Reducing health and care inequalities with public health messaging

The Trusted Voices Project ended in July 2026.  CAN remains committed to engaging with local communities and will continue to do so via our other projects. Thank you to all involved in the project, which ran for 5 years rather than the initial 1 year planned.

The Trusted Voices Project tackled local health and care inequalities. Launched in partnership with Public Health Dorset and Dorset Community Action in 2020, this initiative empowered a network of community champions to bridge the gap between statutory services and at-risk populations.

Our impact

• Empowering communities: Our network of Trusted Voices Champions fostered collaboration and information sharing. Once focused on Covid-19 messaging, through ongoing engagement with the Champions, we evolved to include topics like mental health and cost of living.
• Tailored health messaging: We consistently reviewed and curated messaging with Champions, ensuring clarity and cultural sensitivity for diverse communities.
• Community-led initiatives: Over 100 Trusted Voices from marginalised communities co-produced awareness sessions on mental health and wellbeing, self-advocacy and healthy lifestyles with a range of organisations involved in the project. These included:
  • Sex With A Difference: raising awareness and support of disabled people’s sexual health
  • Dorset Children’s Foundation: dedicated to improving the lives of children with disabilities
  • Bournemouth Malayalee Association: a group of more than 150 families from different parts of Kerala
  • Dorset Mind: who aim to create a community where living with and talking about mental health becomes acceptable for everyone.
  • Dorset Blind: who support blind and partially sighted people in Dorset to live happy lives.
  • Nigerian Community in Dorset:  Encouraging and nurturing unity.