The analysis, commissioned to understand the return on investment (ROI) of the hubs, estimated that for every £1 invested, the hubs generated between £5.22 and £17.71 in potential savings.
Trafford has six community hubs and the study focused on activity at the Our Sale West hub and its Sale Moor satellite hub, using data collected throughout 2024. Originally set up in 2020 as part of Trafford’s pandemic response, the hubs now provide vital support such as benefits advice, food and fuel assistance, employment guidance, and help to reduce isolation.
The Community Hubs in Trafford provide practical, everyday support that residents can easily recognise. For example, they issue food bank vouchers to families in need and provide regular discounted food provision helping to ensure people do not go hungry. Many residents also reported that without the hubs, they might have had to visit their GP for help with basic needs, or their health would have started to suffer. The hubs play a role in reducing unnecessary appointments and saving NHS resources.
Beyond this, the hubs offer a range of broader support services, including advice on benefits, fuel top-ups, essential household items, employment guidance, and activities to reduce social isolation. Some residents even indicated that, without hub support, they might have turned to crime.
Clare Standish, who is the Sale Community Support Hub Manager, said: “For many residents in our area, the hubs are a lifeline. People come to us when they don’t know where else to turn, and we work alongside them to find practical solutions and a pathway to long-term change. Seeing this study recognise the wider value of that work for individuals, families and services is incredibly encouraging.”
Researchers found that these examples suggest the hubs not only improve wellbeing but also save money across health and local government services.
While the study acknowledges some gaps in the data, every scenario showed a positive return. The researchers say the figures probably underestimate the true value of the hubs and recommend tracking a wider range of outcomes across all six locations.
Trafford Council’s Executive Member for Healthy and Independent Lives, Cllr Jane Slater, said:
“These findings reinforce what our communities already know — that local, joined-up support makes a real difference. The Community Hubs show how early help, partnership working and trust within communities can save money while changing lives.”
Find out more about Trafford's Community Hubs.
