SDG 3: Good Health and Wellbeing 2025 Report
SDG 3 - Good Health and Wellbeing
Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being at all ages
The University supports community health through student-led services and health outreach initiatives including various clinics open to the public. We promote wellbeing for staff and students via dedicated counselling, mental health first aiders, wellbeing groups, free sexual health care and a smoke-free campus. Through our teaching, research, and the National Health Innovation Campus, we collaborate with NHS and international partners to drive innovation in healthcare, diagnostics, and public health.
Learning for students
The University is a major contributor to teaching and learning and research and knowledge exchange in health, and a growing number of our graduates are in health professions (30% in 2023/24 compared to 27% in 2022/23).
Get Set Goal, a wellbeing service delivered by healthcare students from the University, offers a series of one-to-one appointments to help improve the health and wellbeing of adults in the local community. The health checks include blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation and take place at events and community venues.
Our purpose-built podiatry student clinic is a teaching clinic open to the public and provides our podiatry students with the hands-on clinical experience needed to develop their knowledge and skills.
Public and business engagement
Collaborations with Health Institutions
The construction of the University of Huddersfield’s National Health Innovation Campus is well underway with the first phase having been in operation since September 2024. It is a transformative project which aims to improve health outcomes and lead innovation in healthcare for the north of England, the UK and internationally. It is based on the University’s outstanding track-record of both professional courses and pioneering research, and its wide network of partnerships with leading health care organisations.
Local collaborations include Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust, Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, Locala Health and Wellbeing (Locala Community Partnerships CIC) and South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Trust. The National Health Innovation Campus has established strong national and international collaborations, with a particular focus on advancing global public health. Partnerships include close engagement with universities in Ghana, India and Nepal, alongside the School’s leadership in creating the Global Consortium for Public Health Research (GCPHR).
Health Outreach Programmes
The National Health Innovation Campus has the first NHS Community Diagnostic Hub to be co-located on a UK university campus, and in partnership with Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS, provides access to thousands of additional diagnostic tests for the local community, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds and immigrant communities, including cardiorespiratory tests, ultrasound scans and drop-in phlebotomy. Existing University outreach programmes and projects in the local community aimed at improving or promoting health and well-being, include the award-winning Podiatry Clinic, which serves the needs of members of the public and provides much needed placement opportunities for students; a Gait and Performance Clinic that enables individuals at all levels of sport and fitness to benefit from cutting-edge sports science testing; and Get Set Goal, a service dedicated to improving individual and community health and wellbeing by supporting people to achieve personal goals through informed and positive lifestyle choices.
Shared Sports Facilities
Sport is an important contributor to health and well-being. The University of Huddersfield has an on-campus Sports Centre that includes a Sports Hall, Gym, and Dance Studio. The University makes these facilities available to the public through partnerships with a variety of networks, for example with England Netball and Leeds Rhinos Netball Foundation who pay to make use of our Sports Hall on a regular basis. Both are examples of partnerships which are very extensive and include a range of measures to enhance participation and raise the profile of the sport.
Operations
Free Sexual Health Care for Students
In the important field of sexual and reproductive health-care services, the University Health Centre provides free contraception, information and education services, in addition to working alongside Locala NHS to provide access to wider sexual health services. Sexual Health education and support are also provided free through the University’s Student Services, and through the University of Huddersfield Students’ Union. Each run regular awareness campaigns around sexual health and wellbeing issues.
Mental Health Support for Staff and Students
The University has recently been recognised for its commitment to mental health and wellbeing with a University Mental Health Charter (UMHB) Award. It recognises the University’s dedication to fostering a supportive and inclusive environment for both students and staff. Practices which contribute to a positive mental health culture include a dedicated network of skilled Mental Health First Aiders based across campus who are trained in offering free support and advice to staff and students experiencing mental health difficulties.
In addition, students can access counselling services through its Wellbeing service which employs qualified professionals. The University Health Centre also provides access to mental health services through the NHS, free of charge. Both the University’s Students Services team and the Students’ Union run campaigns promoting good mental health throughout the year.
Smoke-free campus
The University operates a smoke-free policy across campus, and no smoking or vaping is permitted in any building:
- There is no provision of ‘smoking shelters’ or equivalent
- Where buildings are located near public rights of way, highways, or other access routes, the area is marked with signage clearly indicating that smoking or vaping should not occur within 7.5m of the access points to the buildings.
Free wellbeing events open to all staff
The University runs regular free wellbeing events and there are groups open to all staff which actively promote wellbeing and mental health, such as the Staff Pop Choir, Tai Chi and the Menopause Talk and Support Group. A monthly wellbeing newsletter is distributed to all staff highlighting upcoming activities and gives advice and resources around wellbeing and mental health. In addition, staff are able to access our Staff Wellbeing Confidential Support service which provides 24/7 confidential telephone counselling from qualified and caring professionals.
Our research
The University’s research groups, centres and institutes contribute to the goal of good health and wellbeing.
ISIaIP
The Institute of Skin Integrity and Infection Prevention (ISIaIP) within the School of Human and Health Sciences is a world-leading centre in the field of skin integrity and wound care research. Comprising of a multi-disciplinary international team of experts within the field of wound care research, our vision is to provide translational research through a ‘bench to bedside’ approach, entrenched in scientifically rigorous methods with a clinical focus that has real-world impacts on patient care.
The ISIaIP is represented on regional, national and international bodies (such as NICE and NHS England) and contributes towards the development of policies and health system improvements and has close connections to industry leaders and health care providers. As well as undertaking contract and consultancy research with industry, the Institute also delivers high-quality education, training the next generation of health care practitioners, scientists, engineers and product designers.
Find more information
Get Set Goal
Get Set Goal has been set up to offer one-to-one appointments to those in the local community.
University Health Centre
Our University Health Centre offers free support for students, including free sexual health care and wider wellbeing advice.
Staff wellbeing advice and resources
We offer a wide range of free and confidential support for staff, including Mental Health and Cost of Living advice.
Sustainable Development Goals
Click to explore our other sustainable development goal pages and get to know how we're working towards these at the University of Huddersfield.