Partnerships and Community Action for Health and Wellbeing: 2024–25
During 2024-25, Keele University worked with local, national and international partners to improve health and wellbeing outcomes through healthcare innovation, research collaboration and community engagement. Activities included partnerships with healthcare institutions, health outreach programmes, and initiatives designed to promote wellbeing, improve access to care and reduce health inequalities for underserved communities.
This page covers activity from August 2024 to July 2025 and supports UN Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being.
Our work in this area supports the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): 17 global goals adopted by all UN member states in 2015 to tackle challenges such as poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030.
Main goal
Also contributes to
- SDG 4 Quality Education
- SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities
- SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals
Collaborations with health institutions
Building Research Capacity Across the West Midlands
Since August 2024, Keele has been part of the NIHR INSIGHT West Midlands consortium of universities, NHS organisations and health and care partners, which develops research capacity among healthcare, social work and public health professionals. Through its Impact Accelerator Unit, Keele leads the consortium's engagement programme for undergraduate healthcare and social work students across the region, with webinars on research careers held in September, November and December 2024 and March and June 2025.
| Keele lead | Professor Krysia Dziedzic, Impact Accelerator Unit |
|---|---|
| Partners | NIHR; University of Birmingham, Staffordshire University, Coventry University, University of Warwick, Birmingham City University, Aston University; NHS and local authority partners |
| Reach | Regional |
| Focus | Building research capacity and evidence-based practice in health and social care |
Find out more about NIHR INSIGHT West Midlands
Improving Global Mental Health Through Implementation Research
CONTROL (Cognitive Therapy for depression in Tuberculosis treatment) is an NIHR-funded international research programme, jointly led by Keele and Khyber Medical University, that is developing and testing a psychological therapy for depression in Pakistani and Afghan refugee patients with tuberculosis, to improve their mental health and adherence to TB treatment. During 2024–25, the programme ran community engagement in Afghan refugee camps and local communities, trained TB treatment staff in cognitive behavioural therapy, and held a Global Mental Health Symposium in December 2024.
| Keele lead | Professor Saeed Farooq |
|---|---|
| Partners | Khyber Medical University, University of Peshawar, Lady Reading Hospital, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa TB control programme (Pakistan); University of Sheffield; Healthnet TPO (Netherlands) |
| Reach | International |
| Focus | Mental health care for refugee and other patients with tuberculosis |
Strengthening Health Systems Through International Collaboration
TRANSLATE (Translating evidence for early intervention in psychosis) is an NIHR-funded implementation research programme led by Keele with Khyber Medical University in Pakistan and the Institute for Research and Development in Health and Social Care in Sri Lanka. It is establishing early intervention services for people with a first episode of psychosis in low and lower-middle income countries. In 2024–25 it launched in Pakistan in December 2024 and in Sri Lanka, at National Hospital Galle, in February 2025.
| Keele lead | Professor Saeed Farooq |
|---|---|
| Partners | Khyber Medical University (Pakistan); Institute for Research and Development in Health and Social Care and National Hospital Galle (Sri Lanka); NIHR (funder) |
| Reach | International |
| Focus | Early intervention services for psychosis in lower-middle-income countries |
Tackling Vector-Borne Diseases in Mali
Keele researchers are working with the African Centre for Excellence in Molecular Engineering (ACEME) in Mali to train researchers at the University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako and its Malaria Research and Training Center. Keele provides training in molecular and genetic engineering and support to acquire laboratory equipment, and one of ACEME's co-investigators is studying for a PhD in Entomology at Keele.
| Keele lead | Dr Roberto Galizi, Reader in Infectious Diseases |
|---|---|
| Partners | African Centre for Excellence in Molecular Engineering (ACEME); University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako and Malaria Research and Training Center (USTTB/MRTC), Mali |
| Reach | International |
| Focus | Vector-borne disease prevention and surveillance |
Find out more about the Mali collaboration
Advancing Global Heart Health
In January 2025, Keele's Professor John Buckley, Professor of Exercise Rehabilitation, was appointed to the World Heart Federation's new Physical Activity, Nutrition and Obesity Expert Group, which advocates on global heart health.
| Keele lead | Professor John Buckley |
|---|---|
| Partners | World Heart Federation |
| Reach | International |
| Focus | Cardiovascular health and disease prevention |
Find out more about the World Heart Federation expert group
Improving Cardiac Care in Ethiopia
In 2024–25, Keele interventional cardiologist Professor Mamas Mamas joined the charity Heart Attack Ethiopia on its third cardiac mission, helping to secure equipment, treating patients at no cost and training local doctors in a country of 120 million people with fewer than 10 interventional cardiologists.
| Keele lead | Professor Mamas Mamas, interventional cardiologist |
|---|---|
| Partners | Heart Attack Ethiopia |
| Reach | International |
| Focus | Improving access to cardiac care |
Find out more about the Ethiopia mission
Improving Access to Emergency Care for People with Learning Disabilities
In July 2025, Keele launched careLeD, a co-produced digital tool that helps people with a learning disability prepare for urgent and emergency care. It was developed through the RCN Foundation-funded UCAN project with NHS partners in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
| Keele lead | Dale Nixon, Lecturer in Learning Disability Nursing |
|---|---|
| Partners | RCN Foundation; North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust, Swansea Bay University Health Board, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, NHS Grampian |
| Reach | National |
| Focus | Inclusive access to healthcare |
Strengthening the Healthcare Workforce in Shropshire
In February 2025, Keele, Telford College and the NHS in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin announced a partnership to deliver healthcare courses in Shropshire, with Keele teaching space at the college's Wellington campus. The first course, a Nursing Associate apprenticeship, was set to start in September 2025.
| Keele lead | Professor Christian Mallen, Executive Dean of Medicine and Health Sciences |
|---|---|
| Partners | Telford College; NHS People Programme for Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin |
| Reach | Local |
| Focus | Healthcare workforce development |
Find out more about the Nursing Associate partnership
Embedding Research Into NHS Care
In February 2025, Keele's Dr Emma Healey was appointed Musculoskeletal and Orthopaedic Specialty Lead for the NIHR Research Delivery Network West Midlands, responsible for building regional capacity for study delivery and embedding research engagement and delivery into the NHS and wider care environment.
| Keele lead | Dr Emma Healey |
|---|---|
| Partners | NIHR Research Delivery Network West Midlands |
| Reach | Regional and national |
| Focus | Research delivery within NHS care |
Find out more about the NIHR specialty lead role
Strengthening International Health Research Partnerships
In February 2025, Keele hosted a ministerial delegation from Pakistan with Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT) and the Faculty of Public Health, showcasing Keele's joint health research in Pakistan, including depression in tuberculosis patients and early intervention for psychosis.
| Keele lead | Professor Saeed Farooq and Professor Mark Ormerod |
|---|---|
| Partners | Pakistan Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms (delegation led by Federal Minister Professor Ahsan Iqbal); MPFT; Faculty of Public Health |
| Reach | International |
| Focus | Mental health research and international health partnerships |
Find out more about the ministerial visit
Improving Maternal Mental Health Outcomes
In October 2024, the results of ROSHNI-2 were published in The Lancet. Co-authored by Keele's Professor Carolyn Chew-Graham, the study was led by Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust with other NHS trusts and universities including Keele. It is the largest study of its kind, recruiting 4,000 participants across the UK to test a culturally adapted group talking therapy for postnatal depression in British South Asian women.
| Keele lead | Professor Carolyn Chew-Graham, Professor of General Practice Research |
|---|---|
| Partners | Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (study lead); other NHS trusts and UK universities |
| Reach | National |
| Focus | Maternal mental health |
| Outcome | Largest study of its kind, published in The Lancet |
Improving Patient Care for Neglected Tropical Diseases
Keele University was the contracting organisation for ECLIPSE (Empowering people with Cutaneous Leishmaniasis: Intervention Programme to improve patient journey and reduce stigma via community education), a five-year international research programme led by Professor Helen Price. Running from November 2019 to October 2024, the programme brought together health institutions, universities, clinicians, public health researchers and policymakers in Brazil, Ethiopia and Sri Lanka to improve diagnosis, treatment pathways, patient outcomes and access to healthcare for people affected by cutaneous leishmaniasis, while reducing stigma through community education and strengthening health systems.
| Keele lead | Professor Helen Price |
|---|---|
| Partners | Health institutions, universities and policymakers in Brazil, Ethiopia and Sri Lanka |
| Reach | International |
| Focus | Improving outcomes for people with cutaneous leishmaniasis |
Health outreach in the local community
Wellbeing and Ageing Well Workshops
From October 2024, Keele's student-led Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Clinic ran community workshops in a refurbished studio at the Keele Sport Centre. The four-week Wellbeing Education and Activity programme covered physical activity, stress management, strength and posture. An Ageing Well programme for people over 60, combining weekly education sessions on topics such as arthritis, nutrition and balance with exercise classes for strength, balance and flexibility, was also in development.
| Keele lead | Katie Brown, Clinic Director |
|---|---|
| Who benefited | Local community members, including older adults over 60 |
| Reach | Local |
| Focus | Physical activity, healthy ageing, nutrition and wellbeing |
Find out more about the workshops
Medical Students Supporting Community Health
Keele's Community Placement Programme places every medical student with local voluntary and statutory organisations for at least 21 hours of supervised volunteering and work-shadowing. Students support groups experiencing social disadvantage, including older adults, people with disabilities or chronic illness, people with mental health needs, unpaid carers, and displaced and refugee communities, adding capacity to local services while learning about community health. The programme ran throughout 2024–25 and continues as a mandatory part of the MBChB.
| Keele lead | Becki MacKenzie, School of Medicine |
|---|---|
| Who benefited | Local communities, disadvantaged people, and refugee and immigrant communities |
| Reach | Local |
| Focus | Community health, inclusion and access to support |
Free Digital Health Skills at Keele in Town
From March 2025, Keele in Town, Keele's community hub in Newcastle-under-Lyme, has hosted free twice-weekly digital skills drop-ins run by the Digital Angels team at Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust. Residents get help using smartphones and tablets, staying safe online, and downloading and using the NHS App. Complete beginners are welcome and no appointment is needed. The sessions launched Keele in Town's Digital Inclusion programme.
| Keele lead | Claire Nicoll, Keele in Town Venue and Facilities Manager |
|---|---|
| Partners | Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (Digital Angels) |
| Who benefited | Newcastle-under-Lyme residents, including digitally excluded and older people |
| Reach | Local |
| Focus | Digital access to health services |
Find out more about the digital skills drop-ins
CPR Skills for the Public
Keele's Paramedic Society organised a 24-hour CPR challenge in the Students' Union on 6–7 March 2025 for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, with more than 80 student and staff volunteers signed up. Alongside it, Paramedic Science students arranged CPR demonstrations with training mannequins for staff, students and members of the public.
| Keele lead | Keele Paramedic Society |
|---|---|
| Partners | Midlands Air Ambulance Charity |
| Who benefited | Members of the public, staff and students |
| Reach | Local |
| Focus | Life-saving skills and emergency care awareness |
Find out more about the CPR challenge
Last reviewed: 3 November 2026
