Involve is currently working with the I&DeAs Healthy Communities Programme to support Tunbridge Wells and Maidstone Councils in engaging their local communities in health strategies.

Local government is key to improving the health of local people and tackling health inequalities. The I&DeA is working with local partners to agree health needs and priorities for the future. Local authorities have a unique ability to reach into their community: most of the services they provide have an impact on the health of that community.

We are currently producing a piece of practical guidance to help practitioners plan and deliver health focused engagement events that combine a community fun day with appropriate engagement methods: an informal engagement event.

The purpose of this guide is to enable practitioners to run active and exciting forms of engagement that incorporate drop-in/drop-out activities in ways that are tailored to the needs of different communities.

This guidance provides practical support on how to develop and plan informal engagement events. It is a set of guidelines rather than a strict blueprint. Any successful public engagement activity must be designed to suit the local context in which it occurs. What works for one event or one community may be inappropriate for others.

For more information on this project please contact Thea Shahrokh on thea@involve.org.uk