Chain Lane: Evidencing Strength-Based Community Led Social Action

Uncategorized Friday 26 June 2026

This is a report by the Communities in Their Places team, as part of their Demonstrator Work within YPIP.

This co-produced report presents an analysis of Chain Lane Community Hub in North Yorkshire. It uses qualitative and quantitative data to gain insight into the Hub’s way of working and the impact this has on residents, the local community, and the wider public services system. This report forms part of a series examining six demonstrator organisations across Yorkshire, which will collectively inform a comparative report due later this year.

Key findings: The report’s findings reveal how Chain Lane’s unique combination of person-centred ways of working, being of the community and fostering a collaborative environment leads to successful outcomes for both residents and community stakeholders.

At the individual level, Chain Lane’s person-centred approach is shown to uncover and address residents’ underlying challenges, working with them to build confidence and resilience. In addition, by providing practical help and filling wider service gaps, Chain Lane is seen to strengthen residents’ social engagement and help them overcome barriers to accessing services, limiting crisis escalation.

The report additionally describes how the organisation is viewed as a community asset embedded in place, independent from local authority priorities, and responsive to local needs. Moreover, through enabling residents to become active citizens, Chain Lane is shown to build community capacity.

Findings also reveal how Chain Lane acts as a buffer, translator and connector between the community and the service system, bridging gaps in understanding and communicating needs both up- and downstream.

Policy recommendations: Prioritise person-centred approaches that offer a continual, non-time-limited presence for the individual. Invest in place-based community anchor models that serve as locally embedded assets. Funding frameworks should support core operational work and long-term organisational capacity. Recognise community organisations’ role in enabling local collaboration and build equitable relationships between the VCFS and public services.

Read the report in full here

Find out what other work the Communities in their Places team have been delivering.