Let’s accelerate equity, together.

Across London and Middlesex, amidst its busyness and its vibrancy, lies a stark reality.

For too many in our communities, the foundations of a healthy and connected life are not equally accessible. In fact there is a widening gap in many areas of daily life that separates those who thrive from those who struggle against systemic barriers – from the basics of shelter and food security to the fundamental principles of gender equality and racial equity.

Although it may not always be visible, inequality permeates many aspects of life in our region and has many intersections.

Unfortunately, issues like climate change, hunger, racial and gender inequality, health, and housing, and the ways they interconnect and affect one another, are not new to us as a community or as a country. While the pandemic exposed some of them more visibly, they have existed in our community for far too long. But today, they are more acute and urgent than any time in most people’s memories. 

While we see signs of hope in many corners, we are not making progress on systemic issues as rapidly or as deeply as we need to in order to ensure everyone in London and Middlesex can thrive. It’s a simple truth we all need to care about and act together, to change. Because the health of our community is only as strong as all of us. 

The purpose of London Community Foundation’s Vital Signs report is to shine the spotlight on this reality and bring people together to accelerate change. This report helps the community understand where progress may be happening while also highlighting where we might be losing ground and need a more focused, collective effort.

This year’s Vital Signs report acknowledges the interconnectedness of our challenges and how the threads of inequity weave through every aspect of our lives. 

And just as the issues are interconnected in their impacts, we are interconnected in the possibility for change. 

Vital Signs is a call to bridge the gap and to build a better London and Middlesex for all. It is an invitation to work together so that fewer of us are left behind and each of us can contribute to a more equitable community.