Our Impact

Our impact on reducing health inequalities

At Healthworks, we’re dedicated to closing the gap on health inequalities, providing support and resources to ensure everyone has the opportunity to lead a healthier life.

Health inequalities are the unfair differences in health that people experience. These differences can mean some people face more illness or live shorter lives because of where they live, their income, or their background. These gaps in health can and should be addressed.

At Healthworks, we tackle these inequalities by offering support, education, and services to help improve health for everyone. We focus on those most affected, ensuring they have access to the resources and care they need to lead healthier lives.

We work closely with the NHS and public health services by providing preventive care and education, helping people manage their health before it becomes a serious issue. This takes pressure off hospitals and GPs, as fewer people need emergency care or treatment for preventable illnesses.

Healthworks Impact Report 2023-2024

In this annual Impact Report, we look back on the work of Healthworks between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024.

We highlight how the work Healthworks does contributes to reducing health inequalities in the North East and how it positively impacts the health and wellbeing of local people.

Read the latest Healthworks Impact Report

We launched the Healthworks Impact Report at a partnership event on 21 September 2024, take a look at some of the highights from the day:

A message from Paul Court, Healthworks Chief Executive:

I am delighted to share with you our Impact Report 2023-2024 which features a short message from our Patron, Professor Michael Marmot:

Healthworks commitment to innovation and excellence and integrated working between the NHS, local authorities and voluntary sector makes a huge difference to reducing health inequalities and improves health, wellbeing and life outcomes across the North East.

Our success has enabled us to tell our Healthworks story at national events and conferences, sharing our work and demonstrating how, through partnership, we have been able to address the unique health challenges faced by our communities.

Please feel free to contact me if you would like to discuss how we can support your service and communities across the region.

Best wishes and thank you for your support over the last 12 months.

Paul Court
Chief Executive

Addressing regional health challenges:

The North East of England faces significant health challenges, including higher rates of heart disease, respiratory issues, and obesity compared to other regions. Many communities experience health inequalities driven by socioeconomic factors, lifestyle choices, and limited access to healthcare services.

At Healthworks, we are dedicated to tackling these challenges by providing accessible health and wellness programs for all.

Health and Social Care system cost savings:

Our work is estimated to save the Health and Social Care system £41.3 million annually.

These significant savings are a testament to the efficiency and effectiveness of Healthworks programmes, which improve health outcomes and provide financial savings for overburdened public services. 

Working together with SportFin:

SportFin is an innovative initiative developed by Siddesh Iyer and Kyran Parker, aimed at transforming communities through the power of sport and physical activity. At Healthworks, we partnered with Siddesh Iyer to use SportFin as a key tool in delivering and measuring our programmes’ impact.

By focusing on increasing participation in physical activity, SportFin helps improve overall health, reduce long-term conditions, and promote mental well-being, particularly in communities with limited resources.

Our collaboration with SportFin enables us to gather valuable data and evidence of our social impact. Through this partnership, we can demonstrate how our services are making a difference in reducing health inequalities. By tracking and analysing participation and outcomes, we ensure our programmes reach those who need them most, while continuously improving our approach to community health.

Interactive map: Visualising our reach

To showcase our work, we’ve developed an interactive map powered by SportFin’s data insights. This map highlights the geographic reach of our engaged clients across most of our services, including SportFin programs, and overlays this with the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD).

The map visually demonstrates how we are making a real difference in the communities facing the greatest challenges.

Explore the map to see how our services are distributed and aligned with areas experiencing the highest levels of deprivation. This tool provides a clear view of the impact we’re having, helping us ensure we continue to deliver meaningful support where it’s needed most.