Peabody Trust Projects To Give ‘Health Benefits To Londoners’

More than £4.5 million has been awarded to Peabody Trust from the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) to deliver projects that will improve people’s quality of life and well-being across London’s most deprived communities.

The funding announcement made is part of the BIG’s Well-being programme, which aims to improve the health and well-being of 78,000 Londoners.  BIG has awarded Peabody and Well London Alliance to deliver a portfolio of projects that will improve the poor health of London’s communities.

Active 8 London’s Well-being project, led by Peabody and delivered in partnership with other major London housing associations: Community Based Housing Association, Metropolitan Housing, Family Mosaic, Circle Anglia and Southern Housing – will encourage residents of social housing and the surrounding communities to develop and engage in activities as diverse mental well-being, physical activity and healthy eating.

The four year scheme will have a portfolio of projects covering all of London’s 33 boroughs. It aims to have 84 new projects of varying sizes from a network of 300 local hubs across the city that will benefit over 40,000 people through activities that encourages healthy eating, physical exercise and improve mental well-being.

Activities range from intercultural food days that will broaden people’s understanding of nutrition and healthy eating; gardening schemes to show high-rise residents how to grow their own vegetables and at the same time get some gentle exercise; and a week of events and workshops addressing common mental health problems.

Vulnerable groups within the community will also benefit from the scheme as some projects will be targeted to help these groups such as the Fifty-Five Alive Club that will lead social activities for older people, a project that will provide exercise sessions and advice in women only environments and Pukka Tukka, which is a project to encourage single men off takeaways and processed foods and show them how to make healthy, fresh meals on a budget.

Peabody Trust Chief Executive Steve Howlett said: “This is fantastic news.  It means that over 40,000 people living in the capital’s most deprived communities will have access to a whole range of enjoyable and educational projects that promote physical exercise, mental health and healthy eating.”