Researcher awarded funding to develop digital health platform that connects people to local services

A UWE Bristol academic has received funding to develop an online platform that connects people to local community organisations offering health and social care support.

Dr Ilhem Berrou, a Senior Lecturer in Applied Pharmacology, has received a grant from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to develop community-powered digital healthcare platform www.helpfullocals.com.

The initiative follows Dr Berrou’s successful CHERIE project to provide health education, screening and prevention interventions in deprived neighbourhoods in Bristol.

She said: “We are delighted to receive further funding to continue to address health inequalities in our communities.

“There is so much on offer at the doorstep of people at risk of ill health. Community organisations in neighbourhoods, particularly deprived ones, are offering services to address the social determinants of health and improve people’s lives. Yet, information on these organisations and their services is hard to come by. These community resources remain unharnessed despite their potential to support people to live healthier and feel better.

“We are now developing an online platform that connects people with community organisations around them that provide health and care services. As soon as the user types in their postcode, they will identify the community organisations within their locality providing health, care, wellbeing and other services.”

Dr Berrou is one of nine researchers across the UK selected to receive funding as part of the third round of the Healthy Ageing Catalyst Accelerator run by UKRI. The programme supports the development of commercial solutions to help people live healthier, longer lives. It is delivered by Innovate UK and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) in partnership with venture builder Zinc.

The Catalyst Accelerator supports UK-based academic researchers to translate their work into scalable products and services. Each awardee receives up to £100,000 in funding and access to a six-month venture building programme.

Dr Cynthia Bullock, Director of Healthy Lives at Innovate UK, said: “This year’s Catalyst Accelerator awardees continue to demonstrate how research can be translated into practical solutions that address real-world challenges associated with ageing.

“These ventures reflect both the breadth of innovation emerging from UK institutions and the value of supporting arts, humanities and social science researchers to take early steps towards commercial impact.”