Ways to Wellness

What Ways to Wellness does

Ways to Wellness is a UK health innovation charity founded in 2015 and headquartered in Newcastle upon Tyne that develops, prototypes, and tests social prescribing programmes addressing health inequalities across the North East and North Cumbria. Its core work centres on specialist link workers embedded within NHS clinical settings (GP practices, hospital trusts including Great North Children's Hospital) who deliver non-clinical, person-centred support to people with long-term conditions, chronic pain, persistent physical symptoms, perinatal mental health needs, and economic inactivity driven by ill health. The product portfolio includes four active prototypes (PROSPeR perioperative social prescribing, SPACE Pilot for children with chronic conditions, Persistent Physical Symptoms support, and Maternal Mental Health Services), plus an Employers' Toolkit featuring the Beyond Pain tool and a data storytelling training programme co-developed with Newcastle University.

The charity operates a test-and-learn prototyping model: programmes are designed, evaluated, and—if evidence is compelling—advocated for wider NHS adoption. Technology plays a supporting rather than central role; it consists of operational data collection systems, SOS ID badges for lone-worker safety during home visits, digital inclusion tooling via the National Databank, and a digital employer toolkit, rather than a proprietary platform. Underlying delivery relies on relational, trust-based engagement supported by a regional network of four VCSE delivery partners and academic collaborators including ARC NENC and Newcastle University.

Ways to Wellness is funded entirely through grants and public-sector commissioning, not commercial sales. Major funding sources include the Department for Work and Pensions (via the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority's £10M Economic Inactivity Trailblazer), NHS England and the North East and North Cumbria ICB, NHS Charities Together, the Pilgrim Trust, and the National Lottery Community Fund. The organisation is a registered charity (1161123) and private limited company (08798423), governed by a Board of Trustees and led by Chief Executive Sandra Mitchell-Phillips. There is no private equity or venture capital ownership.

Name

Ways to Wellness

Legal name

Ways to Wellness Limited

Website

https://waystowellness.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ways to Wellness is a Newcastle-based health innovation charity that develops and tests social prescribing link worker programmes for people with long-term conditions, chronic pain, perinatal mental health needs, and economic inactivity across the North East and North Cumbria, funded through NHS, DWP, and charitable grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Prescribing Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHSADAGAH

Chronic Condition Lifestyle Coaching (Non-Clinical)

Home & Personal Services/Fitness, Wellness & Personal Training/Health Coaching & Lifestyle Wellness

SECONDARYHLAEAAAH

Employer Wellness & Population Health Programs

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Health Insurance & Managed Care/Commercial (Employer-Sponsored) Health Insurance

SECONDARYHSADAGAC

Wellness Program Design & Accountability Coaching

Home & Personal Services/Fitness, Wellness & Personal Training/Health Coaching & Lifestyle Wellness

Keywords

• Social prescribing services
• Community health programmes
• Link worker support
• Health innovation prototyping
• NHS partnership programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Newcastle Upon Tyne

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Grant funding (government and institutional): Primary revenue source. Ways to Wellness receives grant funding from government bodies (Department for Work and Pensions, NHS England via North East North Cumbria ICS), public authorities (North East Mayoral Strategic Authority), NHS trusts, and charitable foundations. Funding is used to prototype, deliver, and evaluate social prescribing and health innovation programmes. Examples include DWP funding for the Economic Inactivity Trailblazer (£10 million programme) and NHS Charities Together grant (£200,000 to Newcastle Hospitals Charity for SPACE Pilot partnership).
2. Charitable trusts and foundations: Funding from trusts including Pilgrim Trust (funding Young Mums Mental Health Service) and National Lottery Community Fund. These grants support specific prototype projects and service development.
3. Social outcomes partnerships: Ways to Wellness is referenced as an outcomes fund case study by Bridges Outcomes Partnerships and Government Outcomes Lab (University of Oxford), indicating involvement in social outcomes-based commissioning models.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ways to Wellness is a health innovation charity that designs, prototypes, and tests social prescribing programmes delivered through specialist link workers embedded in NHS and community settings across North East England and North Cumbria. Its portfolio includes perioperative support (PROSPeR), maternal mental health services, chronic pain and persistent physical symptoms support, children's chronic conditions (SPACE Pilot), and psychosocial employment support funded by the DWP. Programmes are commissioned or grant-funded by NHS bodies, government departments, and charitable foundations using a test-and-learn model to generate evidence before wider adoption.

Product overview

Ways to Wellness is a health innovation organization that develops and tests social prescribing programmes and prototypes. The core offering consists of multiple social prescribing services including PROSPeR (perioperative support for surgical waiting lists), SPACE Pilot (support for families of children with chronic conditions), Persistent Physical Symptoms prototype, and Maternal Mental Health Services. Supporting offerings include an Employers' Toolkit with the 'Beyond Pain' tool, a data storytelling training programme, and psychosocial employment support services. The organization also operates as a National Databank Hub for digital inclusion. The portfolio follows a 'test and learn' prototyping model to demonstrate impact before scaling.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PROSPeR: Perioperative Social Prescribing project supporting people on waiting lists for orthopedic surgery
• SPACE Pilot
• Persistent Physical Symptoms
• Maternal Mental Health Services

Products and services

• PROSPeR with Waiting Well (Perioperative Social Prescribing) Part of the North East and North Cumbria NHS 'Waiting Well' programme in which specialist link workers support people on the waiting list for orthopaedic surgery (hip and knee), improving health and wellbeing for the operation and beyond.
• SPACE Pilot (Social Prescribing And Community Resources for Children and Young People) Partnership between Ways to Wellness, the Great North Children's Hospital and Newcastle University. Specialist link workers support families of children with complex chronic conditions with emotional and practical support.
• Persistent Physical Symptoms Prototype Prototype supporting those with chronic pain, fatigue or other persistent physical symptoms, providing personalised, practical support to enable people to make decisions to improve their health and wellbeing outcomes.
• Maternal Mental Health Services Prototype programme developing maternal mental health services via the VCSE sector, working alongside the NHS to provide support for expectant and new mothers with mild to moderate mental health needs up to baby's second birthday.
• Psychosocial Employment Support Part of the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority Economic Inactivity Trailblazer, offering client-led support to people who feel unable to work due to pain or their health, building confidence and skills for work.
• Employers' Toolkit for Chronic Conditions and Pain Digital support toolkit for employers to better understand challenges people with chronic conditions and pain face, whether seeking employment or aiming to stay in work. Provides practical guidance including the 'Beyond Pain' tool for reasonable workplace adjustments.
• Social Prescribing Data Storytelling Training Programme Training programme developed with Newcastle University, NortHFutures and UKRI EPSRC to help link workers and social prescribing practitioners feel more confident in understanding and collecting data about their work, and communicating findings impactfully.

Quantifiable outcome

• 86% of clients improved their wellbeing over five years
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Great North Children's Hospital (Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on the SPACE Pilot project, placing social prescribing link workers alongside clinicians treating children with chronic conditions at the Great North Children's Hospital. The partnership was expanded with a £200,000 NHS Charities Together grant awarded to Newcastle Hospitals Charity for further expansion.
• Newcastle UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for SPACE Pilot, Maternal Mental Health Services evaluation, and co-development of the 'Telling the story of your social prescribing impact using data' training programme with Dr Matt Cooper. Also involved in the Open Lab participatory research collaboration for maternal mental health.
• North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System (NENC ICS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary system-level partner funding and co-commissioning social prescribing and maternal mental health prototypes. Provided transformational funding for Maternal Mental Health Services and supports the PROSPeR Waiting Well programme through the NHS North East and North Cumbria ICB.
• Together We CiC (North Cumbria)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVCSE delivery partner in the Maternal Mental Health Services prototype, hosting a social prescribing link worker in North Cumbria. Successfully secured continuation funding to March 2025 to continue the maternal mental health service.
• Sunderland Counselling ServicecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVCSE delivery partner in the Maternal Mental Health Services prototype, hosting a social prescribing link worker in Sunderland. Received continuation funding to March 2025.
• Teesside MindcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVCSE delivery partner in the Maternal Mental Health Services prototype, hosting a social prescribing link worker in Tees Valley/Middlesbrough.
• Everyturn Mental Health (Northumberland)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVCSE delivery partner in the Maternal Mental Health Services prototype, hosting a social prescribing link worker in Northumberland, providing specialist mental health link work support.
• Health Innovation North East and North Cumbria (HINENC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic health innovation partner hosting events on the role of research and evaluation in addressing health and economic inactivity. Engaged Ways to Wellness in regional health transformation discussions.
• North East Mayoral Strategic AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey public authority partner funding the Economic Inactivity Trailblazer (£10 million DWP-funded programme) and the 'Beyond Pain' employer toolkit. Ways to Wellness received DWP funding through this partnership to deliver psychosocial employment support to people unable to work due to pain or health.
• UK Research and Innovation — Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (UKRI EPSRC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-funder of the 'Telling the story of your social prescribing impact using data' training programme developed with Dr Matt Cooper and Newcastle University.
• VONNE (Voluntary Organisations Network North East)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional infrastructure organisation for the VCSE sector, supporting the VCSE Partnership Programme that led to the Maternal Mental Health Services prototype. Represents and connects voluntary sector organisations across the North East.
• North Cumbria CVSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSteering group partner and VCSE infrastructure organisation for North Cumbria, supporting delivery of maternal mental health services.
• Maternity Voices Partnerships (North East and North Cumbria)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSteering group partner representing the voice of women and families in maternity services, providing lived experience input to the maternal mental health prototype design and delivery.
• Northumberland Football AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through the 'Your Move' inclusive football programme, delivering inclusive training sessions for teenagers with acute or long-term health conditions using the FA's Journey to Inclusion Fund.
• Academic Health Science Network for North East and North Cumbria (AHSN NENC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed the Health and Life Sciences Pledge, bringing together regional health and life sciences ecosystem partners including Ways to Wellness to collectively address sector challenges and celebrate innovation achievements.
• NHS (National Health Service England)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs one of the first social prescribing pioneers at scale, Ways to Wellness's model has been widely adopted by the NHS. The charity works with NHS England, NHS trusts, NHS commissioners, and NHS Providers on policy, innovation, and secondary care integration of social prescribing.
• Applied Research Collaboration North East and North Cumbria (ARC NENC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partner providing evaluation support for maternal mental health prototypes, conducting participatory research and supporting programme-wide evaluation through an evaluation sub-group.
• Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr Karen Connelly, Chief Clinical Information Officer, contributed to discussions on digital transformation at the Future Ready digital health symposium, highlighting the importance of VCSE sector engagement in digital inclusion.
• Shine FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organisation on Ways to Wellness's website, indicating collaborative relationship in health inequality work.
• National DatabankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWays to Wellness became a National Databank Hub, enabling link workers to issue SIM cards to vulnerable individuals to improve digital access and address digital exclusion in the North East.
• Newcastle Hospitals CharitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecipient of NHS Charities Together Innovation Challenge Fund grant, partnering with Ways to Wellness to expand the SPACE Pilot project supporting families at the Great North Children's Hospital.
• Happy Mums FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaternal mental health charity partner in co-creative workshops with Open Lab Newcastle University and Ways to Wellness, supporting participatory research with mothers from marginalised communities in North Cumbria.
• Roots and Wings (non-profit design agency)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign agency co-creating the maternal mental health animation 'See the Whole of Me' with Ways to Wellness, Open Lab, and VCSE partners, featuring original artwork by Olga Mashanskaya.
• NortHFuturesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the development of the 'Telling the story of your social prescribing impact using data' training programme alongside Dr Matt Cooper, Newcastle University, and UKRI EPSRC.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Versus Arthritis:

Direct peers

• Health Connections Mendip: Somerset-based social prescribing service hosted by a primary care federation, originally led by Dr Michael Dixon. Direct peer: pioneering test-and-learn social prescribing model embedded in GP practices, comparable methodology to Ways to Wellness.
• Bromley by Bow Centre: East London community health organisation operating one of the UK's longest-running social prescribing services embedded in primary care. Direct peer: VCSE-embedded link workers, NHS partnership model, and health inequalities focus mirroring Ways to Wellness.
• Wellbeing Enterprises: Cheshire-based charity delivering social prescribing, health coaching, and community wellbeing programmes. Direct peer: same non-clinical link worker methodology, NHS-commissioned model, and chronic condition focus as Ways to Wellness.
• Involve Kent: Kent-based VCSE organisation providing social prescribing, community navigation, and wellbeing support funded by NHS Kent and Medway. Direct peer: same link worker model, NHS-commissioned funding, and chronic condition / mental health focus.
• Altogether Better: National social prescribing charity pioneering link worker and community health champion models with NHS England. Direct peer: similar evidence-led prototyping approach and NHS-aligned commissioning model targeting long-term conditions.

Broad incumbents

• Age UK: National charity offering social prescribing, advice, and wellbeing services to older adults. Comparable for elderly-focused chronic condition support, but operates nationally across many services well beyond Ways to Wellness's regional prototyping niche.
• Mind: National mental health charity with local Minds delivering social prescribing and community wellbeing support. Comparable for maternal mental health and community mental health pathways Ways to Wellness operates, but operates at far greater national scale.

Emerging players

• National Academy for Social Prescribing: National body championing and evidencing social prescribing across the UK. Comparable in mission (evidence generation, scaling social prescribing) but acts as a national enabling body rather than a regional delivery charity like Ways to Wellness.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ways2wellnessuk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ways-to-wellness-limited

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ways to Wellness