Hi, we're Dr Jonny Currie and Matthew Thorne, an NHS local GP and specialist nurse in Ringland, an area in the east of Newport originally built for the old Llanwern Steelworks.
We believe the NHS could do so much more to improve the health and wellbeing of our communities, but there’s not always the collaboration or time spent with communities to know what’s needed, so we can target our resources wisely.
We started 19 Hills CIC, a not-for-profit community organisation in early 2024 to support our local services to be more integrated, preventative and community-centred, and have since we launched:
- Ran a large launch event for partners in the Celtic Manor in autumn 2024
- Promoted access to energy grants and housing retrofit work to bring down residents' energy bills and in turn improve their health
- Fundraised for a Real Living Wage Community Mobiliser post from the local area to organise and engage our residents
- Ran a summer Community Fun day with >100 residents, local businesses and social groups attending
- Invited University of South Wales to test training community embedded researchers to engage the local community in public service design
- Won Business Wales SMART Flexible Innovation Funding to explore how data and digital technologies could improve local health and wellbeing outcomes
- Built a Partnership Board of local residents and academic and public sector partners
- Developed digital health content for our local residents on social media
- and much, much more!
Our CIC is independent of any public service or other organisation, and is constituted to improve the health and wellbeing of residents in Alway and Ringland. You can read about the history of our social enterprise in an article in the South Wales Argus.
Since earlier this year we've been partnering with Dr B Creative CIC, an arts and creativity organisation. We've delivered arts and creative movement and writing sessions in the local area, and have through our engagement work identified significant interest and demand for more - local people want an alternative to traditional, medical, approaches to improve their wellbeing, and want to benefit from growing evidence that holistic, arts-based series of activities can transform their health.
Like many areas of deindustrialisation, with the added impacts of public sector austerity since the financial crash in 2008, our area lacks enough spaces for our community to connect, engage and come together. We want, and residents tell us, we need a space for 19 Hills CIC to deliver more activities, support young people into employment, create opportunities to volunteer, and much more.
That's why we're today launching this crowdfund - for £100,000 by January 2026 - to support our wider fundraising and work with major grant funds to inject the funds and capital we need to show local partners we mean business.
If you would like to know more, meet with us to discuss, or have any questions, check out our website (www.19hills.org), e-mail us, or find us on Facebook, Instagram or Linkedin.
Thank you for taking the time to read about our ambitions at 19 Hills CIC and we can't wait to work with you and others on making these dreams a reality.
Watch our video below and visit www.19hills.org to find out more, including chance to sign up to our monthly newsletter updates.
Co-organizers (3)
Jonny Currie
Organizer
Wales
19 Hills CIC
Co-organizer
Dr Bethan Ryland
Co-organizer
Matthew Thorne
Co-organizer