Connected Communities

Connected Communities and the University of Essex

With local authority UK partners Suffolk, East Suffolk, Medway, and Kent, and France partners Manche, Oise, Seine Maritime, and Eure, the University of Essex ARISE Team will lead evaluation, dissemination, and integration for the Connected Communities project. We will gather, analyse and share evidence, data and materials about asset-based and collaborative approaches to health and social care and the impact that they have on health and wellbeing, as well as loneliness, connectedness, social isolation, and trust. Our research will identify the key components and features of Social Prescribing Plus and Connected Communities, as well as their relationship to and the systemic impact that they have on health and social care systems and resources, voluntary sector organisations, and communities.

The ARISE Initiative, founded and led by Dr Gina Yannitell Reinhardt, specialises in evaluating the impact of public services on community resilience. We provide employee training and professional development across a range of evaluation disciplines, and help you use your own data to find insights that inform future decision-making. Under the HEFCE-funded Catalyst Project, our team developed the Spotlight Toolkit to help public and third-sector organisations design their own evaluations. Our expertise is already helping national, regional, and local organisations evaluate the impact of their interventions, analyse their spend, and prioritise their resources for the future.