Over the next 4 years (2021-2025) we want to improve the health and wellbeing of 135,000 marginalised older adults whilst reducing health inequalities across the UK.
The UK is undergoing a major demographic shift, with far-reaching consequences for society, the economy and public services. Longer life expectancy, one of the great triumphs of the last century, has not been matched by an equal rise in the quality of those extra years.
Although average life expectancy at birth is now 80 years, ‘healthy life expectancy’, the number of years lived in a healthy and active state, is only 63 years. We are living longer but we are not living better, and the discrepancy in healthy life expectancy between different areas of the UK can be as much as 20 years.
Despite the scale of the challenges, social businesses can and are significantly improving the experience of later life in the UK. By providing products and services that meet the needs and aspirations of people in later life, social businesses can significantly improve the experience of later life in the UK.
Our Goals.jpg)
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Improve the health, wellbeing and connectedness of older adults
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Reduce health inequalities between different groups of older adults
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We want to improve the health and wellbeing of 135,000 marginalised older adults and reduce health inequalities by working in the ten areas of lowest healthy life expectancy in the UK.
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We want to find, fund and support up to 180 of the most impactful and diverse social entrepreneurs to start and scale ventures that meet high levels of unmet health needs in these areas. 50% of these entrepreneurs will be Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic, or Disabled People.
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We want to shift public policy to focus on prevention, positioning social entrepreneurs as the best providers of preventative innovations in the UK supporting our Breaking Down Barriers agenda.
Stories from our work in Healthy Ageing
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Maaha Suleiman – Care Matched - Exists to make sure everyone receives culturally appropriate care, the cutting-edge app to match people with a whole new level of care.
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Charlotte Miller – Together With Music - An award-winning intergenerational music platform providing schools, care homes & community groups with vital connections, training & innovative music projects aiming to improve mental health & wellbeing.
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Kelly Brougham – Active Families NE - Inspiring, enthusing and invigorating communities to be more active: improving wellbeing & eradicating social isolation.
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Alex Ramamurthy – Mirthy - Mirthy is an interactive over 55s community offering online events & a social space to connect over shared interests & experiences
Current Cohort
Meet our existing cohort of social entrepreneurs on our Online Cohort Overview
Previous Work
To see our previous work, please refer to Transform Ageing and Thrive SFAS
Awards
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If you are a social entrepreneur and are interested in our support, please apply through our Awards Page. If you are interested in social investment, please visit the Growth Impact Fund.
Current Partnerships
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Johnson and Johnson and UnLtd are tackling racial health inequalities across the UK providing support and funding to roughly 15 social entrepreneurs across 2022.
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Innovate UK and UnLtd are working together to support over 30 fast growth social entrepreneurs across the UK with the potential to create systemic impact within healthy ageing.
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Wessex AHSN and UnLtd are trailing out a way of delivering a highly placed based programme in a highly marginalised area which experiences high health inequalities in Portsmouth.
Get Involved
If you are involved in healthy ageing and want to speak to someone about your work, please contact healthyageing@unltd.org.uk