Communities are already delivering Neighbourhood Health

Neighbourhood Health will only succeed if communities are part of the solution 

Health does not begin and end at the door of a GP surgery or hospital. It is shaped by whether people feel supported, connected and able to access help before they reach a point of having to turn to formal services — including GPs, pharmacists, dentists, optometrists or hospital care. 

Across Lincolnshire, VCFSE organisations are already creating these conditions every day, offering communities ways to combat isolation and loneliness through community cafés or Dementia groups supporting families through unknown times as well as food projects responding to financial hardship and there are social prescribers and community connectors helping people to find activities and support they may never have accessed through formal health services. 

While this work may not always be described as healthcare, it contributes directly to people’s health and wellbeing. 

That is why Neighbourhood Health matters to Lincolnshire’s communities. In many places, neighbourhood health already exists: it is personal, rooted in the things people do, the activities they join, the places they gather and the relationships they trust. VCFSE organisations are a vital part of this, but the wider value lies in community life itself. LVET is working to ensure this existing community-led health and wellbeing is recognised as essential as more formal Neighbourhood Health structures are developed. 

What is Neighbourhood Health? 

Neighbourhood Health is part of a wider shift towards delivering more proactive, preventative and coordinated care closer to where people live. 

The ambition is to bring health, care and community partners together around local populations, improving coordination and helping more people remain well and independent at home. Integrated Neighbourhood Teams are expected to connect professionals and organisations across primary care, community health, local government and the VCFSE ecosystem. 

For Lincolnshire, this creates an opportunity to build health support around the strengths, relationships and work that already exist within its communities. 

However, this will only work if community organisations are involved from the beginning. They cannot be brought in after decisions have already been made, and there is a risk that formalising Neighbourhood Health could overlook or disrupt the informal, trusted and community-led activity that is already improving people’s lives. 

Communities are already delivering Neighbourhood Health 

LVET’s member mapping demonstrates the scale of the contribution that is already being made across Lincolnshire. Around 170 LVET member organisations support an estimated 26,500 people each week. Together, they employ more than 5,000 staff and involve over 6,000 volunteers. 

Behind these figures is a wide range of work tackling loneliness, mental health needs, food insecurity, inactivity, social isolation, caring responsibilities and the challenges faced by people living with long-term conditions. 

Many organisations also reach people who would not actively seek support from a formal health service. Through trusted relationships and familiar community spaces, they can identify needs earlier, connect people with help and prevent difficulties from escalating. 

These might be described as “accidental health outcomes” – improvements in health and wellbeing created through activities that have not been designed or funded as clinical interventions – a village dance, archery club or a simple coffee morning. 

These outcomes are fundamental to the future of preventative and neighbourhood-based care. 

What LVET is doing 

Much of LVET’s work in this area happens behind the scenes. 

We are involved in strategic discussions, contributing community insight and advocating for VCFSE involvement as local Neighbourhood Health structures develop. This includes engagement with the Integrated Care Board, Primary Care Networks, Public Health, local authorities and other health and care partners. 

Our role is to make sure system partners understand the breadth of support already being delivered within communities and the value of involving local organisations in future planning. 

We are also exploring the practical opportunities that Neighbourhood Health could create for members, including: 

• Involvement in Integrated Neighbourhood Teams 

• Partnerships with Primary Care Networks 

• Prevention and early-intervention programmes 

• Care coordination and community support pathways 

• Co-location within community buildings 

• More sustainable investment in community-led support 

Early progress includes stronger recognition of the role of community-led prevention, discussions about using community assets and continued VCFSE representation within Neighbourhood Health planning. 

What this means for LVET members 

Neighbourhood Health is likely to shape future commissioning, partnerships, investment and the way services are delivered across Lincolnshire. 

For LVET members, it creates an opportunity to become more visible within the health system, build stronger relationships with local partners and influence decisions affecting the communities they support. 

It is also an opportunity to challenge the assumption that improving health is primarily the responsibility of clinical services. 

Community organisations already hold trusted relationships, local knowledge and practical expertise that statutory services cannot reproduce alone. LVET’s role is to make sure this contribution is recognised, valued and included as Neighbourhood Health moves from planning into delivery. 

Because communities are not simply another service to add to the model. They are where better health is already being created.