A version of this article by Cllr Cameron Holloway, Leader of the council (pictured), was first published in Cambridge Independent on 24 September 2025.
"It’s become a depressing truism that Cambridge is one of the most unequal cities in the UK. In many ways, Cambridge has been the victim of its own success – its rapid economic growth and the amazingly productive business environment have created huge wealth for some, while others have stayed poor, struggling with soaring house prices and a feeling that the so-called Cambridge Phenomenon could not be further from their day-to-day experience. The healthy life expectancy in the poorest parts of the city is now 12 years less than that in the richest. And without intervention, that gap between rich and poor will widen.
‘Silicon Fen’ is a popular moniker for our area, but, really, the rampant inequality and environmental destruction that that name implies are the last thing we want.
At the council, we do much to meet the immediate needs of people who are struggling in our city. But we also aim to make deeper, structural changes, to give all residents the opportunity to live healthily and happily.
Every day we help people with the basics, like food, housing, and financial advice. We give out community grants worth well over £1m annually, to projects helping city residents in the greatest need. We fund Citizen’s Advice to aid individuals facing financial hardship; Cambridge Sustainable Food to provide free, healthy meals and to teach people how to cook nutritious food on a budget; Cambridge Online, offering free laptops, digital skills training and assistance with accessing services; Cambridge Housing Society, to support women in poverty with their health and wellbeing; and so many more. And, following the county-wide Poverty Commission, we’re working with partners across Cambridgeshire on a shared action plan to tackle the root causes of poverty.
We’re working hard to address homelessness: over half of those who started the last year as long-term rough sleepers in the city have now moved on to long-term accommodation and, with our local partners, we’re providing personalised support to those not yet ready to make the move into permanent accommodation. We’re also tackling the causes of the housing crisis – we recently celebrated the 1,000th home of our house-building programme, while we've hiked council tax on second homes and empty homes.
This everyday support is vital, but we know we must go further. We want to make sure that everyone in Cambridge can live a healthy, happy life.
That starts with young people. We want to help everyone growing up in Cambridge to aspire to a great future.
One way we’re doing this is through the Region of Learning project, which helps learners to develop evidence of skills beyond formal education, and helps meet specific local skills needs – by working with employers, colleges, schools, and learning and training providers to create and recognise digital badges.
But creating genuine opportunity for all also comes down to money. How can we bring more of the resources from our successful Cambridge economy to bear on our most pressing social problems? At this week’s Cabinet meeting, we will take a major step forward in realising a game-changing project: the Greater Cambridge Impact social investment fund has been set up to tackle poverty and inequality in an innovative way that is lasting and meaningful and improves lives. Programmes which could see a share of the investment include: local, high-quality care homes with trauma-informed support, professional development for staff and ongoing support for young people when they leave care; sustainable financial support and investment in facilities for charities and voluntary sector organisations; and high-quality, joined-up support for disadvantaged young people.
Crucially, the council’s £1 million commitment has already leveraged significant investment from other supporters. Greater Cambridge Impact looks likely to hit its initial £6 million target in the next few months, with discussion already underway on investments that would take it to £10 million. While that’s a small amount in the grand scheme of the Cambridge economy, it’s a huge deal for tackling poverty in our city – and it paves the way for much more investment in the future.
Looking ahead, we’ve recently kicked off another major project – Included – that aims to improve social mobility and life chances for young people. We’re working together with charities, businesses, schools, colleges, universities, and other partners to improve learning, skills, connections, and job opportunities for children growing up in poverty. We want to make sure that, whatever their background, young people have the chance to live happily and healthily in our city. Look out for more news on this scheme in the coming months.
We have a long way to go, but these programmes show what can be achieved if we all – citizens, charities, employers, innovators, universities and many more – work together to make life better for everyone. And the council is proud to play its role in bringing people together to tackle these deep and complex problems. Poverty can’t be solved overnight – but we’re committed to doing whatever we can to improve the life chances of those in most need in this city, and to create a Cambridge that really is fair for all."
