Supporting people to stay active, independent and connected through research-led care.
Health research often begins with questions that are relatively easy to define and measure: can we recruit and retain enough participants for a trial, does an intervention change a particular clinical outcome, does it improve access and quality of care, and is it cost-effective? Of course, these things matter enormously. But for many people living with long-term health challenges, the most important question is much more personal: can I remain independent and connected to the life I want to lead?
That question sits at the heart of two new projects I am involved in at the University of Birmingham. In partnership with charitable, NHS and other academic institutions we are working with NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) on two separate projects, both of which are grounded in a simple but powerful idea: support only works if it makes sense in the context of people’s everyday lives.
For me, this is where the real value of the work lies. We are not simply asking whether an intervention can work in theory, we are asking whether it can be delivered in real communities, with real patients, alongside the organisations already supporting them.
The first of these projects is a new initiative funded through the Fairer Future Fund. Through this work, the University’s Centre for Movement and Wellbeing, known as MoveWell, will work in partnership with Age UK Birmingham to deliver tailored health and wellbeing support for older adults across South Birmingham.
Over two years, beginning 2026, we aim to positively impact around 1,100 people aged 50 and over. The focus is on identifying health risks early and providing personalised support that helps people remain active, independent and connected to their communities.
What matters to me is that this initiative support the person holistically. Participants will receive a person-centred assessment covering physical and mental health, housing environment, social connections and financial wellbeing. Where appropriate, they will then be referred to a tailored exercise and wellbeing programme delivered by MoveWell.
The exercise and wellbeing programme includes eight weeks of supervised exercise, with sessions designed to improve strength, balance, mobility and cardiovascular fitness. Participants will also be offered home-based exercise and educational support to help them build confidence and develop habits they can maintain over time.
As researchers, we will evaluate whether the programme is feasible and acceptable, while also exploring its potential to improve physical function, reduce falls risk, support cardiometabolic health and enhance cognitive wellbeing.
But the bigger point is this: ageing well is not only about preventing illness, it is also about confidence, connection, housing, independence and the kind of everyday support that allows people to live well for longer.
The second project looks at a very different but equally important area of need. We have secured funding from the NIHR’s Research for Patient Benefit programme to develop and evaluate a personalised rehabilitation intervention for people living with intestinal failure who receive home parenteral support.
This 30-month study, beginning in October 2026, will be delivered in collaboration with Warwick Clinical Trials Unit, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust.
The project is called PRIME-IF, which stands for Personalised Rehabilitation for people with Intestinal Failure on home parenteral support. Its aim is to understand whether this self-care programme has the potential to improve people’s physical health and quality of life.
Intestinal failure is complex and can have a profound effect on daily life, physical functioning and wellbeing. Many people need long-term home parenteral support, meaning nutrients and fluids are delivered intravenously. That treatment can be life-sustaining, but it can also place considerable demands on people’s bodies, routines and emotional health.
That is why I believe rehabilitation needs to be personalised and practical. Our research team will work with patients and healthcare professionals to adapt and refine evidence-based rehabilitation and self-care programmes that exist in other clinical populations before testing the intervention through a multi-site pilot randomised controlled trial involving 54 participants.
Alongside looking at whether the self-care programme can make a difference to physical health and quality of life, we will examine whether it is feasible, acceptable and safe. This will help us understand what would be needed before moving towards a larger definitive trial.
Although these two projects focus on different groups of people, I see a clear connection between them. Both are about moving beyond a narrow view of health and asking what people need to live better day to day. Both rely on strong partnerships across universities, the NHS, charities and local communities. Both are designed to generate evidence while also delivering practical benefits for the people involved. This includes moving care beyond hospitals and into communities, bringing support closer to where people live and making it more accessible, preventative and responsive to everyday needs.
For me, that is the future of this kind of work. If we want research to improve lives, we have to start with the reality of those lives. That means listening carefully, working with the right partners and designing support that fits around people, rather than expecting people to fit around services.
The Centre for Movement and Wellbeing (MoveWell) opened at the University of Birmingham in March 2024 with support from the Wolfson Foundation.
Unique in Europe for its scale and breadth, it brings together expertise from the School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences and the School of Psychology to deliver world-class interdisciplinary research, education and clinical practice in physical and mental health. Its cutting-edge facilities - including physiotherapy clinics, strength and conditioning suites, and spaces for movement rehabilitation and mental health assessment - support researchers, students and patients alike, while its growing community programmes ensure that evidence-based support reaches the people who need it most.
Assistant Professor in Clinical Exercise Physiology
Dr Richard Powell is an AHCS registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist with a primary research interest in exercise training in clinical populations working in the MoveWell centre at the University of Birmingham
