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University of Birmingham joins exercise programme for older adults at risk of mobility loss

Three-year funding of over £1million to make the successful REACT programme available to older people at higher risk of mobility-related disability.

12 August 2025•3 min read
A group of older women doing exercise

Older people in regions around England will soon be able to benefit from the REACT (REtirement in ACTion), a group-based exercise programme proven to support people to improve and maintain their mobility and ability to live independently.

Thanks to over £1million of funding from the Vivensa Foundation, the REACT programme will now be scaled up in two regions of England (North Central London and Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire). A team of researchers from the Universities of Birmingham and Bath will work in partnership with local Integrated Care Boards (who pay for and co-ordinate health and social care services), voluntary sector organisations (including Age UK Bristol) and groups of older people.

Backed by a major clinical trial funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), REACT has already been shown to significantly improve older adults’ physical function for at least two years and reduce health and social care costs.

This new study will help us bridge the gap between research and real-world delivery, ensuring more older people across the UK can benefit from evidence-based support. Our goal is to create a national blueprint for commissioning and scaling REACT.

Professor Afroditi Stathi, University of Birmingham

In the new scaled-up programme at least 750 older people with mobility limitations will receive the programme which will help to:

  • Provide clear examples of how REACT can be delivered regionally.
  • Establish efficient and inclusive recruitment and selection processes.
  • Estimate the costs (and savings) and impact on health of delivering REACT.
  • Identify the most appropriate funding model (e.g. fully subsidised vs partly-subsidised).
  • Identify ways to overcome common barriers to delivery.

Our recent landscape analysis of the state of ageing-related research funding has shown that one of the key funding gaps is in helping to get these evidence-based interventions adopted at scale. We’re really looking forward to learning more about – and sharing - how this can be done well.

Susan Kay, Vivensa Foundation

Professor Afroditi Stathi, lead researcher from the University of Birmingham, said:

“As people get older their physical functioning and mobility decrease, in fact, studies show that one in three older people will develop severe mobility limitations. This affects their health, ability to live independently, their quality of life and even how long they live. The REACT study provided strong evidence that this decline can be slowed and even reversed. We have a duty to accelerate the implementation of research, with such strong findings, into routine practice.

“The REACT programme has already been very successful in reaching economically disadvantaged and ethnically diverse communities in a small-scale community roll-out in Bristol. This new study will help us bridge the gap between research and real-world delivery, ensuring more older people across the UK can benefit from evidence-based support. Our goal is to create a national blueprint for commissioning and scaling REACT.”

Susan Kay, Chief Executive Officer of Vivensa Foundation, said:

“We know that researchers and community innovators already have great evidence for what works. Our recent landscape analysis of the state of ageing-related research funding has shown that one of the key funding gaps is in helping to get these evidence-based interventions adopted at scale. We’re really looking forward to learning more about – and sharing - how this can be done well.”

Notes for editors

  • For media inquiries please contact Ellie Hail, Communications Officer, University of Birmingham on +44 (0)7966 311 409. Out-of-hours, please call +44 (0) 121 414 2772.
  • The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world’s top 100 institutions. Its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers, educators and more than 40,000 students from over 150 countries.
  • England’s first civic university, the University of Birmingham is proud to be rooted in of one of the most dynamic and diverse cities in the country. A member of the Russell Group and a founding member of the Universitas 21 global network of research universities, the University of Birmingham has been changing the way the world works for more than a century.
  • The University of Birmingham is committed to achieving operational net zero carbon. It is seeking to change society and the environment positively, and use its research and education to make a major global contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Find out at birmingham.ac.uk/sustainability.
  • About Vivensa Foundation
    Vivensa Foundation is a charitable company limited by guarantee (Registered company no. 07472301; Registered charity no. 1140372). It is a member of the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) and a recognised National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Research Delivery Network (RDN) Non-commercial Partner. It provides funding for academic and clinical researchers from across the disciplinary range, as well as social innovators working to deliver and improve health and social care services, to apply their knowledge, experience and skills to improving later life outcomes. Contact: grants@vivensafoundation.org.uk

Featured staff

  • Professor Afroditi Stathi

    Professor of Physical Activity and Community Health

    Dr Afroditi Stathi leads the field in promoting active and healthy ageing in international/interdisciplinary research which investigates ways of supporting older people to achieve meaningful and lasting lifestyle changes

    Phone: +44 (0)121 415 8489
    Email:

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