19 Hills Health and Wellbeing Centre Ringland Alway Newport

The '19 Hills Health and Wellbeing Centre,' a new multi-purpose centre located in Newport East is set to be completed by Spring 2025 to support locals in Ringland and Alway.

Facilitated by the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, the £28million project is being built in a bid to deliver "a more integrated, preventative and community-orientated care model."

Artist impression of the Health and Wellbeing Centre in Newport East. (Image: Aneurin Bevan University Health Board)

What is the 19 Hills Centre?

The 19 Hills Health and Wellbeing Centre and subsequent Community Interest Company (CIC) aims to bring health and social services and local businesses together under one roof, hoping to promote community engagement.

Dr Jonny Currie, GP and co-director at the 19 Hills Community Interest Company (CIC), said: "Services and businesses are keen to work together for the cause.

"We've known from other areas in the UK that if you get really good support from a young age, educating the community, supporting parents and helping them to realise when you need to go see the doctor and when you don't, it could help to fill a need in the community.”

Demolition of Ringland Medical Practice in May 2023 (Image: Aneurin Bevan University Health Board)

19 Hills CIC

Dr Currie, 38, and practice nurse, Matthew Thorne, 41, founded a Community Interest Company (CIC) to connect the community with the health board, taking a holistic approach to health and wellbeing, which is due to launch later this year.

The two founders, said: "The CIC will work with the health board to coordinate the centre, fund and commission new, more holistic wellbeing services not typically delivered by the NHS."

This, they said, could include dance, arts therapy, while also providing support to a team of wellbeing staff and ultimately become a vehicle for partnership.

Jonny Currie (left) and Matthew Thorne (right) (Image: Jodie Marie Photography and Wellness)

19 Hills Community Interest Company (CIC) (Image: 19 Hills CIC)

Services

To care for their health, residents will be able to see GPs from Ringland Medical Practice and Park Surgery or go directly to specialised services such as memory assessment clinics, dieticians, substance misuse services, or see a speech and language therapist.

Next door at the community hub, those who need support with social issues like seeking legal advice, choosing between heating and eating, debt counselling, and seeking employment, will be able to access wraparound care.

Artist impression of the centre (Image: Aneurin Bevan University Health Board)

According to the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, this is in the hopes of "bring[ing] people together to support wellbeing, reduce[ing] loneliness and promote[ing] independent living, all in a welcoming environment."

Employability

One key aspect of the new centre will be to create more jobs and apprenticeships in the two wards.

According to the Office for National Statistics Census (2021) data, Ringland has a population of approximately 8,300 people, while Alway has around 8,600 people.

Census 2021 population for Ringland and Alway wards (Image: Office for National Statistics)

Of this, around 48% of people aged 16 or over classed themselves as 'economically inactive' (either did not have a job, had not looked for work, or could not start work within two weeks during the census data collection period) in Ringland.

In Alway, 39% of residents said they were ‘economically inactive’.

Census 2021 data on Ringland and Alway wards (Image: Office for National Statistics)

Dr Currie said, "Ringland itself is quite a new area, purpose-built for steelworkers."

With potential closures at the nearby Tata Steel plant in neighbouring Llanwern, more steelworkers' jobs could be at risk. The centre may be able to combat economic inactivity if more redundancies take place, once it opens.

Funding, reinvested

Due to rising costs and a cut in funding, centres are at times shut down and unable to continue helping the community they were built to serve. This is something that the founders of the Community Interest Company (CIC) aim to prevent. 

Practice nurse, Mr Thorne, said: "The key thing around the CIC is that it is sustainable and that it generates revenue."

Site plan (Image: Aneurin Bevan University Health Board)

He explained that the difference between a CIC and a charity is that it needs to be profitable so that profits can be reinvested into the community and other projects.

He added: "We need to function as a business, but solely for the benefit of the community."

Earl Palmer, director of rugby at Hartridge Rugby Club in Ringland, said: "There is so much talent in Ringland, but there are no facilities in the area.

Artist impression (Image: Aneurin Bevan University Health Board)

"At the rugby club, we're trying to prevent children from hanging around the streets and getting up to no good.

"Everyone wants a better, safer and healthier estate.

"Hopefully by working with local partners, we'll get the facilities and funding in place to create a sustainable system for years to come."

Andrea Ovey, director for Newport Live and their sports and leisure facilities, said she has been a patient in Ringland for years.

Ringland Centre in July 2023 (Image: Google Maps)

Ms Ovey, 50, said: "Naturally, times have changed due to staff shortages and extra patients.

"The surgery has looked after me and my family well, and the care I've received has been excellent, despite its challenges."

The Newport Live director added that residents of Ringland and Alway have missed out on accessing services like these, and explained: "I've always been very aware of looking after yourself to prevent injury.

Ringland Primary School children visit the site of the 19 Hills Health and Wellbeing development (Image: Aneurin Bevan University Health Board)

"Even then, if you have routine check-ups, looking after yourself has a natural positive effect prior to referral. People are then healthier for longer, which is what I think is missing in the area."

Recently, children from Ringland Primary School left their mark on the new building by signing the newly erected steel frame.

Ringland Primary School children visit the site of the 19 Hills Health and Wellbeing development (Image: Aneurin Bevan University Health Board)

Do you live in Ringland or Alway? What do you think the local community needs? Comment below, or send an email to let us know.