An antidote
to apathy

As we sit in late 2022, it can sometimes feel that hope is at an all-time low. A constant bombardment of negative global media and worsening material realities for many of us can lead to individuals and communities feeling like there is nowhere to turn. There must be a remedy.

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In our latest work with MRI Software on the Resident Voice Index™ project, the Cost of Living: Crunch Time survey explored the experiences of social housing residents in the UK during the current cost of living crisis. The results illustrated the sombre and in some cases, distressing circumstances that a number of households in the UK are facing this winter.

Our team love producing this work; it is a privilege to deploy extensive social research as a method to produce thought leadership for brand activation. The results are always released for free and anyone that can make a difference is encouraged to read them and use them as evidence to enact change. However, when investigating and researching this type of topic, and producing and sharing hard hitting results regarding the very real circumstances of people’s lives, it is hard not to question, ‘What can be done right now?’

In early 2022 after the first Cost of Living survey, this hit particularly hard for the entire research team. Waiting for these problems, such as increasing poverty, debt, and food insecurity to be tackled couldn’t be the only answer. They exist now and real damage is being done.

In response, we collected the few rays of sunshine that came through in the results. Respondents to the survey have often spoken about the help they give, receive and see in their neighbourhoods. These are stories that need to be shared, of the tangible differences that can be made on the ground.

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Empowered communities

Actions that are taken at grassroots, local level are those that can make the most immediate and profound impacts to communities, whether they are in crisis or not. From growing schemes and clothing swap shops to wellbeing walks for new parents, small acts and larger scale organisation can make a real difference to the individual and by extension, to community cohesion.

According to Local Trust, empowered, engaged communities are important pathways towards creating resilience across society – these acts ripple outwards.

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Creating resources, inspiring action

To accompany the research produced by the Resident Voice Index™, a new element of the project has been to start creating Community Action Plans. These are step-by-step guides developed with existing community groups in the UK that are making a difference in their local area.

The aim is to create free resources and inspiration for people looking to start up something similar for their neighbourhood. The first Community Action Plan worked with St Ann’s Food Hub, a volunteer group that build weekly fruit and veg boxes at an affordable price point and donate boxes each week to members of the community unable to afford them.

This is the first in an ongoing series that will now be produced alongside the core research of the Resident Voice Index™, highlighting initiatives in reaction to the findings given to us by survey takers – research leading action. 

In our work on this new and exciting step for the project, we have designed these Community Action Plans to use clear language and concise terms. For these resources to make an impact and be easy to implement, they need to be as accessible and inclusive as possible.

Hard times are upon us for now and for the foreseeable future. We believe that using our work to foster community spirit and positive action is one way to use marketing and communications for the good.

More beautiful photography here from © Nina Sterol

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