London Borough Of Southwark

The Challenge

Growing up in poverty can damage physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development, all of which are determinants of adult life outcomes.  Early intervention and support for families can drive positive outcomes, both for individuals and the state. This was particularly acute for Southwark Council, with the London borough falling within the bottom 20% of the country’s most deprived. 

Southwark Council engaged the Engine Service Design team to research and identify the practical, everyday challenges to eating healthily and maintaining a healthy weight.  We spent time with a group of residents of the borough and ran co-design workshops, including with a group of school children, to visualise challenges and glimpse new solutions.

We helped the corporate strategy team understand and communicate factors of culture, nationality, faith and status that impacted diet and identified opportunities for new services and resources to support households on low-incomes to access and eat more healthy foods.