1. Demonstrating the Impact: The Evidence Base
Roz Davies, Programme Director, Altogether Better
Dr. Jane South, Reader in Health Promotion, Leeds Met University

2. A team effort Judy White James Woodall Mark Robinson Karina Kinsella
Louise Warwick-Booth

3. Evidence reviews & summaries
Community health champions
Empowerment
Mental health & employment
Thematic evaluations of Altogether Better & summaries
CHCs & empowerment
Workplace health

4. Why do we need evidence?

5. The community health champion family
health workers
Promoters
Peer educators
Lay health advisors
Peer supporters
Lay health workers
Community health advocates
Popular opinion leaders
Linkworkers
Volunteers
Active citizens

6. What can research tell us?
There is a strong evidence base that involving community members in promoting health can lead to positive health outcomes.
It is an effective way of tackling health inequalities because champions can break down barriers to health in their communities.
In the workplace, the most effective interventions include those that are consistent with an empowerment process.

7. “I think doing volunteer work gives people more confidence especially when you’ve been poorly and you’ve been right down there. It builds your self-esteem up and I enjoy it.”
“I feel confident and competent to do a paid working role now as a support worker and it’s enabled me to do that.”
“It was about families doing things together”
“Family members do see a difference in their parents or mothers or aunties, you know, their mobility has improved and they’re more cheerful and they’ve changed..”

9. Virtuous circles
““(being a champion) has changed my life. Before doing it I suffered from major depression…..it gave me something else to focus on which helped me with my family and went on to help me to help other people ….”
“It’s certainly enhanced my quality of life especially when I see how much others can give to us and we have to give to others as well in turn. We all need each other in this life really and we don’t gain anything by living in isolation.”

10. Building an evidence base - what more should be done?
Commitment to disseminate and communicate key evidence to different audiences
Explain not only what champions do but how they work and why this might lead to better health.
Gather more evidence about the best ways to maximise the impact

11. Summary points
There is an evidence-base for community health champions
There are mutual benefits for champions and for their communities and workplaces
People’s journeys will be individual ones but we are starting to build a convincing UK evidence base.

12. Thank you
To Altogether Better and the Learning Network for supporting the evaluation
To everyone who took part in the evaluation.
The full reports can be found at:
Please contact me on