Abbeycroft’s flagship health initiative, Active Living, has been recognised for its outstanding impact at the 2025 Suffolk and North East Essex (SNEE) Health and Care Awards for Excellence.
The programme, which provides vital health pathways outside traditional NHS settings, has also secured funding for a further three years, ensuring continued support for communities across West Suffolk, Babergh and beyond.
The Active Living programme is designed to support people with long-term health conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, arthritis and respiratory illness.
By creating safe, supported opportunities for people to be active and improve mobility, the programme helps individuals to manage their health, improve wellbeing and reduce dependence on medical interventions.
Delivered in partnership with local health professionals, The West Suffolk Alliance, West Suffolk Council, Babergh District Council and West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust – Active Living provides tailored exercise and wellbeing pathways that bridge the gap between healthcare and community activity.
Health professionals refer participants to structured programmes led by qualified instructors, helping them gain both the confidence and capability to take control of their health in a friendly, community-based environment.
Beyond improving quality of life for individuals, the programme is delivering measurable benefits to the wider health system—helping to prevent avoidable hospital admissions, reduce GP appointments and ease pressure on overstretched NHS services.
Statistics as of May 2025:
These results underscore that Active Living is more than an exercise program — it drives long-term change in health behaviours, reduces risk factors, and eases pressure on primary care, hospital, and outpatient services.
Warren Smyth, Chief Executive of Abbeycroft, said: “We’re extremely proud that Active Living has been recognised for its impact on people’s lives and the wider health system. This programme demonstrates what can be achieved when leisure, health and community partners work together.
“By supporting people to become more active and independent, we’re not only improving wellbeing but also helping to reduce the burden on the NHS. The continued funding is a vote of confidence in our approach and will allow us to build on the success of the last few years—reaching even more people who can benefit from movement as medicine.”
The renewed funding will enable Abbeycroft to expand Active Living’s reach, develop new referral routes and deliver additional training for instructors and community health champions. It marks another important milestone in Abbeycroft’s mission to create healthier, more active communities through prevention-focused partnerships.
West Suffolk Council works with Abbeycroft to promote leisure activity as part of its strategic priority for Thriving Communities and owns the leisure centre buildings in the district.
Cllr Ian Shipp, Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture at West Suffolk Council, said: “It is fantastic to see the difference to people’s lives that the Abbeycroft teams, within our leisure centres, are having. It’s helping people prevent or manage their health conditions and keep active and mobile.
“That has a huge and positive impact to people’s physical and mental health and with it their quality of life. And it is preventing some pressure on NHS services that may otherwise have occurred. We are delighted to see this work recognised and to support its continuing success.”
Cllr Laura Smith, Babergh District Council’s cabinet member for thriving communities, said: “We’re committed to providing the facilities and support to keep our communities as active and healthy as possible – and our partnership with Abbeycroft is key to delivering that.
“It’s great to see the Active Living programme receiving recognition for the very real difference it makes for those with long-term health conditions, working with health professionals to improve wellbeing through safe exercise, creating healthy habits, and reducing future demand on our NHS. This additional funding means more people can now enjoy this support over the next three years.”
Mark Shorter – Head of Alliance Development for Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board, said: “The partners in the West Suffolk Alliance have recognised the important work delivered by Abbeycroft Leisure to improve health and wellbeing through physical activity.” The commitment to partnership delivery combined with the fantastic statistics and evaluation of the programme demonstrates the impact that this programme has on the population of West Suffolk.
Dr Helena Jopling, public health consultant at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The UK chief medical officers say that if physical activity were a drug, we would refer to it as a miracle cure, due to the great many illnesses it can prevent and help treat.
“That’s what the Active Living service is providing for our local population. I’m thrilled that three more years’ funding has been agreed. Abbeycroft are leading the way in joint working between the NHS and the leisure sector and we are very lucky to have them as a partner.”
For more information about Abbeycroft’s Active Living programme, visit https://www.abbeycroft.org.uk/health-and-wellbeing/active-living/
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