by Kate Pickett, Professor of Epidemiology at University of York
When a city acts to reduce child poverty, improve air quality, or boost local schools, who really leads the change – and why does it matter for everyone’s health and wellbeing? In this blog, I’m looking at the work of the Born in Bradford Centre for Social Change to explore what “social change for public good” means in practice.
What do I mean by social change for the public good?
Social change for the public good means efforts that improve the everyday lives of people, especially those most affected by inequality and poverty, and their consequences, such as avoidable illness. It’s not just about big policy shifts; it’s about how communities, services, researchers, and policymakers work together to create healthier, fairer outcomes for all. In practice, this means reducing health gaps linked to where people live, how much money they have, and the kinds of opportunities they can access. It also means building trust, sharing power, and making sure decisions reflect lived experiences, not just expert opinion.
A quick tour of Born in Bradford’s approach
Born in Bradford (BiB) is a long-running study grounded in Bradford, a city shaped by diversity and deprivation as well as resilience. BiB’s Centre for Social Change at the University of York is a hub that translates research into real-world action. We don’t just publish papers; we also host conversations with families, schools, health workers, and local organisations. This co-production approach helps ensure that our research asks the right questions and comes up with solutions that will actually work in everyday life. The work spans early childhood, education and opportunities, housing, air quality, mental health, and access to healthcare. The throughline is simple: better data, better understanding, and better services that fit real people’s lives.
How the BiB Centre for Social Change work helps us imagine public good
- Listening first: we emphasise listening to parents, carers, young people and others. This isn’t “consultation” as an afterthought; it shapes research questions, methods, and how findings are shared back with communities.
- Local impact, scalable ideas: Small, local changes – like improving support for unpaid carers or poverty proofing schools – can have ripple effects. Some ideas scale by sharing learnings with other cities, regions, or national bodies.
- Evidence that matters: Longitudinal data helps show what works when, for whom, and why. It also highlights unintended consequences, so policy can be adjusted quickly rather than slowly.
- Public good as a practice: Social change for public good isn’t one grand reform. It’s a toolkit: partnerships, transparent reporting, co-designed interventions, and ongoing learning.
Who drives social change?
The question of “who drives” becomes a broader, more hopeful story when we see the change as coming from a chorus rather than a solo. Drivers include:
- Communities and families: People know what they need because they live the realities that the BiB studies illuminate. Their voices keep research grounded and relevant.
- Frontline workers and services: Teachers, health visitors, social workers, and housing staff connect research to day-to-day practice. They translate findings into concrete actions.
- Researchers as co-creators: the BiB Centre shows how academics and practitioners can collaborate from the start. Co-production means the knowledge is useful, timely, and credible.
- Policymakers and funders: When they see evidence of what works and for whom, they can invest in scalable, equitable solutions rather than one-off pilots.
- Cross-sector partnerships: Universities, city councils, community groups, and local businesses all have a stake. Social change thrives where these sectors talk openly and share power.
Barriers, but also opportunities
We don’t pretend change is easy. Barriers include siloed departments, short funding cycles, and a mismatch between research timelines and policy needs. Yet these very challenges spur innovation. Shorter feedback loops, more open data, and humility about what we don’t know create spaces for smarter, more inclusive decisions. The pandemic showed how rapid collaboration across sectors can speed up solutions that protect health and support vulnerable families.
What practically helps social change for the public good?
- Co-produced questions and plans: Start with what families say they need. Build research and services around those needs, not the other way around.
- Transparent, accessible data: Share findings in plain language, with clear implications for communities and services. This builds trust and fuels action.
- Inclusive governance: Involve a broad mix of voices in decision-making – parents, children, teachers, health workers, faith groups, and local businesses.
- Continuous learning loops: Treat implementations and interventions as experiments. Measure, learn, adapt, and report back quickly so improvements can be scaled.
- Connect micro and macro levels: Small, local gains can feed into larger policy shifts. Conversely, national policies should be designed with local realities in mind.
A hopeful vision for our region and beyond
Born in Bradford’s Centre for Social Change at the University of York offers a rich invitation to practice social change for the public good. It’s not just about publishing insights; it’s about shaping everyday life – how services are delivered, how data are used, and how communities shape future research. The aim is to make change feel doable, inclusive, and just. Current projects include investigating how welfare policy affects the mental health of under-25s. Comparing different localities, Dr Aniela Wenham is exploring the links between welfare conditionality, sanctions, and insecure employment, aiming to inform youth-responsive welfare and employment policy. Using data from the Born in Bradford Age of Wonder project, Dr Adam Formby is examining youth transitions in a context where high numbers of young people are in poverty and not in education, training or employment (NEET). Co-produced with young people and service providers, this research will develop actionable insights for improving education, employment, and wellbeing outcomes.
So, who leads for social change? We all do, together
Social change for public good is a collaborative journey. Communities, front-line workers, researchers, and policymakers each have a role. When we listen, share power, and act on what we learn, improvements in health, wellbeing, and fairness follow. The Born in Bradford Centre for Social Change approach reminds us that transformation starts with people’s lived experiences and grows through sustained, shared effort across sectors.
Find out more about the Born in Bradford Centre for Social Change at York
The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policies or views of the University of York