King's College London joined Citizens UK and South London Citizens to support a major community gathering advancing fair work, affordable housing and health equity.
Almost 1,000 people from across South London gathered at St George's Cathedral in Southwark to celebrate community action and secure commitments for positive change. Among them were residents, community leaders, and senior representatives from local authorities, government and the NHS.
Over 170 members of the King's community took part, including students, academics and members of Parent Power and Empoderando Familias, parent action groups supported by King's Social Mobility & Widening Participation Department.
The assembly was a powerful display of civil society in action, with decision-makers pledging to strengthen community wellbeing services, improve access to NHS care for vulnerable groups, and use surplus NHS-owned land to develop affordable housing.
UK's first Equity Neighbourhood announced
It was announced that the UK's first Equity Neighbourhood will be created in Southwark, where life expectancy can differ by up to eight years between areas of the borough.
Led by King's and Citizens UK, the programme will unite local communities, the NHS, businesses and the council to address the social and economic factors that shape health, including housing, access to services, and income and working hours.
The Equity Neighbourhood draws inspiration from a similar initiative in Chicago, where collaboration between communities and health systems has helped reduce disparities in areas such as infant mortality and chronic disease. The Southwark model aims to create a blueprint for tackling health inequality that could be replicated across the UK.
Professor 'Funmi Olonisakin, Vice President (International, Engagement & Service) at King's, was joined on stage for the announcement by Andrew Bland, Chief Executive of NHS South East London Integrated Care System, and Councillor Sarah King, Leader of Southwark Council, who pledged their support for the initiative.
Southwark Equity Neighbourhood is placing community voices at the heart of local change. This pioneering new approach aims to build people-powered solutions that address the root causes of inequality through deep listening and collective action. We're proud to be investing in its first year through our One King's Impact Fund, and we invite you to be part of it.
Professor 'Funmi Olonisakin, Vice President (International, Engagement & Service), King's College London
Celebrating community-led change
The assembly also showcased the success of several community-led programmes already improving health and wellbeing across South London, while securing commitments to expand their reach.
Among the initiatives highlighted was Make London a Living Wage City, a campaign spearheaded by Citizens UK and Trust for London to lift thousands of Londoners out of in-work poverty by expanding the number of accredited Living Wage employers.
Working in partnership with English for Action and Empoderando Familias, King's Social Science BA students have supported the campaign to secure Living Wage accreditation for several major South Bank institutions, resulting in an average annual pay rise of up to £4,700 per full-time employee compared with the national minimum wage.
Work and wages are a priority for our communities. Good work and decent pay are the key drivers of good health, and our employers in the health system need to lead the way.
Gina Rodriguez, Worker Leader on the Making London a Living Wage City Steering Group and member of English for Action and Empoderando Familias
At the event, it was announced that St George's Hospital Trust has joined the growing number of employers committing to pay the Living Wage, with renewed calls for others to follow suit.
To mark these achievements, Aditi Banerjee, a King's BA Social Sciences student, performed her poem We are the Voices Building Hope alongside representatives from communities across London. The poem honoured the power of collective voices to drive change and captured the spirit of the event: a shared belief that when communities, institutions and individuals act together, they can build a fairer, healthier and more hopeful future for South London.
Other community-led programmes highlighted at the assembly included Be Well Hubs, an initiative led by South London Listens to improve access to mental health support, and EmpowerESOL, delivered in partnership with King's students and staff to help migrant parents build confidence and language skills so they can better navigate UK systems.
The Southwark Health Equity Zone and EmpowerESOL are funded through One King's Impact Fund, which invests in King's-led programmes that create social value at local, national and global levels.
