Impact Review 2024-25: Active Lives HIT

The Active Lives Health Integration Team (HIT) brings together researchers, health and care staff, public contributors and VCSE colleagues. They aim to better understand barriers to undertaking physical activity, share the evidence of how physical activity can improve health and well-being, and help to embed this within different pathways. Here are highlights from 2024-25.

19th July 2025

Turning research into action

The HIT is working with local health and care partners to create a joined-up plan to support the reversal of frailty through physical exercise, and falls prevention across Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire (BNSSG). This plan is part of a wider prevention strategy and aims to:

increase physical activity levels
remove barriers faced by disadvantaged and ethnically diverse communities
make physical activity a regular part of people’s lives.

The HIT helped secure funding from the BNSSG Integrated Care Board (Community HCIG Proactive Care fund) to expand access to community based physical activity classes (REACT). These classes are proven – through clinical trial data – to be successful in reversing frailty and cost-effective in supporting improved health outcomes.

Helping marginalised children get active

The HIT is part of the Bristol Active City Network, which includes Bristol City Council, sports clubs, groups, and charities. This group looks for practical ways to use sport to improve health in different communities.

In the last year, the Network worked with Bristol Refugee and Asylum Seeker Partnership to improve access to physical activity for 300 asylum-seeking children living in three Bristol hotels. Support included:

providing play equipment
helping children attend holiday clubs run by Bristol Sport Foundation
giving access to a local BMX track
providing ear defenders supplied by Access Sport to enable inclusion for children who are neurodiverse.
working alongside other HITs to better meet the dietary needs of children and families living in the hotels.

Funding enabled in 2024-25

The Active Lives HIT helped secure £12,800,000 in 2024-25 for projects to generate research evidence, improve outcomes and address health inequalities.