Ensuring everyone in England and Wales is in a good place. Being able to say that they’re in a good place personally, in a home that’s a good place to live, and in a community that’s a good place to belong to. That’s the vision that’s driving us in our new strategy, and what we’ll be putting all our energy into between now and 2035.
The pillars of being In a Good Place
A lot of things need to be going right for someone to be in a good place. Enough food and money. A safe place to sleep. Good health. Knowing that you matter. Things to look forward to. Meaning. Love. Joy.
Over 40 years, we’ve seen how the best community organisations get that. They work with all that matters to and makes up a person. Those organisations and a wealth of research show that there are three things that everyone needs to be in a good place. No one can be in a good place without them. These are the pillars of our strategy.
Personal resilience
I’m in a good place personally”
Our starting points
Many things affect someone’s personal resilience - from how the systems around them work, to the policies of the government of the day - so we know we need to focus to make a difference. We’ll kick off by focusing on:
- Financial resilience. According to the Financial Conduct Authority, around 1 in 10 adults in the UK could only cover their expenses for a week if their main source of income failed. Community organisations are one of the first places that they turn to when they need help. We want to back the organisations people trust to provide help that prevents people reaching crisis, and to bounce back when the worst happens.
- Digital inclusion. Digital skills and access to the web really matter - to thrive at work, to manage your health, and to speak to others. We want to explore where we can add to the brilliant efforts happening across the country to get people confident and connected when they’re online.
Housing
“I’m in a home that’s a good place to live.”
Our starting points
There are many people pulling together to create more safe, secure, affordable housing options, and we know we need to focus to make a difference. We’ll kick off by focusing on:
- Preventing homelessness. The number of people with no place to call home at all is rising. Experts like Homeless Link have told us that more money is needed to help people before they become homeless. We want to put our long-term, unrestricted investment into that preventative work.
- Non-profit housing. Across the country, community-led organisations have shared with us their ambitions to give people a reliable roof over their head - and access to the services they need to keep it there. We’ve seen firsthand the difference efforts to do so make - that when non-profit organisations run safe, secure, affordable homes, people have a solid foundation on which to grow their lives. We want to invest in non-profit organisations set on doing more to build, own or bring back into use homes for good.
Community Belonging
“I’m in a community that’s a good place to belong to.”
Our starting point
Communities across England and Wales are divided, and we know we need to focus to make a difference. We’ll kick off by focusing on:
- Bridges across divides. The evidence shows that the strongest communities are the ones where people do more than get on with their neighbours. They’re ones where people also build connections with people different from them - be they different races, different ages, different classes or different religions. Community-led organisations are able to bring people together to overcome differences and embrace what they have in common. We want to back action that bridges across divides, to build tolerance, acceptance and belonging across our communities.
The pillars generate outcomes: wellbeing, agency, resilience, trusted connections, and opportunities. When the pillars are strong, these grow. They’re what experience and evidence tell us matters most — and they’re the outcomes we’ll base our work on through this strategy, and what we’ll measure and share openly as we go.
The Good Place Index suggests 15.6 million people in England and 860,000 people in Wales are not in a good place
Who is furthest from being In a Good Place?
We are committed to openly sharing our impact and our learnings throughout this strategy. Our first year ‘Learning OKRs’ are available
How will we know more people are In a Good Place
The evidence we've drawn on to understand where our strategy should focus - on personal resilience, housing and community belonging
What do you need to be in a good place?
Connecting and catalysing community-led change
We’ll play our part in ensuring everyone in England and Wales is in a good place by connecting and catalysing community-led change. This is our mission.
Why now?
This is urgent. Communities are divided. Poverty deepening. Homelessness rising. And fewer people are giving their time and money to efforts to change that.
Why this?
Our communities hold answers. They’re filled with hopeful, determined people who make the lives of their neighbours better. Day after day, they’re bringing communities together, lifting people up, and creating homes. And we’re going to back them to do so much more.
Why us?
With 40 years of impact under our belt, we know what we’re great at: understanding what communities need, bringing people together, and helping community-led organisations grow their impact. We’re now ready to scale. And we have the power of Lloyds Banking Group behind us to make that happen.
Our enabling goals
We have set ourselves three big goals to achieve between now and 2035. They will enable us to achieve our vision.
Goal 1: GIVE
Every year, we will grow the giving of time and money across England and Wales.
Goal 2: IMPACT
By 2030, we will have impact in every parliamentary constituency in England and Wales.
Goal 3: POWER
By 2035, we will power community-led change in 100 neighbourhoods in England and Wales.
Join us on our journey
If you’re motivated by our strategy. If you share our goals. If you’re one of the ‘doer’s this strategy is designed for. We want to work with you.
This is a 9 year strategy, and we won’t be able to do everything all at once. But with you, we can move faster. Together, we can meet the challenges of this moment.
Our local teams in every region of England and Wales, and our national partnerships team, are waiting to hear from you.
Our Lloyds Banking Group colleagues
The next nine years will bring a whole swathe of new ways for you to get involved. No matter your job, your experience, or where in England and Wales you are. We want to hear your ideas for how, together, we can help Britain prosper.
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