By Sam Bingham, CAN Development Manager  

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how much good, honest work grows from simple things such as existing relationships, trust, and real connection. These are the foundations that help us deliver brilliant projects, and we’ve been working with local health partners recently to support local people to share their views, helping to shape future services and ways of working.  

There’s a lot of energy right now across the public sector to hear from communities and coproduce services. That’s great, but it only works if it’s done well and meaningfully. And that’s exactly where infrastructure charities like CAN make a real difference. 

Because of our long-standing relationships with community groups, voluntary organisations and statutory partners, we’re able to bring people together in ways that feel safe, respectful and real; not tokenistic. We help create spaces where everyone can listen, share and explore solutions that genuinely reflect community needs. 

We’re all part of our local community. But not everyone is given the same chance to speak or be heard. That’s why it’s so important to make sure people from different backgrounds and with diverse needs can share their experiences. If we want services that offer fair access and truly meet people where they are, then everyone’s voice needs to count.  

I’m sharing some recent examples of our work below that I’m proud of, showcasing some of what CAN does best. True connection, capturing valuable insight, and creatively sharing learning to inform and influence decision making.  

If you’d like to talk about how our teams could strengthen community insight for your project, please get in touch with me at samantha.bingham@can100.org

 Read the Patient Activation Summary Report

Read the Together for Health Report