Community hubs and green space: real world evidence for enhancement of wellbeing

Author(s)

WHAT WORKS CENTRE FOR WELLBEING

Publisher(s):

What Works Centre for Wellbeing

Publication year:

2021

This review of practice-based case studies plugs some gaps in the evidence on how community hubs and green spaces can enhance wellbeing in a place. Case study evidence provides important and rich detail on these projects and activities, and how they are delivered. This provides policy makers and practitioners with tangible illustrations to refer to in the design and modification of interventions. This research identified community wellbeing outcomes that support the findings from systematic review evidence, as well as describing additional and unforeseen outcomes, including those that arise from the benefits of more informal spaces that may not have been the subject of formal evaluations, as well as benefits to the organisations responsible for the delivery of the interventions. A key theme emerging from the case study evidence was the importance of considering local context and the complexity of responding to local needs through multiple and layered interventions in both green spaces and community hubs. Community involvement in the delivery of projects was also identified as important. This supports the systematic review evidence, which found that community involvement in planning was important for the success of projects to improve wellbeing outcomes. (Edited publisher abstract)