Preventing ill health: Southwark Hubs for Health programme
Southwark Hubs for Health are community-based initiatives designed to support Southwark residents to improve their health and wellbeing. They offer free services including support for physical activity, weight management, and mental wellbeing, with the goal of empowering individuals to make positive lifestyle changes.
Venues continue to be established across the borough providing fortnightly or monthly sessions. There are currently seven regular hubs:
- Time and Talents in Surrey Quays Shopping Centre
- Castle Square in Elephant and Castle
- Albrighton Centre opposite Sainsbury’s Dog Kennel Hill
- Thomas Calton Centre in Peckham
- The Outside Project in Borough
- Ladies of Virtue Outreach CIC in Bermondsey
- LGBTQ+ Community Centre
Hubs for Health play a crucial role in delivering accessible, community-centred and neighbourhood-based services aligned to the NHS 10 Year Plan, which prioritises preventive care to improve population health and reduce health inequalities. A core aspect of the Plan is shifting the focus from treating illness to preventing it by promoting healthy lifestyles, early disease detection, and by offering self-management support.
Sangeeta Leahy, Director of Public Health in Southwark said,
“The Hubs for Health outreach initiative, which includes our Vital 5 Health Checks programme, has demonstrated how well NHS, council and VCS partners can work together to prevent ill health. Our Community Health Ambassadors are also involved – and doing a brilliant job, engaging residents at each of the hubs and raising awareness of our wider health improvement offer. Partnership Southwark’s prevention priorities are designed to embed equity, access, and early intervention into the heart of our system, and we are doing just that by setting up Hubs for Health in accessible locations such as in shopping centres and on housing estates.”
This proactive approach includes offering vaccinations, screenings, healthy lifestyle choices, and education, all aimed at reducing the risk of illness. Early detection and intervention help to improve treatment outcomes and potentially prevent illnesses altogether. By addressing health issues in their early stages, preventive care can significantly improve treatment effectiveness and reduce the overall burden of disease. They aim to improve public health by providing practical advice, signposting to appropriate services, and reducing the burden on the NHS and social care services.