Our approach
We help find solutions to complex health issues from our place in South London
Working with others, we take a place-based approach to tackling urban health issues. To do this, we support and layer up several interventions within a small geography, addressing the issue from different angles.
We are the largest place-based health foundation in the UK. We take a whole-systems approach, working with partners across sectors – from grassroots organisations to public sector bodies and commercial businesses.
Our long-term view helps us make sure ideas get the space and resource to create a real impact. We co-produce projects, bring in experts, and provide financial, strategic and practical support to learn what works, test solutions, and share knowledge.
We fund ideas ranging from tens of thousands of pounds all the way to multi-million pound initiatives; and back quick projects as well as multi-year initiatives.
We focus our efforts in two vibrant, diverse and busy areas in South London
What makes us different
We believe there are five distinct aspects to our work:
- Place. We work in the London boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark, supporting new approaches to health, sharing insights and learning with anyone facing similar challenges.
- Focus. Our programmatic approach focuses on a few complex health issues at a time. This allows us to get under the skin of these challenges and explore what works in improving urban health.
- Connecting. We bring great minds together, within and outside the NHS, to come at problems from different angles. And we collaborate, partnering with anyone – here and in other cities – to find, develop and deliver the best possible approaches to drive change.
- Vision. Great ideas sometimes need the space and resource to fly and to reach their potential – so we take a long-term view and keep a very open mind.
- Impact. We're led by evidence and focussed on outcomes – always testing, evaluating, learning and adapting for greater results. By combining our resources with others, we create the kind of firepower that achieves meaningful change now and for future generations.
How we drive change
Focused programmes
Through our strategy, we concentrate our efforts on a small number of health issues which are particularly significant in Lambeth and Southwark, tackling them through long-term programmes of work.
Go to programmesWorking with a unique NHS Trust
Over half of patients at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust are local residents. As the Trust's charity, we raise donations and use them to create world-class care and environments for patients, visitors and staff.
Our work with Guy's and St Thomas'Investing in health
The returns from our investments and property help fund our charitable work. Increasingly, we also use our investment power to effect direct impact on health, backing companies that offer services and products that transform people’s health.
How we use our resourcesSharing lessons
Our place focus allows us to get under the skin of health issues and their root causes. It also means we can test solutions here that could help others. By sharing our insights and learning, we hope to support change elsewhere.
Explore our insightsOur projects
Find out moreWho we are
Find out moreFunding our work
Find out moreRelated content
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Urban health
As an urban health foundation, we explore how living in cities impacts on people’s health and wellbeing. We use our own insights and learn from others, identifying what works to inform practice and policy.
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Neighbourhood Schemes
Our Neighbourhood Schemes focus on driving change around a health issue within a small geography or defined community, targeting the issue from many angles.
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Why we take a place-based approach to improving health in cities
We take a place-based approach to addressing complex health issues prevalent in urban areas, focused on driving better health locally and testing whole-system solutions.