Health in Haughton Matters

A vibrant community set around an ancient village on the edge of Darlington, Haughton and Springfield has its challenges. But a wealth of local pride and a strong voluntary network knits people together, say Darlington Borough Council’s Chris McEwan and Sean O’Connell.

Haughton and Springfield faces significant health inequalities when compared to Darlington as a whole and to England more broadly. This includes higher rates of premature mortality and incidences of common life limiting diseases such as cancer and coronary heart disease. These poor outcomes are felt by the community, who perceive local health to be ‘’bad’’ or ‘’very bad’’.

Moving more

The links between physical activity and physical and mental health are well documented. Evidence shows that moving more can prevent illnesses like cancer and cardiovascular disease. The preventative power of physical activity inspired the locally designed, grassroots “Move More” project.

Initiated in 2019 by local councillor Chris McEwan, the project was delivered in partnership with Haughton Residents’ Association and funded by the County Durham Community Foundation. Through a programme of community-based activities, it targeted families with children and those over 50. The community collectively identified activities that would address local health issues, developing peer led and sustainable actions. The project was designed as a simple and effective way to engage the community by demonstrating ‘quick wins’ – showing action on the ground but also measurable improvements in activity levels. By listening and responding to the community, people remained engaged and motivated to see the project’s success grow by reaching more local people, creating greater community cohesion.

Over three years, eleven types of activity were delivered, totalling 543 hours of sport, exercise and leisure activities attended more than 2000 times. Over 150 local people reported improvements to their baseline health after taking part.

“It’s amazing the programme is on our doorstep’’

By working with the community and recognising their knowledge and experience, the programme adapted and improved over time, with new activities being introduced like Tai Chi, yoga, archery and Dance Fit. The Move More Team engaged with local sports clubs and coaches to design and deliver activities, and keeping them within Haughton led to a strong sense of community ownership over the project.

“I love the social side of the sessions’’

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the project provided vital opportunities for the community to come together. With each session costing £3 to attend, many local venues also gained a new income stream, helping them remain sustainable and less dependent on external funding. Importantly, this funding model provided Haughton Residents’ Association with an element of control over the planning and delivery of the programme. 

Moving forward

With funding secured to develop the programme, the council is continuing to co-produce activities with a growing number of residents to improve health locally. The team plan to use Haughton’s success as a model to support other local councillors across the borough of Darlington to set up similar health and wellbeing initiatives.

But lessons learned in Haughton could be useful beyond Darlington too. Move More has shown that community-led approaches can help tackle some of our biggest challenges locally, enabling communities to be leaders of their own health. 

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