Sustaining community-led action in recovery: learning lessons from the community response to COVID-19 in Wales Public Health Wales

During the COVID-19 pandemic, communities across Wales came together to support each other. Harnessing this upsurge in community-led action could be key to building more resilient communities throughout Wales.

Early in the pandemic, the University of Bristol and Public Health Wales created an online map of need and level of community support in response to COVID-19 across Wales. This research project aimed to understand why there was more community-led action in some deprived areas and not others, and what role this plays in reducing health inequalities.

The project team interviewed recipients of support, volunteers and strategic leads to gain a system-lens view of community-led action. A survey with 2,000 responses explored participation in community-led voluntary activities. Sentiment analysis of Twitter used social media data to identify levels of need and population wellbeing in real time. The online map was further updated with these data.

The research identified three key elements to enabling and sustaining community-led action in Wales: 

• First, a sustainable approach needs to consider community assets and place (not just people) to understand the differences in levels of need and support. Drawing on community assets and resources, social connections, and local knowledge was instrumental in the local response. However, strong social bonds and trust were particularly important in areas of health and social inequalities. 
• Second, a supportive infrastructure and effective working relationships between the public and third sectors, and community volunteering groups, can empower and enable local action.
• Third, to enable the conditions that drive health equity, policies are needed to create supportive conditions for community-led action to thrive, as well as partnership working to ensure no community is left behind. 

The research team used the insights to develop a framework to enable and sustain informal volunteering and community-led action post-pandemic. The findings have been widely disseminated at conferences, events and meetings, and journal papers. 

Contact

For more information about this project, please contact Dr Charlotte Grey, Public Health Evaluation Lead, Public Health Wales.