ukactive’s latest report investigates best practice in the area of community wellbeing cross-sector partnerships. Executive director Steven Ward explains

Over the last few years, ukactive’s dedicated policy team has shifted the debate to focus on the role physical activity can have on public health. It has raised awareness of the need to tackle inactivity among the public health community and, earlier this year, highlighted the ticking time bomb represented by ‘Generation Inactive’.

To keep up this momentum, we’re launching our third publication of the year in late October 2015 – entitled Business Works Out. The aim of this report is to encourage a growth in effective cross-sector partnerships in the community wellbeing space. We’re aiming to do this by seeking to understand what works in current established partnerships, and by engaging with a variety of stakeholders to build a series of recommendations: what the private sector, government and third sector bodies can do to widen the appeal and improve the delivery of this crucial aspect of healthy partnerships.

Clear recommendations
In a period of squeezed public sector budgets, an NHS struggling under the weight of unsustainable spending, and rising demand on services due to ever-higher levels of lifestyle disease, cross-sector partnerships between private organisations – such as major consumer brands – and local authorities or charities have never been more important in boosting the health and wellbeing of communities.

Business Works Out sets out the context and background to the debate, including its controversies and complexities – as well as presenting brand new insights on the views of brands, councillors, charities and local authority deliverers.

Like previous ukactive reports, Business Works Out makes clear recommendations to address the issue it explores. There’s a series of calls to government bodies, private companies and local authorities to ensure existing partnerships reach their full potential, in addition to demonstrating why more are needed.

The report explores five case studies of cross-sector partnerships that seek to benefit communities through community projects. These involve organisations that ukactive has worked with – such as Coca Cola GB, Asda and Danone – as well as private companies from further afield, such as Morgan Stanley and Moldelez.

Launch event
The report will be launched at an event in late October for private sector stakeholders, senior local authority and charity figures, MPs, business commentators and ukactive Strategic Partners. It offers an opportunity for any business interested in working with local authorities to advance its understanding of how to develop sustainable community projects that engage employees, improve their reputation and lead to the improved wellbeing of local citizens.