Strengthening Place-Based Systems
Learning and collaboration in Epping Forest
Whilst every place and neighbourhood is distinctively different, partners across Epping share a common ambition to build on community strengths and create meaningful, lasting impact.
What began with significant investment from the Essex Public Health Accelerator Bid (PHAB) last year, has since evolved into a broader commitment from Epping Forest District Council (EFDC). Using the ethos of what the PHAB programme intended, particularly its focus on working with communities to reduce health inequalities, the council have embedded a genuinely place-based way of working into their ongoing approach.
Active Essex have been supporting EFDC throughout this shift, sharing both established learning from the Essex Local Delivery Pilot, and emerging insights from our Place Partnership work.
Alongside this learning-led support, Active Essex have contributed to this effort, through targeted upskilling and capacity-building as part of its wider universal offer. This has included workforce development activities through Asset Based Community Development training.
How have EFDC utilised an ABCD approach?
This approach has helped build confidence and capability across council officers, partners and community leaders, enabling ABCD principles to be embedded into everyday practice, rather than applied as a standalone or time-limited intervention. Council officers and partners have used ABCD principles within their day-to-day working, which has been further strengthened through peer-to-peer training with community champions who have highlighted local assets, connected residents to opportunities and have been able to sustain activity beyond funded programmes, like the PHAB projects initially. As a result, this reflects a conscious move from delivering provision for communities, to working alongside them to grow local capacity, resilience and confidence, ensuring initiatives are shaped, led and sustained by the residents themselves.
Key learnings
It's important to take time to reflect and understand the learnings from work undertaken, to focus on ways to improve in the future.
Time and consistency
ABCD is a way of working, therefore embedding this across the workforce is a long-term goal.
Understanding priorities
Importance of aligning to district priorities and targeted resources to add the most value.
Creating collective impact
Working together in partnership across systems to align efforts to have the biggest impact.
EFDC always ensure they have representatives attending the Essex-wide ABCD network. They have really embraced the approach and not only contribute with stories but support the network with further ideas for their neighbourhoods. Their attendance shows their continued contribution of ABCD and how a strengths-based approach is now embedded.Jamie Rhodes, ABCD Deliverer
Epping Forest District Council is now focusing on capturing and understanding the wider impact of their work around strengthening their place-based work.
They are hoping to adopt the ripple effect mapping evaluation tool and Active Essex will support them through this endeavour, so they can truly understand how an ABCD approach to their work and priorities is and will have, a great effect.
This work exemplifies how Active Essex’s offer can be tailored to meet local needs, guided by community voice and strengthened through strategic partnerships. Epping Forest’s approach highlights the transformative power of collaboration, insight-led planning, and grassroots engagement in addressing health inequalities.
The learning and methodology from this work is now being shared across our place-based teams, helping to embed a consistent approach that supports our shared purpose of creating the conditions for active communities to thrive.
