Our approach

Setting strong foundations

We are on a mission to build the foundations of a society that helps everyone stay healthier, for longer.

We’re an investor, the holder of valuable assets, and the enabler of a family of forward-looking organisations working to create better health.

At close to £1 billion, our endowment is one of the largest among foundations in the UK. It allows us to take a long-term view in our work while addressing the real and urgent health issues of today.

In investing and managing our assets, we look for both health impact and financial returns. We strive to act consistently with our mission, considering the impact of our investments and assets on the health of our planet and people.

A focus on health equity

A healthier society is one which actively supports people to stay as healthy as possible for as long as possible. Health equity ­– ensuring everyone has what they need to have the best possible health – is at the heart of it. To drive greater health equity, we collaborate with all parts of society. From communities and grassroots organisations to hospitals, academics, charities, government and private companies.

In 2010, the Fair Society Healthy Lives report by Professor Sir Michael Marmot exposed the extent of health inequalities in England. It showed a strong correlation between our health and our social and economic circumstances. A decade on from the review, health inequalities are widening. The urgent need to focus on the social determinants of health is clearer than ever.

Evidence in England shows the gap in healthy life expectancy is between the least and most deprived areas is 19 years. We believe it is possible to change this and to build societies that help everyone stay healthier for longer.

Coming at issues from all angles

We believe that better health for all is within our reach. To achieve this, we need to address avoidable, unfair and systematic health differences. Ones that are caused by the varying circumstances in which people are born, grow up, live and work.

We contribute to a healthier society by backing people and ideas, taking risks that others cannot. Our commitment is backed by our endowment, which allows us to take a long-term view while addressing the real and urgent health issues of today.

In our work, we are improving health. For example, through increasing access to affordable housing, nutritious food, healthier neighbourhoods, secure work and financial support. We are helping to create better healthcare experiences for NHS patients and improving the welfare of staff who care for them. And we are using our endowment to demonstrate that investing in health is good business.

Across everything we do, we look to increase our impact by sharing and connecting with others working on better health – from our part of the city to cities around the world.

Acting on climate change

As an independent foundation focused on building a healthier society, we believe in committing to bold action that will positively impact health globally and investing in our own sustainability journey. Find out more about our commitment to address climate change in our work.