Supporting a more active Essex

Collaboration with local, regional, national and international health and care delivery organisations, governments and community groups enables our Institute of Public Health and Wellbeing to turn research into change that can improve lives.

Through partnerships with organisations including the charity School Food Matters, Prostate Cancer UK, and the United Nations Population Fund we've helped ensure children in British schools eat healthier school dinners, supported the developing of revolutionary new treatments for prostate cancer, and secured better access to sexual and reproductive healthcare for the people of Azerbaijan and Kosovo.

Our researchers are guiding policy, and in the case of one partnership, with Active Essex, helping to save millions of pounds of public money too.

Making communities stronger and fitter

Working with Active Essex, researchers from the School of Sport, Rehabilitation, and Exercise Sciences are using their lab-honed expertise to guide high-level decision-making as part of a £100m national scheme.

Their work will underpin once-in-a-generation work by Sport England, which will inform decision-making and could save taxpayers in Essex more than £58m.

In collaboration with Active Essex, councils, and public bodies our academics will find out why 27 per cent of the county’s residents are inactive and carry out less than 30 minutes of physical exercise each day.

They have already examined 27 different community projects to see how residents can get active.

What our partners say

Focusing on three test areas – Basildon, Colchester and Tendring - studies are focusing on families with dependent children, the over 45s and people with mental health issues.

The research is already proving vital as Active Essex help struggling families to stay fit, with Jason Fergus, Director of Active Essex and Head of the Essex Local Delivery Pilot, commenting that the "research will provide further insight into the behaviours and specific needs of local residents so that we can influence change and continue to increase participation in sport and physical activity across our county.”

Researchers changing lives 

At the heart of the collaboration are individual researchers, members of our community who are committed to applying their expertise and the latest research methods and technologies to innovation that helps improve lives.

Dr Valerie Gladwell, School of Sport, Rehabilitation, and Exercise Sciences, is one of the researchers behind the Active Essex collaboration. When I asked her what her aims are for the partnership, she said: “We want to help build healthier and stronger communities and hope our findings will empower communities to engage more people in physical activity and improve the health of the community as a whole.”

How you can join us

There are lots of ways you and your organisation can benefit from our public health and wellbeing research and expertise.

We offer Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs), consultancy, and contract research opportunities.

If you want to find out more, email our Institute of Public Health and Wellbeing.