In many ways, Suffolk’s general health, including the health of our hearts, is better than in many places in the UK. But there is an eleven-year difference in life expectancy between different parts of the county and residents in some parts of Suffolk are amongst the least healthy 20% of people in the whole country.

Some of us still suffer from persistent, avoidable health problems and around 2,000 people in Suffolk die prematurely (under the age of 75) each year.

The following all contribute to the overall health of our hearts:

• one in four adults smoke, and smoking kills three people every day
• 80% of men over 45 are either overweight or obese. If current trends continue, more than half of all adults will be obese by 2050
• one in six of us has some form of mental illness
• seven out of ten adults don’t eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day
• one in six people binge drink

Our priorities

Healthy Ambitions Suffolk is changing its organisational structure to meet the challenges and opportunities presented in 2011. As part of our new approach we have priorities that will make the most effective contribution to help all people in the county – residents and businesses – to improve health so that Suffolk will be the healthiest county by 2028.

We know that the one thing that will make the most difference is to improve the health of our hearts and we are currently developing strategies and initiatives that will focus upon that.

Watch this space for further developments

Project leaders

Healthy Ambitions Suffolk started in 2008 by bringing together all of the county’s leading public services and many from private and independent sectors to work together to raise the profile of health and quality of life in Suffolk.

We still maintain those valuable partnerships by having senior representatives from business, voluntary groups and the public sectors as Trustees on the board of the charity, Healthy Ambitions Suffolk Ltd, and as Directors on our trading company HASfutures Ltd.

Our Charity Trustees

Chair
Dr Peter Funnell

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Company Secretary
Sally Hogg, Assistant Director of Public Health, NHS Suffolk

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We are currently recruiting other members to our boards so look out for the latest developments!

Our Staff Team

To make the strategies and initiatives happen we will have a dynamic and well experienced staff team.

Staff will soon be in place - look out for the latest developments!