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Partnerships to promote good health

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Male rugby player smiling with arms outstretched with a group of players behind him

Positive Impact Partners (PIP) is our flagship programme designed to increase collaboration with the third sector, build capacity, and positively contribute to our local communities.

Through PIP we connect local third sector organisations with staff at the University to exchange knowledge and skills, share resources, and create new collaborative partnerships. Our programme benefits our PIP partners, the University, and third sector organisations in the local community.

By offering a range of one-to-one support partnerships, collaborative project work, and knowledge exchanges with local health organisations, PIP continues to promote good health and wellbeing in the local community. As part of our 2020 PIP update, we’ve collated three case studies to showcase the success of our partnerships with local healthcare and community outreach organisations.

Wakefield District Sight Aid and Katheryn Watson

Wakefield District Sight Aid’s Chief Executive, Graham Bell, joined PIP after identifying a need for a more business focussed approach to the charity's operations, and to ensure they were able to fulfil the growing needs of their members. We matched him with Katheryn Watson, Research Impact Manager at our Business School. Katheryn helped him to develop a business plan, attended board meetings and met regularly with Graham to give fresh insights into the charity’s ways of working.
As a result of their PIP partnership, Wakefield District Sight Aid improved their commercial acumen and developed a more robust approach to generating income. This led to an immediate increase in funding with the charity receiving £8000 from a successful grant application.

I’m very satisfied with the scheme. There is help in the business community, if you’re not afraid to ask.

Graham Bell, Chief Executive Wakefield District Sight Aid

International Mixed Ability Sport (IMAS) and Ben Williams

International Mixed Ability Sport (IMAS) needed help to grow the organisation’s capabilities. They were partnered with Ben Williams from the Research and Innovation Service who gave advice to help expand their activities at a European level and to new areas of sport. This helped IMAS deliver their first European-based Mixed Ability Rugby World Tournament, held in Vitoria-Gasteiz and attended by hundreds of players from all over the world.

It is great to have someone to talk to who has a proven track record. It is amazing how many chance links come up in conversation that might lead onto opportunities and avenues to explore. We would urge any organisation to take up the opportunity of working with a friendly individual who is offering their time and expertise for free!

Jen Dyer, IMAS

Carers Leeds and Professor Sarah Urwin

Carers Leeds joined PIP after identifying a need to better understand the issues and challenges experienced by older unpaid carers for people transitioning out of hospital. Carers Leeds research needs have been interpreted with the support of Sarah Urwin, Professor of Sociology, into an MSc Inequalities and Social Science applied project.
As a relatively under-researched area, the outcomes of this project are far reaching for older unpaid carers living in Leeds. The partnership hopes to expose the role and experiences of volunteer carers, which are largely hidden from societal view; identify implications and changes needed in public health policy; and for Carers Leeds to be able to address some of these issues by providing additional support services.

Get Involved

The PIP programme is open to all University staff, individuals working in the third sector (either paid or voluntary), charitable organisations, state-funded schools and any other social-benefit organisations.
For more information, visit the PIP webpage or email us: sustainability@leeds.ac.uk

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United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

We use the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a framework to guide our activity. Our work on Positive Impact Partners is linked to the following SDGs:

  • Goal 3: Good health and well-being
  • Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities
  • Goal 17: Partnerships

Find out more about our impact on the SDGs.