Projects
Healthy living
All too often debates on health policy have focused on waiting lists and NHS efficiency: tackling the problem of how to treat ill-health, rather than attempting to promote healthy living and, as far as possible, to prevent ill-health. The underlying factors which increase the risk of ill-health - poverty, poor housing, unemployment, disillusionment, lifestyle and diet - have often been insufficiently recognised in the development of health policy.
Recently, however, the idea of promoting 'healthy living' and tackling the underlying causes of ill-health, particularly in more disadvantaged communities has achieved greater prominence in the Government's agenda. For example, 'Healthy Living Centres' have been established using Lottery funding in an attempt to provide advice and services that address the particular needs of local communities, promoting good health and tackling the local factors which contribute to health inequality.
It is in this context that we worked with YMCA England to undertake an analysis of examples of good practice throughout the YMCA movement in the area of 'healthy living'. The YMCA philosophy of the improvement of body, mind and spirit closely corresponds with the notion of 'healthy living' in its broadest sense and with the current emphasis on tackling the root causes of ill health - such as poor information on diet, or a sense of purposelessness through unemployment. The case studies arising from the study provide examples from which both other YMCAs and external organisations can learn in the area of healthy living, and of the value of a 'whole systems' or 'holistic' approach to health policy.
The report from this project is not currently publicly available.