GLL is the UK’s largest leisure and cultural charitable social enterprise, improving the physical, mental and social health of communities. With over 22 years’ experience, GLL has a strong track record delivering health and wellbeing interventions across 40+ UK partnerships.
GLL has worked with Newham Council, Public Health, voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations, and the East London Integrated Care team for 18 months.
Live Well Newham (LWN) launched in May 2025 to address health inequalities and create accessible, community-based pathways to healthier lifestyles.
In its first 12 months, over 1,000 residents aged 4 -96 engaged in four programmes: Adult Weight Management, Xplore Children and Family Healthy Lifestyle, Better Balance (Falls Prevention), and Physical Activity on Referral (PARS).
LWN directly responds to Newham’s Physical Activity Needs Assessment, including higher obesity and long-term health conditions, an ageing population and diverse communities. Support is brought into neighbourhoods where people live and connect, reducing barriers to access.
During its first year, sessions took place in places of worship, foodbanks, libraries, schools, youth clubs and community venues, alongside Better Leisure Centres. These centres encourage continued participation through discounted memberships and supported gym, swimming, badminton and fitness sessions.
Our inclusive approach works with VCS organisations to provide translation and adapt delivery to cultural and religious needs, including post-Eid catch-up sessions following Ramadan. By combining clinical referral pathways, trusted community settings and ongoing support, LWN is creating a sustainable route to better health and wellbeing for Newham residents.
Newham experiences significant health inequalities, and traditional services do not always reach those most in need. LWN addresses this by delivering preventative health interventions locally and working with trusted partners to overcome barriers including location, language and culture.
LWN supports national and local priorities to prevent illness, reduce health inequalities and strengthen community-based care by creating pathways between NHS referrals and community physical activity programmes.
Better Balance, a Public Health Newham commissioned Falls Management Exercise (FaME) programme, has transitioned from NHS delivery into community settings, enabling residents to access evidence-based, group support closer to home, led by Postural Stability Instructors. Healthy ageing is a priority: falls were the third most common reason for emergency admission to Newham Hospital among adults, while around 44% of residents assessed by adult social care have had a previous fall or falls risk factors.
Through voluntary and community sector (VCS) partnerships, participants receive transport assistance, translation and connections to wider support while participating in Better Balance.
Community engagement is central to LWN’s success. Working with Age UK, SubCo Trust, the African Caribbean Resource Centre, Newham Council, and local school and community leaders, LWN delivers services through trusted settings including schools, places of worship and community venues.
VCS partners support co-design and improvement, providing local insight, translation, culturally appropriate resources and encouragement to sustain engagement and transition into longer- term physical activity and community networks. Through its partnership with Newham Council and the National Child Measurement Programme, LWN promotes Xplore to families of children identified as overweight, while engaging residents and professionals through GP surgeries, schools, health events and community forums.
LWN continuously evaluates programmes to understand needs, measure outcomes and improve services. Data is collected throughout the referral pathway to monitor engagement, KPI performance and impact.
Over 12 months, LWN:
•Managed 6,347 referrals from at least 198 health professionals across 110 practices, including healthcare services and self-referrals.
•Supported 900+ people through Healthwise PARS and Weight Management.
•Enabled 107 older adults to participate in Better Balance.
•Supported 90 children and families through Xplore, with 84% of children and young people reporting improved confidence healthy eating and 70%+ reporting increased physical activity.
•Supported 73% of weight-management participants to lose weight.
•Recorded sustained improvements in physical activity and healthy lifestyle behaviours at 26 weeks.
•Achieved 98% customer satisfaction, with participants rating the service excellent or very good.
•Contributed to £43m annual social value generated through Better Leisure Centres.
LWN has successfully engaged communities experiencing the greatest health inequalities.
Referrals from Black African, Black Caribbean and Asian residents exceeded local census representation; 30% came from adults aged 55+, and 90% from the four most deprived deciles.
Beyond individual outcomes, person-centred support in trusted settings helps residents build healthier habits, confidence and long-term physical activity. This reaches people who may not otherwise engage with leisure or preventative health services, contributing to a healthier, more active Newham and supporting prevention and neighbourhood-based care.
Following a successful first year, LWN is now embedded within Newham’s health and community infrastructure, with established referral pathways and strong partnerships across the voluntary sector, Council, schools, GP practices and healthcare services.
With over 6,000 referrals and positive outcome data, Year 1 has demonstrated both demand and impact.
The successful transition of Better Balance from an NHS-led service to a community-based model has secured an additional year of funding from London Borough of Newham, while other programmes continue through ongoing commissioning. This provides a strong platform for sustainable delivery and future investment. The model also has potential for wider adoption, with other boroughs already exploring similar approaches following its success.
LWN’s flexible model combines health referrals, trusted community partnerships and accessible local delivery, enabling it to respond to different community needs. We will continue to expand access for underrepresented groups, including launching a sign-language-supported programme with Deafroots and exploring a men’s-only programme within a local mosque to address barriers to participation.
Future priorities include strengthening referral pathways, increasing engagement among underserved groups and developing clearer routes into long-term physical activity. We also plan to introduce a maintenance programme for Better Balance participants to help sustain strength, confidence and independence after completing the intervention.
There is also further development work planned for our Health database (Tiara) including; integrated digital surveys to strengthen data collection, support service evaluation and enhance participant engagement and we are committed to continue investing in staff recruitment and training to maintain high-quality service delivery, support future growth and ensuring staff are equipped to meet increasingly complex participant needs.
Year 1 evaluation findings will continue to inform service improvements, ensuring programmes remain culturally appropriate, effective and responsive to local needs while supporting future commissioning and improved outcomes for Newham residents.
