Healthy High Streets

This Guardian article explores the changes in the High St, including the increasing numbers of vape shops. These have been joined by a prevalence of bookmakers (betting shops - some students think you mean places that make books) and pawnbrokers (that one might needs some explaining too...)

From the article:

The study, conducted by researchers at Health Equity North, looked at Ordnance Survey data to track how amenities had changed between 2014 and 2024. The amenities were divided into those seen as “health promoting”, such as pharmacies, libraries and supermarkets, and “health reducing” such as vape shops, bookmakers, takeaways and alcohol-only outlets.

They found a stark decline in healthier amenities, with unhealthy alternatives taking their place. Takeaway shops were up by almost a quarter (24%) across England, while the number of banks and building societies decreased by 40%, and supermarkets by 10%.

The report found there were stark regional divides across England regarding high-street amenities, with twice as many vape shops in the north of England. The number of takeaways in the north of England rose by a third (31%), compared with a rise of 18% in the south.

There were three times as many vape shops in deprived areas compared with the least deprived ones. Deprived areas also had 25 times more pawnbrokers and more than three times as many bookmakers.

Dr Eman Zied Abozied, research associate at Newcastle University Population Sciences Institute, said the study showed that high streets were becoming “less healthy and welcoming places to visit”.

We will be refreshing our Year 7 fieldwork for the new academic year.

We will be making use of Chloë Searl's fieldwork sheets.

The Health of the High Street

At the moment we are in our phase of going out to the High Street in Ely on fieldwork with Y7 students to start the year off with some fieldwork. This has been made possible despite the pandemic through careful planning, small groups, briefing on distancing and fairly quiet visiting times, although Friday was getting quite busy.

Students are also asked to wear masks.

This is a sign that I came across while in Bury St Edmunds last week.

It's an important message for all those who want to buy anything currently. The big multinationsals and Amazon will still be around after the pandemic is over, but will the High St?

Also saw a signed copy of David Attenborough's new book in Topping Books' window.

The address at the bottom goes to the Totally Locally campaign, and provides a range of resources, including a toolkit for those towns that join the movement, and try to encourage people to spend a fiver in their local High St rather than online...