Case studies

The work began in 2012 with a series of events for arts practitioners and health-based commissioners to discuss joint working. This led to a £250,000 investment from the council’s public health and arts services, along with investment partners Artswork and Royal Opera House Bridge, for a pilot commission.

Devon County Council has set up an independent staff- and community-owned social enterprise to run the county’s library service.

In Peterborough, a new delivery model for the city’s library service has reduced its cost by over 20 per cent while increasing public access by 50 per cent.

Magna Vitae is a specially created charitable trust which runs leisure, culture and health-related services on behalf of East Lindsey District Council.

Explore is a mutual organisation which runs library services on behalf of the City of York Council.

Creativity Works provides self-support groups and peer-led networks to support mental health in Bath and North East Somerset.

Suffolk’s library service is provided by an industrial and provident society, with Suffolk County Council’s role as expert commissioner.

West Sussex Music Trust, the county’s music education hub, is a not-for-profit company with charitable status.

The Arcadia Library and Leisure Centre opened in February 2016 – a new-build, combined facility in Levenshulme, which cost £9.1 million.

In 2013, Bradford Libraries commissioned a review of its library service. This was a major piece of work and involved considerable consultation with library users and non-users and other stakeholders.