What are the Indices of Multiple Deprivation?

/in , /by

What are the Indices of Multiple Deprivation?

If you have ever read one of our reports, you’ll likely see reference to something called the Indices of Multiple Deprivation, or ‘IMD’.

We use the IMD as a powerful tool to analyse and understand the barriers and socio-economic status of audiences, participants, and volunteers. We use postcodes to measure the IMD status, and this means that people find it easy to answer. This does mean that we are looking at the household status too.
The results give our clients an idea of which people they are attracting to their projects and what barriers they may be facing in life.

Statistically, people who live within areas of greater deprivation have more barriers in their lives and are less likely to engage with the arts and nature and are more likely to have greater issues with their wellbeing. That’s one of the reasons funders do like to understand if projects and organisations are reaching people from the most deprived areas.
How are the indices of multiple deprivation worked out?
The IMD is worked out using a range of factors which are assessed across the UK and given a score. The factors are listed below:

  • Income deprivation: how many people in the area are experiencing low-income levels.
  • Employment deprivation: what is the rate of unemployment in the area?
  • Education deprivation: what are the average qualifications within the area, and how easy is it to access quality education?
  • Health deprivation and disability: what is the average life expectancy and disability prevalence in the area?
  • Crime: how much crime occurs within the area
  • Housing deprivation: how affordable is housing within the area, and are there other barriers to people accessing housing
  • Living environment: what is the air quality like in the area, and are there green spaces?

These scores are compiled to give a ranking, which are then categorised into ten deciles. The entirety of England falls equally into one of ten deciles, with decile 1 indicating the most deprivation, and area 10 having the least deprivation.
If you were targeting deprived areas, you might want to reach 50% of people living in IMD1 and 2 for example. Or if you wanted a perfect section of the UK represented in your project, you might want to see 10% of your audience from each decile.

We think the IMD is a useful tool and aim to use it in every evaluation where relevant.

72 Seasons – February

/in , /by

72 Seasons – February

 

Did you know that being outside and simply noticing nature can significantly enhance our well-being? However, with the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, we can easily fall out of the habit of spending time in nature.

What if you don’t have any time? You might be a busy parent, you might work long hours and only walk to the bus stop and back. You might have to spend more time at home due to ill health. You might be studying hard at the moment.

Whatever you have going on, if you have lots of time or no time at all, 72 Seasons is a simple way to connect more with the nature around you.

72 Seasons encourages people to notice the subtle changes that take place in their surroundings every four or five days, (creating a total of 72 mini-seasons). Once a month, we’ll share the current season you can look for in your day-to-day, fitting around your life. You can look for the season as you’re driving to work, taking the kids to school, walking the dog, or taking a walk for yourself.

To stay updated with all the changes, you can follow the live seasonal changes on our social media channels such as Instagram, Facebook, and X.

 : facebook.com/groups/72seasons

:  twitter.com/kirstyevaluator

: instagram.com/72seasonsuk/

Website – www.72seasons.co.uk

To start your nature-noticing journey, here’s what to look for in February:

30 January – 3 February: Morning Grass Glistens

Next time you are out and about one morning, try and get a bit closer to the ground and see if you can see any dew drops shining in the sunlight. Depending on how much of an early bird you are, you might even manage to time this to coincide with ‘golden hour’ – the first 15 minutes or so after the sun rises when the world is bathed in a beautiful soft light, which can feel a bit golden. Even if you don’t catch the light, try and take a moment to appreciate the individual shapes of the grass stalks.