Healthy Sheffield, England

Sheffield, a city of 1/2 million people in the North of England, used to have a successful steel industry. Since the 1970's the steel industry has declined and Sheffield has faced a period of considerable economic difficulties. The result has been rising unemployment and a widening division between the richest and poorest areas, with significant ill effects on health and well- being. There is visible material deprivation in the city with pockets of poor housing and environmental decline, effecting for the most part the majority of Sheffield's diverse black and minority ethnic communities.

Healthy Sheffield was established in 1987 with the aim of improving heath and reducing inequalities in health in Sheffield. The Healthy Sheffield partnership includes active participation from the City Council, business sector, health care sector, two local universities, and a strong voluntary and community sector. Recognising that not all factors which affect our health can be tackled by a single agency, the partnership fosters collaborative working towards a vision of social 'Health for All' by attempting to work on the social, environmental, economic, and personal determinants of health in Sheffield. The project has a strong focus on equity, accountability, participation, and empowerment.

Since its inception the partnership has achieved the following six key accomplishments:

1. Established a strong partnership, clear principles and structures for participation in joint working to improve health in the city.
2. Supported and initiated the development of a number of locally based community development and health projects in the city.
3. Developed voluntary and community sector networks, training and support and funding for specific activities.
4. Highlighted inequalities in health in Sheffield through sharing local research and information and aimed to influence the key planning and strategic processes which affect health in Sheffield.
5. Worked within key organisations to respond to health needs in the city, and to foster imaginative approaches to improving health.
6. Developed important strategies for the promotion of health such as the 'Our City - Our Health. Framework for Action'.

Healthy Sheffield's most recent initiative is the development of a major consultation, planning and implementation process called 'Our City Our Health' (OCOH). Launched in 1992, with the support of trained consultation facilitators throughout the community, OCOH aimed to engage local people and organisations in discussion, debate and recommendation about the best ways to improve health in Sheffield. Nearly 5,000 people participated and the consultation responses contributed to the development of 'Framework for Action', a blueprint for improving health in Sheffield. This has been ratified by all of the Healthy Sheffield partners who are working together, with a strong focus on community involvement to put the plan into practice. The 'Framework for Action' highlights issues of poverty, environment and discrimination and their effects on health. This is a holistic, inter-agency response to securing positive change for better health in our City.