- Bolton company has supported more than 20,000 people
- Team has grown from 120 to 200 amid national roll-out since Foresight investment
Bolton based ABL Health Ltd (“ABL Health” has reported an 115% increase in turnover in the last three years following investment from Foresight Group (“Foresight”), which has allowed to enhance its services dedicated to address health inequalities across the country.
Founded in 2009 by healthcare and education professionals, ABL Health addresses health inequalities such as obesity, child & adult mental health issues and smoking cessation initiatives.
Aiming to put community at the heart of their services, ABL Health works with local authorities and community experts to deliver impactful programmes. Since 2018, ABL Health has seen major growth across its operations through its community-centric approach.
Through Foresight’s stewardship, ABL Health has been able to expand its reach from its North West roots to become a nationwide provider. Since its inception, it has helped upwards of 20,000 service users into better health, greatly relieving the strain on local services.
ABL Health works with community experts to deliver across all demographics, needs and nuances, employing over 200 full-time staff. Its ongoing expansion includes the launch of an integrated lifestyle service in Torbay in the South West and a Smoking Cessation Service in Sunderland in the North East – underlining the geographical growth enabled by Foresight’s investment.
The quality of its services and their impact on communities throughout the country saw it win the Bridges Positive Impact award at the 2022 Growing Business Awards.
Foresight has supported the management of ABL Health since taking a majority stake in the business through the Foresight Regional Investment Fund for ambitious SMEs. Experienced health and care sector leader Chris Jessop, who previously held senior roles in Optima Health, Nuffield Wellbeing, BUPA and AXA PPP, was appointed Chair to support the team to help ABL Health put the structures in place for further growth.
Foresight has helped bridge the gap between clinical and operational support – creating a growing platform, ultimately for the betterment of local communities.
Matthew Pomroy, Director, Foresight Group said: “As ABL Health continues to grow, we’re excited about the impact that it is have on local communities. Applying our expertise in growth, we’ve been able to make a difference in a tangible way. ABL Health is a credit to their industry, and it has been a privilege to work with them to understand their needs and to support them during a period of rapid growth.”
Denise Leslie ABL Health founder said: “Having Foresight on board as investors has taken us on a really rewarding journey. We’ve ‘grown up’ in business terms, implementing structures to take us from a small family sized company to one looking forward to the next stage of growth. Foresight has helped us expand outside of the North West and enabled us to help support more individuals and families faced with the injustice of health inequalities. This proves you can achieve substantial growth by doing the right things and sticking to your social principles.”
