The Old Kent Road Family Zone (OKRFZ) is a groundbreaking community-led initiative transforming how local government addresses health inequalities in one of London’s most under resourced areas. Facilitated by Surrey Square Primary School (part of the Big Education Trust) and funded by Impact on Urban Health, the zone operates on a radical principle: working ‘with’ communities rather than ‘for’ or ‘to’ them. By placing children, families and residents at the heart of decision-making, OKRFZ is creating sustainable, systemic change that tackles the root causes of poor health and wellbeing.
Over 450 community members now engage with the zone monthly. Services provide volunteering opportunities, as well as paid employment to eight local residents. Partnerships have been established with twenty businesses and organisations. The initiative demonstrates how schools can become powerful catalysts for community transformation when equipped with appropriate support and resources.
The Old Kent Road area in Southwark faces multiple, intersecting challenges that profoundly impact children’s health and development. Families in the area experience significant health and social inequalities, including being stuck in insecure and unsafe housing; being forced into precarious, low-paid work; and being excluded from safe play spaces.
Surrey Square Primary School places wellbeing at the heart of its work, understanding that if children’s emotional and physical needs aren’t met, they won’t be able to access the curriculum and achieve their full potential. As children live within families and communities, their wellbeing – including access to safe housing, nutritious food, and spaces to socialise and play – is seen as crucial by the school too.
The community also faced a deeper challenge: residents consistently reported feeling judged, stereotyped and stigmatised simply because of where they lived. Previous interventions had been done ‘to’ the community rather than ‘with’ them, resulting in mistrust and disengagement. The area needed an approach that recognised existing community strengths and empowered residents to co-create their own solutions.
Against this backdrop, the Old Kent Road regeneration programme presented both opportunities and risks, making it essential to ensure local families could benefit from and shape the area’s future development.
