South East London People's Panel creative health survey report

Share South East London People's Panel creative health survey report on Facebook Share South East London People's Panel creative health survey report on Twitter Share South East London People's Panel creative health survey report on Linkedin Email South East London People's Panel creative health survey report link

Creative health survey insight

Over the summer 2025 we carried out a new South East London (SEL) People’s Panel survey - inviting panel members to tell us how they think creative activities support your health and wellbeing.

Background

In south east London we are looking at the benefits that more personalised support including ‘creative health’ can have on improving people’s health and wellbeing. This work is a partnership between the local councils, the voluntary and creative sector, the Greater London Authority and NHS South East London. We are one of two areas in London testing out this approach, to see how we can use less traditional methods to support people to live well for longer and things that make sense in their lives.

Creative health offers a different approach to health and wellbeing - one that draws on community assets and mobilises creative, cultural to support people to live well. Creative Health might be taking part in a community gardening project, a singing for wellbeing group, a social arts and crafts session, a cookery class, or any other creative activity which you might be taking part in at home, in a community or health setting, or in a cultural or heritage space.

The South East London Creative Health Programme aims to explore how and where creative programmes are supporting the reduction of health inequalities across our six boroughs.

In our work of testing this approach alongside an intensive work of developing new partnerships and mapping the great efforts that are already happening across south east London we aimed to listen to local people's stories, about their views and experiences on how creativity helps them to stay well, and what creative activities are they participating on and where.

The survey was open to panel members for 12 weeks and a total of 119 responses were received. In addition the survey was promoted to members of the public in south east London and we received a 81 additional responses. The survey was not the only way to listen to local people. The team had the opportunity to have conversations with local people through events, community outreach, online conversations and video stories. All these helped us to collect rich insight into people’s experiences and stories of the power of creativity for health and wellbeing.

Read a full report from our engagement approach and also more information on our approach on the engagement platform

Thank you to everyone who took part and you can read key findings and full report here.

Outline key insight

  • A high majority of respondents agree that taking part in creative activities supports health and wellbeing – agreed as high majority in all boroughs. Gardening, food learning, dancing/physical activity and crafting were noted as the most popular creative activities respondents are participating in.
  • Over 60% of respondents felt that taking part in creative health activities made them less stressed, relaxed, positive and happy alongside other benefits.
  • A high number of survey respondents are engaging in creative activities at home. • More women told us they are regularly engaging in creative health activities than men.
  • 66% of people not currently involved in any creative activities are interested in participating in creative activities to support their health and wellbeing.
  • 58% of people engage with creative health every week. Regular creative health engagement is lower for global majority respondents, perhaps linked to access to information about culturally relevant activity offers.
  • Caring responsibilities, affordable access to activities and knowledge of where to find them and managing long term health conditions are barriers to engaging in creative health.
  • The need to support free access to creative health activities is highlighted as a priority concern throughout the survey.

A image titled “Benefits of participation in creative activities (2)” with the South East London NHS logo at the top. In the centre there is a logo for “London Creative Health City – Building It Together” featuring two hands holding knitting needles and a city map. Surrounding the logo are six colourful speech bubbles with participant quotes: Top left (light blue): “Improved mental wellbeing, socialising, doing performances to help audience improve their mental wellbeing.” Bottom left (blue): “It’s transformed my life.” Bottom centre (yellow): “Sharing and learning our culture with others.” Top right (dark blue): “Something to focus on; grounding and something hopeful I can build and create in incremental stages.” Middle right (blue): “Being more confident, focused and good communication skills.” Bottom right (light blue): “Builds confidence and self esteem.”

Next steps

The NHS 111 service survey results are supporting showing the impact and the role that creative health already plays in local people's lives as well as supporting our approach.

  • Support building stronger local borough partnerships to raise visibility of work and available programmes in each area.
  • Share stories on how creative health supports wellbeing.
  • Map creative health opportunities to make them easy to access.
  • Recruit and support creative health champions to increase awareness of available opportunities.

Join the conversation to continue the dialogue through our online conversation form.

Creative health survey insight

Over the summer 2025 we carried out a new South East London (SEL) People’s Panel survey - inviting panel members to tell us how they think creative activities support your health and wellbeing.

Background

In south east London we are looking at the benefits that more personalised support including ‘creative health’ can have on improving people’s health and wellbeing. This work is a partnership between the local councils, the voluntary and creative sector, the Greater London Authority and NHS South East London. We are one of two areas in London testing out this approach, to see how we can use less traditional methods to support people to live well for longer and things that make sense in their lives.

Creative health offers a different approach to health and wellbeing - one that draws on community assets and mobilises creative, cultural to support people to live well. Creative Health might be taking part in a community gardening project, a singing for wellbeing group, a social arts and crafts session, a cookery class, or any other creative activity which you might be taking part in at home, in a community or health setting, or in a cultural or heritage space.

The South East London Creative Health Programme aims to explore how and where creative programmes are supporting the reduction of health inequalities across our six boroughs.

In our work of testing this approach alongside an intensive work of developing new partnerships and mapping the great efforts that are already happening across south east London we aimed to listen to local people's stories, about their views and experiences on how creativity helps them to stay well, and what creative activities are they participating on and where.

The survey was open to panel members for 12 weeks and a total of 119 responses were received. In addition the survey was promoted to members of the public in south east London and we received a 81 additional responses. The survey was not the only way to listen to local people. The team had the opportunity to have conversations with local people through events, community outreach, online conversations and video stories. All these helped us to collect rich insight into people’s experiences and stories of the power of creativity for health and wellbeing.

Read a full report from our engagement approach and also more information on our approach on the engagement platform

Thank you to everyone who took part and you can read key findings and full report here.

Outline key insight

  • A high majority of respondents agree that taking part in creative activities supports health and wellbeing – agreed as high majority in all boroughs. Gardening, food learning, dancing/physical activity and crafting were noted as the most popular creative activities respondents are participating in.
  • Over 60% of respondents felt that taking part in creative health activities made them less stressed, relaxed, positive and happy alongside other benefits.
  • A high number of survey respondents are engaging in creative activities at home. • More women told us they are regularly engaging in creative health activities than men.
  • 66% of people not currently involved in any creative activities are interested in participating in creative activities to support their health and wellbeing.
  • 58% of people engage with creative health every week. Regular creative health engagement is lower for global majority respondents, perhaps linked to access to information about culturally relevant activity offers.
  • Caring responsibilities, affordable access to activities and knowledge of where to find them and managing long term health conditions are barriers to engaging in creative health.
  • The need to support free access to creative health activities is highlighted as a priority concern throughout the survey.

A image titled “Benefits of participation in creative activities (2)” with the South East London NHS logo at the top. In the centre there is a logo for “London Creative Health City – Building It Together” featuring two hands holding knitting needles and a city map. Surrounding the logo are six colourful speech bubbles with participant quotes: Top left (light blue): “Improved mental wellbeing, socialising, doing performances to help audience improve their mental wellbeing.” Bottom left (blue): “It’s transformed my life.” Bottom centre (yellow): “Sharing and learning our culture with others.” Top right (dark blue): “Something to focus on; grounding and something hopeful I can build and create in incremental stages.” Middle right (blue): “Being more confident, focused and good communication skills.” Bottom right (light blue): “Builds confidence and self esteem.”

Next steps

The NHS 111 service survey results are supporting showing the impact and the role that creative health already plays in local people's lives as well as supporting our approach.

  • Support building stronger local borough partnerships to raise visibility of work and available programmes in each area.
  • Share stories on how creative health supports wellbeing.
  • Map creative health opportunities to make them easy to access.
  • Recruit and support creative health champions to increase awareness of available opportunities.

Join the conversation to continue the dialogue through our online conversation form.

Page last updated: 24 Oct 2025, 11:56 AM