Brighton Residents Invited to Complete Council Survey on Inequality and Life Chances Before 13 November
Brighton and Hove seafront seen from Hove Lawns
Brighton & Hove City Council is inviting residents to share their thoughts, views and experiences of living in the city through a survey that is part of its Inequality and Life Chances Review. The council says the survey is open until midnight, Friday 13 November.
The council says many people living and growing up in Brighton & Hove continue to face unequal life chances, and that people on low incomes, or living in communities facing disadvantage, still encounter barriers that affect education, employment and future opportunities. It says there are no right or wrong answers and that residents can share as much or as little as they want.
Sources: Brighton & Hove City Council news release, 9 October 2026, and the council's YourVoice survey
What the review is
The council says the Review of Inequality and Life Chances was agreed by councillors in October 2025 and focuses on identifying and understanding persistent inequalities in the city. The council's decision record shows Full Council agreed a resolution on 13 October 2025 asking the relevant Cabinet Member to consider a formal review of inequality in the city and its impact on life chances, drawing on lived experience and welcoming input from residents and experts through a 'call for evidence'.
The council says a key part of the approach is drawing on lived experience alongside evidence from residents, community organisations, employers and experts through a city-wide call for evidence. The survey is part of that call for evidence.
The council says the survey was created by an independent panel of volunteer residents with lived experience of inequality in Brighton & Hove. It says the panel will review all responses and use them to develop recommendations for making life fairer across the city.
Who is leading the review
The council says Polly Herbert has been appointed as the independent chair of the review. It describes her as bringing more than 20 years' professional experience in education alongside lived experience of growing up in poverty in Moulsecoomb in a single-parent family.
She is working alongside 5 panel members, who the council says will offer their experience and insight to represent their communities and help shape recommendations.
The council's review page describes the Community Voice panel members as Brighton & Hove residents who were born in the city and/or are long-term residents, and who have experienced poverty or financial hardship. Examples it gives include low income, indebtedness, insecure or poor quality housing, food or fuel insecurity, and reliance on benefits or charity support. It says Community Voice panel members work alongside leaders from key city organisations to explore why inequalities persist and to shape practical solutions.
An earlier council announcement about recruiting panel members also named Polly Herbert as the review chair.
What the review chair said
On behalf of the panel, Polly Herbert said:
"We want to hear directly from all city residents, especially those living in areas most affected by inequality. Your experiences, ideas and local knowledge are vital."
"Tell us what's working well in your community, what gives you hope, and what needs to change so everyone can thrive."
"Every response will be carefully considered by the panel as we shape recommendations for how Brighton & Hove can do things differently."
"There are no right or wrong answers - just honest voices from across our city."
Polly Herbert, independent chair of the Inequality and Life Chances Review
What the Deputy Leader said
"We know that not everyone in our city has the same opportunities to thrive. Too many residents continue to face barriers that affect their education, employment, health and future prospects."
"Brighton & Hove, however, is a city rich in creativity, compassion and community strength. People across Brighton & Hove bring energy, ideas and determination to make positive change for their communities and build thriving neighbourhoods."
"I encourage everyone to take part in the survey and share their views. By hearing residents' voices from across our city, we can build a clearer picture of what needs to change and help shape recommendations that will make Brighton & Hove a fairer place for everyone."
Councillor Jacob Taylor, Deputy Leader of Brighton & Hove City Council
What the survey asks
The survey is on the council's YourVoice platform. It first asks whether you are responding as an individual or on behalf of a group or organisation, which is marked optional. It then asks how long the city has been your home and which neighbourhood ward you live in, and says that if you live outside the city you should select 'other'.
The survey then asks 10 questions, each marked optional:
- What are the greatest strengths of your community? What makes you proud to be part of it?
- Who helps shape what happens in your community?
- Whose knowledge, experiences or ideas could play a bigger role in shaping decisions about your community?
- What opportunities, experiences or support would help people in your community thrive?
- Can you remember a time when your community felt stronger, more connected or offered more opportunities?
- What strengths, resources or assets already exist in your community that could be built on further?
- What do you wish other people better understood about your community?
- What is stopping your community from reaching its full potential?
- If you could make one change to help people in your community live happier, healthier and more fulfilling lives, what would it be?
- Is there anything else you'd like to share with us?
The question about opportunities asks you to share your experience and knowledge about any of these groups that are relevant to you: children and young people, young adults, parents and carers, older people, people living alone, and people with disabilities or long-term health conditions.
Running a group discussion
The council says the YourVoice page also includes a discussion guide to support group conversations in your community. The guide says it is designed to help community groups, voluntary organisations and local facilitators run inclusive and supportive discussions that capture local experiences, ideas and solutions from residents.
It says the discussion should explore both challenges and strengths, and that the panel wants to hear not only about problems but also about what is already working well and what communities value.
The guide suggests:
- a discussion group of around 6 to 10 participants, which it says usually works best
- an example agenda of 60 to 90 minutes: 10 minutes for welcome, introductions and ground rules, 40 to 60 minutes of guided discussion, 10 to 15 minutes of final reflections, and 5 minutes to explain how feedback will be used and submitted
- simple ground rules, including sharing only what feels comfortable, avoiding naming other people and keeping personal stories confidential
It says feedback can be recorded through written summaries or transcripts, flipcharts or post-it notes, or audio or video recordings with consent. It says participants should be told that personal details will be removed and comments anonymised.
To submit a group's feedback, the guide says to register on the YourVoice platform and choose the option of responding as a group. For problems, it gives the email address Cabinet.Office@Brighton-Hove.gov.uk.
How the council's guide describes inequality
The guide says inequality "refers to the unequal distribution of resources, opportunities and power across groups in society", and that it affects life chances by influencing what opportunities and choices are available at each stage of life.
It sets out five areas, with the following examples:
| Area | What the guide says |
|---|---|
| Early years | Unequal access to nutrition, healthcare and living conditions |
| School age | Unequal access to consistently good education, support services and resources |
| Employment and training | Narrower opportunities, access and choice of work and training, and unequal pay and working hours |
| Living conditions | Housing and money pressure drain energy and choices, with high costs, debt and insecure tenancies |
| Unequal power and voice | Unequal opportunity to be involved and heard in local decisions |
The guide sums up the result as uneven life outcomes: "Two children living in the same city, can face very different futures despite having similar talents and ambitions".
How to take part and what happens next
Residents can take part by completing the survey on the council's YourVoice page. The council says it is open until midnight, Friday 13 November.
The council says the panel will review all responses and use them to develop recommendations for making life fairer across the city. The release does not say when those recommendations will be published.
Sources and further reading
This article is based on a Brighton & Hove City Council news release, the council's YourVoice survey and the review discussion guide. For more council news, see Brighton & Hove City Council news on ImJustBrighton.
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