Vital Signs 2024: Cambridgeshire's latest community insights

We have launched our Vital Signs 2024 report, offering the latest insights on the state of Cambridgeshire’s community.

It reports on key social themes, including local economy and employment, health and wellbeing, housing and homelessness, and more.

The report compares different districts in Cambridgeshire, to reflect the wide-ranging issues across our county, and it looks at how the county compares with the UK more widely.

“
Creating impact through philanthropic giving is maximised when we deeply understand our communities. The report will help us and our supporters target resources where they’re needed most.
”
Michael O’Toole
CEO

Report highlights

Rapid urban growth

Cambridge and Peterborough top charts as the UK’s fastest-growing cities.

The incredible boom in local businesses, especially high-tech, has brought prosperity and opportunity to some areas. However, this success is not universal and many communities in the county face challenges of inequality and disadvantages.

Health inequalities

A South Cambridgeshire resident can expect to live, on average, 5 years longer than a Peterborough or Fenland resident.

Cambridge faces a 12-year life expectancy gap between its most and least deprived residents.

Housing challenges

The median house price in the most expensive ward (£1,216,000 in Newnham, Cambridge) is over 8 times higher than the median house price in the least expensive ward (£150,000 in Clarkson, Fenland).

The proportion of female rough sleepers in Cambridge (35%) significantly exceeds the national average (15%).

Community safety concerns

Nearly a fifth of all crimes in Cambridgeshire are domestic abuse-related.

The rate of children cautioned or sentenced in Peterborough is almost double the rate of the rest of Cambridgeshire.

Perspectives from local charities

At the report’s launch event, we heard inspiring stories from local charities, including Disability Huntingdonshire (DISH), whose work we have supported to help tackle these issues.

Tracy Hyland, CEO at DISH, shared:

“Disability is such a personal issue. Many people would not identify as being disabled, but live with life limiting or chronic health conditions that affect their everyday lives.

Our caseload has increased exponentially, and the issues presenting are far more complex.

We know there are more issues that exacerbate people’s conditions, such as poverty, inadequate housing, access to transport especially in rural areas, food/fuel poverty, and access to appropriate medical treatment/intervention.”

Despite awarding a record total of over £4 million in the past year, the demand for funding continues to grow.

To continue addressing Cambridgeshire’s most pressing needs, we are calling on individuals and organisations who are passionate about supporting the local community to join our mission.

Together, we can build a stronger, more equitable community for all.