An investigative trip to Birmingham, England
Members of RISE and MSD travelled from Sweden to Birmingham on the 21st-22nd of April to visit the West Midlands Academic Health Science Network (WMAHSN). This was to learn more about what has been achieved through social finance and regional social enterprises to deliver health and wellbeing programmes across the region.
Birmingham, like Stockholm, has a population of 1.1 million and has a young, diverse population that is the largest outside of London.
Fredrik and Aslak spent time talking with the Business Managers from the WMAHSN, Social Finance and Health Exchange Community Interest Company (CIC) exploring the concepts that underpin the programme of work and learning from what has already been achieved through using health trainers in the community to prevent the development of illnesses such as diabetes.
A lot was covered in the day but the face to face interactions were invaluable in testing out theories and getting expert opinion on the possible opportunities, challenges and pitfalls to watch out for.