We carried out the first survey of the South East London People’s Panel with a representative sample of 1083 residents across all six boroughs. The first cohort of 590 members was surveyed between January and March 2023 and the second cohort was surveyed between May and August 2023. Participants were asked what is important to them and their families and what actions they need to take to keep themselves healthy and well.
Key insights
Keeping well and top of mind important issues
Over 75% of panel members said that they feel health, happy and in control of their life. However, over 31% reported that they are currently feeling lonely. We noted a high percent, 36%, of young people between 16-24 years reported feelings of loneliness. There has been a significant increase of reporting ‘feeling lonely’ among south east London residents between the first cohort (27%) and second cohort of members (36%).
Financial stability, better access to healthcare, improved mental health services, improved local housing situation and friends/family/community support are cited as the areas of support most needed by south east London residents to live a happier and healthier life.
Measures to improve health & wellbeing
Healthier personal finances were identified as top of the list of all measures and changes that panellists feel would be most effective in keeping themselves healthy and well. Eating more healthily and improved living/housing conditions follow closely, along with increased activity, more holidays and reduced stress.
51% of panellists report that they would find it difficult to make the changes they feel are necessary to keep themselves healthy and well. These changes include better living/ housing conditions, getting more professional help/ advice, losing weight, stopping smoking/ substance misuse, reducing stress, getting involved or volunteering in the community, reducing loneliness, and having more money.
Many panellists mention the need to adopt a different and more positive mindset and change habitual behaviours to enable them to make changes and take measures towards keeping themselves healthy and well. However, people feel that the following issues are perhaps much less within their control: financial stability, access to healthcare, the local housing situation and, to a degree, their employment situations.
Read the complete report with the combined results from both periods of recruitment to the South East London People’s Panel (January – August 2023).
Read the survey report of the first cohort of the People’s Panel members (January - March 2023)
Next steps
The insights collected via both groups of People’s Panel members and more engaged people help us to have a better understanding about the issues that are in people’s mind and any actions that people want to take to improve their health and wellbeing. These key findings, along with feedback from other engagement activities (focus groups, listening sessions, outreach, etc.) will help inform the work we are doing in partnership with Citizens UK to understand what actions different institutions such as: NHS, local councils, universities, etc. can take to support people and communities to thrive.
Read more about Anchor Programme Listening Campaign and next steps.
We carried out the first survey of the South East London People’s Panel with a representative sample of 1083 residents across all six boroughs. The first cohort of 590 members was surveyed between January and March 2023 and the second cohort was surveyed between May and August 2023. Participants were asked what is important to them and their families and what actions they need to take to keep themselves healthy and well.
Key insights
Keeping well and top of mind important issues
Over 75% of panel members said that they feel health, happy and in control of their life. However, over 31% reported that they are currently feeling lonely. We noted a high percent, 36%, of young people between 16-24 years reported feelings of loneliness. There has been a significant increase of reporting ‘feeling lonely’ among south east London residents between the first cohort (27%) and second cohort of members (36%).
Financial stability, better access to healthcare, improved mental health services, improved local housing situation and friends/family/community support are cited as the areas of support most needed by south east London residents to live a happier and healthier life.
Measures to improve health & wellbeing
Healthier personal finances were identified as top of the list of all measures and changes that panellists feel would be most effective in keeping themselves healthy and well. Eating more healthily and improved living/housing conditions follow closely, along with increased activity, more holidays and reduced stress.
51% of panellists report that they would find it difficult to make the changes they feel are necessary to keep themselves healthy and well. These changes include better living/ housing conditions, getting more professional help/ advice, losing weight, stopping smoking/ substance misuse, reducing stress, getting involved or volunteering in the community, reducing loneliness, and having more money.
Many panellists mention the need to adopt a different and more positive mindset and change habitual behaviours to enable them to make changes and take measures towards keeping themselves healthy and well. However, people feel that the following issues are perhaps much less within their control: financial stability, access to healthcare, the local housing situation and, to a degree, their employment situations.
Read the complete report with the combined results from both periods of recruitment to the South East London People’s Panel (January – August 2023).
Read the survey report of the first cohort of the People’s Panel members (January - March 2023)
Next steps
The insights collected via both groups of People’s Panel members and more engaged people help us to have a better understanding about the issues that are in people’s mind and any actions that people want to take to improve their health and wellbeing. These key findings, along with feedback from other engagement activities (focus groups, listening sessions, outreach, etc.) will help inform the work we are doing in partnership with Citizens UK to understand what actions different institutions such as: NHS, local councils, universities, etc. can take to support people and communities to thrive.
Read more about Anchor Programme Listening Campaign and next steps.
