improve public health should be conducted by the Government, according to an association representing the UK’s parks. |
