Levelling up and building a better and fairer society for all
Making health a central priority
Legal & General describes its ethos as ‘inclusive capitalism’ – a recognition that the benefits of economic growth must be shared by all. Through our strategies, we target investments that address societal and environmental needs, whilst securing lasting value for society.
Health is a critical factor in driving societal and economic wellbeing and has a vital role to play as we work to help the UK ’level up’. Work to date has examined how government and the NHS can reduce health inequity, but until now no-one has really considered the role that business can play.
We aim to change that by playing a leading role in a new mission to help business use its scale and influence to tackle the injustice of health inequity across the UK, partnering with Professor Sir Michael Marmot at University College London; a world expert on health inequity.
Sir Michael’s research has shown that the key drivers of health inequality aren’t the things you might find in hospitals or GP surgeries. They are the conditions in which people grow, live, work and age – known as the social determinants of health. But not everyone has the same opportunities to lead a healthy life. Health inequity is the idea that there are unfair, unjust, and biologically avoidable differences in health outcomes between different population groups. These are typically the result of systems that negatively affect people’s living conditions.
Learn more through the stories of George and Sumita in this animation
How can organisations step up to address the social determinants of health?
Employment
Promote the health of employees through pay and benefits, hours and job security and conditions of work.
Products and services
Support the health of clients, customers and shareholders through products and services they provide and investments they make.
Influence
Influence the health of individuals in the communities through investment influence, procurement, and supply networks.
Our actions
We have established a ground-breaking partnership with the UCL Institute of Health Equity to examine how businesses can help to reduce health inequalities
Led by the internationally renowned epidemiologist Professor Sir Michael Marmot, the UCL Institute of Health Equity has led major reviews across the world, influenced action by governments and international organisation, and led the social determinants and health equity movement.
Addressing health inequalities partnership
The Business of Health Equity: The Marmot Review for Industry
This latest Marmot review, funded by Legal & General, sets out three ways that business can improve people’s lives by reducing health inequality.
The Health Equity Network
Across the country, people in communities, businesses and public sector organisations are not willing to accept inequity and are acting to make a difference where they live and work.
In partnership with the UCL Institute of Health Equity (IHE) and Sir Michael Marmot, we launched The Health Equity Network, to enable people who are doing great work on health equity in regions, towns, cities and organisations across the UK to share what they are doing with others, be inspired by what others are doing, and collaborate in joint working.
Connecting with others – and the IHE team - through this network will provide inspiration and support for individuals and organisations to go further, to find strength through linking with others who are doing similar work and to generate a movement for health equity that can be felt across the country.
Join The Health Equity Network
To make a meaningful impact, we need to understand the challenges faced across the country and pool knowledge and expertise.
The Health Equity Network launch webinar
The Legal & General Health Equity Fund
The Legal & General ‘Health Equity’ Fund is a £3 million fund offering grants of up to £75,000 to support place-based projects that address the social determinants of health (SDH): non-medical social and economic factors, such as housing, education, infrastructure, or quality of work. These factors create and shape the conditions in which we are born, grow, live, work, and age, but they are not always equitable.
The fund pilot initially launched and opened to receive expressions of interest in early June with a trailblazer £1mn available to projects based in the North East of England. The opportunity is now open to receiving interest from organisations with projects or ideas for projects to be delivered in regions and communities UK-wide.
Examples of projects that the Fund may support could range from funding for projects that enable children living in areas of deprivation to live healthier lives to community programmes which address the social determinants behind pressures on A&E services, or partnerships raising awareness of the contribution the natural environment makes to health and wellbeing.
Interested parties can submit expressions of interest from 08 July 2024, up until the 6th of September ahead of the launch of the official application process.
How to apply
To apply you must login or register to be a member of The Health Equity Network.
Becoming a member is free and it will provide you with further information and updates.
FAQs
What is the UCL Institute of Health Equity?
What is the purpose of the partnership between Legal & General and the UCL IHE?
How can I get involved?
How do I apply to the L&G Health Equity Fund?
News and insights
Major new review of health inequalities lays roadmap for the role of business in levelling up
Professor Sir Michael Marmot joins Mayor Driscoll, Sir Nigel Wilson, and leaders from across the region to improve health equality
Legal & General’s Suburban Build-to-Rent business signs £150m Loan to deliver next generation of healthy homes
Ancora L&G, One Year In: Providence, Rhode Island construction launches
Get in touch
if you would like to discuss further