There is a longstanding belief, dating back many centuries, that it is possible to achieve a state of positive health (rather than merely avoiding disease). This has usually been considered in terms of what individuals could do to improve their well-being through lifestyle choices, distinct from the public health approach that focuses on preventing sickness through the provision of clean water, vaccination programmes, discouraging risky habits and so on. The Pioneer Health Centre, however, placed the family unit and participation in a community, rather than the solitary individual, as central to a healthy life.

In 1924 Drs George Scott Williamson and Innes Hope Pearse were approached by a group of wealthy and socially concerned young people about establishing a birth control clinic. Williamson and Pearse convinced them that a centre embodying broader health provision for the whole family and advancing a research agenda would be even more useful. A 'pilot project' opened in 1926 in an ordinary house in the London suburb of Peckham to put into practice their existing ideas and to identify the factors that would actively generate health.

The Pioneer Health Centre combined periodic health overhauls and medical advice for all members of the families that joined, with a community centre for social activities. The latter were organised by the members themselves, and all age groups mingled. One early and shocking discovery from the overhauls was how few of the Centre members had nothing wrong with them and how pervasive ill-health was in this relatively comfortable south London suburb without extremes of either poverty or wealth.

By 1929 the Centre had outgrown its home (despite an overflow hut being built in the garden) and the project was temporarily suspended while money was raised to build a purpose-designed Pioneer Health Centre with improved facilities, including a swimming pool and a well-equipped gymnasium, plus expanded facilities for family health overhauls. In 1935 the new building, designed by the architect Sir Owen Williams, was opened. It was constructed so that seeing between and moving from one area to another would be easy, and to encourage informal contact, thus facilitating spontaneous development of social interaction and activities in an organic community setting as a major contribution to wellbeing. All parts of the building were in use - including the flat roof, where exercise classes took place.

Important observations of child development were made, using specially designed nursery equipment. A Home Farm was established at Oakley Farm, Bromley Common, Kent, to supply organic produce and fresh milk to Centre members at cost price, following revelations of the poor state of nutrition prevalent in the community.

The Centre had to close with the outbreak of war - its vast expanses of glass became a liability in the Blitz - and was eventually requisitioned for use as a bomber-part factory. However, a number of mothers and children were evacuated to the Home Farm, until this was commandeered by the RAF. In 1945 a remarkable and persistent campaign by member families led to the release of the building by the Government. Although it was in a very messy condition, a major clean-up effort resulted in a re-opening party in March 1946.

The Centre continued for several years, but was eventually forced to close in 1950. Funding had always been a problem, since membership never achieved the levels necessary for the Centre to be completely self-financing, while because of the upheavals of the War and its aftermath the local population was much less stable. The Centre's practices and philosophy would not fit into the newly formed National Health Service. The project became the Pioneer Health Centre Ltd, which aimed to promote the lessons learned from Peckham, and set up new centres on similar lines.

The Centre, and the numerous books and articles about it, continued to be an inspiration and to influence those who wanted to inculcate a positive state of wellbeing rather than simply providing for the treatment or prevention of illness. While several projects failed for diverse reasons, recently the Government has set up a Healthy Living Centres initiative with generous Lottery funding. These not only draw on the example of the Peckham Experiment, the Pioneer Health Centre Ltd is actively involved in the project.

The archives of the Pioneer Health Centre are available to view (by appointment) in the Wellcome Library.

See also

• Positive Health: Details of the Peckham Health Centre exhibition in the Wellcome Library reading room