Four partnerships chosen to be part of the Health Foundation’s programme to reduce local health inequalities through economic development

The Health Foundation has selected four partnerships from across the UK to take part in its new £2.1m programme to support local action on initiatives that can boost local economies and improve health. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the strong links between the economy and health. It has not been a ‘great leveller’, but rather has had an unequal impact on our already unequal society. The recovery from the pandemic and the government’s intention to ‘level up’ local areas of the UK presents an opportunity to strengthen local economies and address health inequalities.  

The Economies for Healthier Lives programme is providing a total of £2.1m to support four partnerships, each led by a local authority or at city regional level, with funding of up to £500k over the next three years. The partnerships will be supported to integrate economic development activity with work to improve health and reduce health inequalities in their areas. The RSA will provide learning support for each of the projects and Renaisi will act as an independent evaluator at a programme level. 

The programme aims to show how to improve the capacity and capability of economic development and public health professionals to work together. Each partnership will be led by the local authority involving organisations including academics, practitioners, business and the community. 

Economies for Healthier Lives is supporting a range of activities examining how local economies can improve health and health inequalities. The programme will explore how employers, skills development strategies, labour market interventions and anchor institutions can improve the health and wellbeing of communities who experience health inequalities. The programme sites are spread across the UK in diverse settings from coastal communities to urbanised areas in cities and city regions.  

The four projects are: 

• Capital Investment Health Impact Assessment (CIHIA) tool: Maximising the health, wellbeing and economic benefits generated by Glasgow City Region’s capital investment programme
  Glasgow City Region
  Through the development of a ‘Capital Investment Health Impact Assessment’ tool, this project is aiming to ensure that capital investment in Glasgow supports reducing health inequalities and improving the health and wellbeing outcomes for people who live and work in the region. 
   
• No-one left behind: Closing the opportunity, attainment and health gap for young people in Leigh Park 
  Havant Borough Council 
  This project is focused on removing societal, health and economic barriers to young people in Leigh Park accessing high-quality, high-value work. It will bring together doctors, community groups, the council, schools, colleges and businesses in the area through a wide-ranging, whole-system approach. 
   
• Expanding the Leeds Anchors Network: Increasing opportunities to tackle health inequalities
  Leeds City Council 
  By working to increase the impact the existing Leeds Anchors Network has on health and economic outcomes, this project aims to demonstrate that health inequalities can be improved through a joined-up, targeted approach to economic and health interventions in the most disadvantaged communities in Leeds.
   
• Liverpool City Region employment programmes for healthier lives
  Liverpool City Region Combined Authority 
  This partnership project will enable health and wellbeing to be incorporated across Liverpool City Region’s economic strategies, through the development of a unique, integrated approach to labour market programmes that is focused on the redesign of employment services, and which is informed by the lived experiences of residents. 

Sharlene McGee, Policy Manager at the Health Foundation said:

'As we seek to rebuild the economy post-pandemic and ‘level up’ UK regions, there is an opportunity to create more inclusive economies geared towards reducing inequalities and improving health. These innovative projects will show how joint action across economics and health can help our communities to thrive. Economies for Healthier Lives will provide valuable evidence for local authorities and central government, to help inform how local areas across the UK can take steps to ‘level up’ their health and economies.'

Contact at the Health Foundation

Bryony Hirsch 
Marketing and Communications Manager
020 7257 2069
bryony.hirsch@health.org.uk