Yorkshire charity promoting healthy lifestyle changes wins top UK health award

The charity won the award for its work reducing social isolation, addressing health inequalities, and improving the physical and mental wellbeing of the local population through lifestyle changes.

A standout example is its ‘Rethinking Pain’ programme which supports people from diverse communities to manage long-term pain, which can account for up to 1 in 3 GP appointments nationally.

The service has shown a 6% reduction in GP appointments for the people it supported and is estimated to have saved the NHS nearly £200,000 a year.* Following a rigorous selection and assessment process, Keighley Healthy Living was chosen from a record number of award entries as one of the 10 winners of the 2025 GSK IMPACT Awards.

Now in its 28th year, the awards are delivered in partnership with leading health and care charity The King’s Fund. The awards are widely seen as a mark of excellence in the charity health sector and are designed to recognise outstanding small and medium-sized charities working to improve people’s health and wellbeing in the UK.

As an award winner, Keighley Healthy Living will now receive £40,000 in unrestricted funding as well as a place on a highly sought-after leadership development programme provided by The King’s Fund.

Keighley is in the top 10% of the UK’s most socio-economically deprived areas, with high numbers of households living in fuel poverty, as well as elevated rates of respiratory issues, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Conditions with high prevalence are reflected in the work of local health care services, with above average emergency admissions with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and musculoskeletal problems.

Keighley Healthy Living was formed in 2000 to provide nutrition, exercise and social support, offering weekly activities, such as arts and crafts and gardening, to enable local people to come together.

Today, the charity delivers many of its projects in a welcoming town centre base, as well as across other venues, and provides a range of healthy lifestyle classes, coaching, peer support, social groups, events and skills development.

Together with partners across the NHS and voluntary sector, its non-medical pain management programme, Rethinking Pain, offers assessments, education workshops, health coaching, peer support and referrals to community-based activities.

Over 1,700 people were helped last year through this programme, and 450 professionals attended pain education workshops to receive training. Evaluation showed that almost a third of people reduced their use of pain medication, and over half were more confident to live their lives day to day, despite their pain. The charity was contacted by NHS England to provide impact data, with potential to inform the forthcoming NHS 10 Year Health Plan.

Keighley Healthy Living works hard to reach all communities, including running a men’s health support group with the Bangladeshi community centre; collaborating to offer mental health support groups for refugees and asylum seekers; and providing culturally adapted education workshops on understanding the influence of faith on how people manage pain.

In 2023/2024, Keighley Healthy Living delivered 55 regular weekly and monthly groups to over 5,400 people. Over half of these people accessed more than one type of group, and 9 in 10 felt they had increased their confidence as a result of the charity’s work, while 96% reported a positive lifestyle change.

The award judges also highlighted Keighley Healthy Living’s project ‘Blood Pressure Connect’ which involves people with hypertension being referred to the charity via their GP. It provides service users with a blood pressure monitor and one-to-one coaching, as well as offering lifestyle support, such as exercise classes and cooking courses. The charity has recently begun working with local takeaway businesses to improve nutrition and cut obesity levels.

While the financial context in which charities operate is increasingly challenging, the award judges were impressed by Keighley Healthy Living’s ability to support its local community while reducing pressure on stretched NHS services.

Lisa Weaks, Senior Associate at The King’s Fund, said: ‘Keighley Healthy Living is a pioneering community-based charity working tirelessly to support its local population to be physically and mentally well through lifestyle changes. Through its excellent partnership-working and innovative approach, it plays a huge role in bringing people together, reducing social isolation, as well as supporting people with specific health conditions. It is now rightly being recognised for its impact on supporting its community while reducing pressure on the NHS.’

Commenting on the award, Melanie Hey, CEO of Keighley Healthy Living, said: ‘We're absolutely delighted to receive the GSK IMPACT Award. We are committed to providing opportunities for our community to build skills, confidence and knowledge and form community connections to enable people to manage their health and wellbeing. The support from receiving this award will be invaluable in helping us develop and grow and continue to offer a range of services to our local community.’

Developing leaders in the charity sector is a key aim of the GSK IMPACT Awards programme and all winners are invited to build on their success and take part in a tailored leadership development programme run by The King’s Fund.