Our Community Impact Report – and what comes next
- Laura De Ornelas Pring
- Jan 7
- 2 min read
Over the past year, Vital Village has continued to grow into a busy, welcoming community hub shaped by the people who use it. Today, we’re pleased to share our Community Impact Report 2024–25, which reflects on our first full year of activity and, importantly, what you’ve told us matters most as we move forward.
In just twelve months, a once underused building has become a space used daily by residents of all ages. Over the year, we recorded more than 75,000 visits, with around 20–25% of the local population engaging with Vital Village each month. Overall satisfaction with Vital Village scored 4.66 out of 5, with a likelihood to recommend score of 4.55 out of 5 — results we are incredibly grateful for.
The report also highlights the breadth of what now happens at Vital Village: community activities, social space, reuse initiatives, surplus food-related provision, volunteering opportunities and partnerships with local organisations. Thanks to this collective effort, earned income exceeded operating costs, allowing us to reinvest directly back into the space and the services it supports.
However, the report is not just about celebrating what’s working. It is equally about listening carefully to where you’ve told us we need to improve.
Three strong themes came through clearly in the survey responses:
A desire for clearer, simpler communication
A call for more joined-up services, particularly around food, reuse, social space and activities
The need for greater consistency and structure as Vital Village continues to grow
We take this feedback seriously. Growth brings opportunity, but it also brings responsibility — to be clear, consistent and aligned with the values that underpin Vital Village: health and wellbeing, sustainability, inclusivity and community building.
Over the coming days and weeks, we will be sharing how we are responding to this feedback as part of our forward planning. Some of these steps involve strengthening how key services are delivered, ensuring clearer accountability and long-term alignment with our mission, while protecting the welcoming, non-judgemental atmosphere that so many of you value.
This next phase is about building on what works, addressing what doesn’t, and making sure Vital Village remains a space that the whole community can feel proud of and connected to.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete the survey, and to everyone who contributes to Vital Village in ways both big and small. Your feedback continues to shape what we do, and we look forward to sharing more as these plans develop.
You can read the full Community Impact Report 2024–25 here:
