Highlighting the crucial connection between wellbeing and built environment at UKREiiF2025

Jason Brannan and Panel at UKREiiF — Jason Brannan with fellow panel members Susan Thomas (Google Health), Ruth Brown (Sheffield Children’s Hopsital), Sherry Kothari (Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park) and South Yorkshire Mayor, Oliver Coppard

Deputy Director Jason Brannan represented the Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre at this year’s UKREiiF conference, speaking about how the built environment can be a powerful catalyst for better health outcomes as well as economic regeneration.

Speaking as part of a panel titled Making our healthcare infrastructure fit for purpose: a South Yorkshire case study, Jason drew on the Olympic Legacy Park, the AWRC, and Attercliffe Waterside as examples of how well-designed spaces can help reinvigorate local areas, support preventative health, and drive inclusive, long-term economic growth.

This was strongly underpinned by our recent policy report Delivering the prevention legacy for the NHS: Innovations that help people more, which sets out three clear recommendations:

Prioritise investment in community health building and community-driven health initiatives
Expand established and evidence-based rehabilitation and prehabilitation programmes
Develop a workforce equipped to prioritise physical activity in healthcare

(Re)designing our places prioritise people, community and movement is essential if we are to create the conditions that support people to live healthier, more active lives