A ‘Wellbeing Hub’ created at Akerman Health Centre in South London has delivered over £1.5m in social value to
community groups and Lambeth residents within its first year of opening, new analysis has found.
The Akerman Health Centre in Camberwell was built in 2012 and has grown to become a vital part of the local
community, offering a range of integrated health and social care services all under one roof. To ensure the building
continues to serve the changing needs of the local area, the Akerman’s ground floor space was reconfigured in
2023 to create 5 new bookable rooms to be made available free of charge to community groups. The newly created
space became the Akerman Wellbeing Hub which opened in Spring 2023.
New analysis of the Wellbeing Hub’s first year of opening has found that it has helped deliver:
A thriving space with a range of free sessions for residents to attend
Over the last 12 months, the Wellbeing Hub has quickly become a thriving space, with 5 community organisations running regular weekly sessions, and other groups also coming in on an ad hoc basis. The community organisations offering important services to local residents now include:
– The Well Centre – a young persons’ clinic providing young people aged 13-21 with support across all physical, mental, and sexual health needs;
– Carers Hub – an independent charity who offer a safe space for young carers (age 12-16) to socialise and make new friends, and receive support around loneliness, isolation and mental health
– LEAP Multilingual Café – LEAP (Lambeth Early Action Partnership) run a Multilingual Café to support young families with English as a second language to help tackle issues with social isolation
– ClearCommunityWeb – a social enterprise helping people feel more confident with technology, through classes, workshops and individual support for older people, vulnerable adults, carers and families
Direct benefits to local residents’ health and wellbeing
Analysis of the different services offered by organisations at the Akerman Wellbeing Hub has shown that members of the community are beginning to experience change across several health and wellbeing outcomes. For example, participants in group and 1-2-1 activities experience decreased loneliness, higher personal confidence, improved mental health, better physical health, and stronger financial independence
Over £1.5m of social value delivered to the local community in the first year
Detailed analysis of the health and wellbeing benefits generated by the Akerman Wellbeing Hub show that it helped to create £1,556,341 in social value over the last 12 months, with a social return on investment of 29:1, meaning that every £1 invested in the Hub helps to create £29 of social impact The analysis of the Wellbeing Hub forms part of a wider ‘Social Value Annual Report’ commissioned by Fulcrum Infrastructure Group – a health investor who helped to deliver Akerman Health Centre along with Community Health Partnerships, a key part of the NHS family.
I’m pleased to see, one year on since the opening of the Wellbeing Hub at Akerman Health Centre it has delivered so much and benefited so many within the local community. With the ability for community groups to use these spaces at a reduced or no cost not only eliminates any financial burden, but it gives them the opportunity to support the local community in a safe and modern environment. As CHP continues to drive our Buildings at the Heart of the Community initiative, I look forward to seeing the Wellbeing Hub continue to flourish in the years ahead.
The huge benefits delivered by the Akerman Wellbeing Hub in its first year shows how much can be achieved by taking a thriving community health centre and opening it up to an even wider range of organisations to support the wellbeing of local residents. As the NHS takes vital steps towards more community-based health care, the Akerman project underlines the strength of investing in modern, flexible buildings that can adapt and evolve to meet the changing needs of local communities.
Find out more about Buildings at the Heart of the Community
CHP’s Buildings at the Heart of the Community initiative aims to encourage local community groups and charities to make the most of our buildings by enabling the use of space in our centres to host health and wellbeing related events.
