Insights & Research
Over the many years that we have been developing our work we have come across a lot of useful information and resources from other groups and organisations who are on a similar journey, or who have gone ahead of us.
Some of these insights are research into areas and topics that benefit and relate to the things that we too are interested in, or want to achieve.
Rather than keep these insights and research to ourselves we want it to be of help to other groups as well. So, feel free to take away what you need below.
This Insights and Research section will be progressively expanded as we come across other useful information, and it will be updated to allow us to share some of our own learning with a wider audience – Enjoy and be inspired!
We are community led
- Local people are involved in our project at all different levels, and our community focus helps build relationships, and develop cohesion and resilience within our work
- Our trustees are local people living in the area with their local knowledge, and lived experience.
- Our volunteers are recruited from local people making use of the wealth of existing and dormant skills within our community.
- Our ‘plant-pot’ approach to community development means that the needs and voices of the people we serve shape and influence the services we provide.
- Most of our activities and groups are peer-led, or have been initiated/inspired by local people who we have supported to develop and grow their ideas. e.g. our Pantry, Foodbank, the Ramblers Wellbeing walking group, photography club, Better Health-4-Middleton, and knitting and Art Classes have all come from community ideas.





Testimonials from some people we have been journeying with...
Links to Insights and Research
Pantry’s: Places of Hope 2024
In the last year alone, Your Local Pantries have collectively saved members a whopping £5.76 million on shopping, alongside many other non-financial benefits.
Read More...Rochdale Anti-Poverty Strategy 2024-2029
Our vision is to improve the lives of residents and reduce the unfair and unacceptable impact of poverty so that residents can live happier and healthier lives.
Read More...Hunger in the UK 2023 – Trussell Trust
With record numbers of people across the country already forced to turn to food banks, our Hunger in the UK reports starkly reveal this is just the tip of the...
Read More...Pantry’s – So much more! July 2023
Individually and collectively, Pantries are doing so much more than we expected, and so much more than many people perhaps realise.
Read More...CAP UK – Client Report May 2023
2023 CAP UK client report: in summary In 2022, the cost of living continued to rise, while household incomes fell behind. Rates of priority debt went up, and more people struggled...
Read More...Affordability of Communications Services
Increases in energy, food, and other consumer goods prices have continued to exacerbate cost-of-living concerns and place a strain on UK households.
Read More...Essential Digital Skills for Work 2022
This Essential Digital Skills report provides an overview of the specific digital work abilities that the UK labour force lack
Read More...Creating Health & Wealth by stealth
Creating health and wealth by stealth explores the role of large, well established community organisations in promoting good health and preventing disease in their neighbourhoods.
Read More...Economic Impact of Digital Inclusion UK
Investment in improving the digital skills of those who are digitally excluded in our society will lead to significant benefits for the UK economy.
Read More...Fix the digital divide strategy 2022-2025
There are 2 million households that struggle to afford internet access in the UK today, and 10 million adults lack the most basic digital skills. We need to act now.
Read More...Collaboration between PCNs and the VCSE sector 2022
We’ve worked with Integrated Care Systems (ICSs), Primary Care Networks (PCNs), GPs, and VCSE organisations across England to understand the challenges and opportunities in this area.
Read More...Impacts of the wider determinants of health 2022
Locality and Power to Change have supported CAOs to serve their local areas for many years. As such, we are aware of how their multipurpose, locally rooted, asset-based delivery model...
Read More...Mapping the unmet demand for debt advice
A large proportion of people in the UK continue to struggle with debt, with an estimated 8.3 million being over-indebted. Demand for debt advice continues to rise and supply is...
Read More...More than a full tummy
Food poverty is a reality as incomes stagnate with little prospect of increasing. The Pantry model is an effective way to make sure that people’s budgets go further.
Read More...Unleashing Healthy Communities June 2018
Over the years, the key focus at Bromley by Bow has been on being practical. Our approach is imbued with the desire to challenge conventional wisdom and keep it simple.
Read More...Emergency Use Only Update 2017
Our driving concern was that, in the twenty-first century, with a social security system designed to prevent poverty, no one should be going hungry.
Read More...