Havering Council and Gro Health Launch Weight Management Scheme, Havering 2026

Key Points

• New Public Health Initiative: Havering Council has launched a new free weight management scheme called the Havering Weight, Wellness and Activity Service.
• Target Audience: The service is aimed at adult residents aged 18 and over who have a Body Mass Index (BMI) above 30, or 27.5 for individuals from Asian, Black, or minority ethnic backgrounds.
• Delivery Partner: The programme is being delivered by Gro Health on behalf of the local council as part of a community-based, Tier 2 Weight Management Service.
• Dual Access Model: Support is offered either face-to-face through 12-week in-person group sessions across local community venues, or digitally via virtual one-to-one coaching by video or telephone.
• Long-Term Support: Participants receive up to 12 months of digital access to the Gro Health platform (available in 18 languages) or physical resources for digitally excluded residents.
• Local Health Context: According to Councillor Graham Day, three in five adults in Havering are currently overweight or living with obesity.
• Enrollment Options: Residents can self-refer via grohealth.com/havering, call 0330 133 0307, or receive a referral through their GP or healthcare professional.

Havering (East London Times) October 22, 2026 – A new free public health initiative designed to support adults in reaching and maintaining a healthier weight has officially launched in Havering this week. The Havering Weight, Wellness and Activity Service, delivered by Gro Health on behalf of Havering Council, provides local residents with comprehensive support covering healthy eating, physical activity, and overall mental and physical wellbeing through a structured 12-week programme delivered both face-to-face and digitally.

What Are the Core Details of the New Weight Management Service in Havering?

The newly introduced programme operates as a community-based, Tier 2 Weight Management Service. It is specifically formulated to assist adults who are above a healthy weight by offering structured advice, tailored coaching, and practical lifestyle guidance to foster long-term behavioral changes.

Residents enrolling in the service are given the choice between two primary delivery pathways to accommodate different lifestyle requirements and personal preferences:

• Face-to-Face Pathway: A 12-week course comprising in-person group sessions held at various community venues situated throughout Havering. These sessions are facilitated by Gro Health’s dedicated team of health coaches and integrate 20 to 30 minutes of guided physical exercise into each meeting.
• Digital Pathway: Personalised virtual one-to-one coaching conducted via telephone or video consultations for those who prefer remote assistance.

In addition to the primary 12-week instructional period, all participants gain 12 months of complimentary access to the Gro Health digital platform via mobile and web applications. The app features over 2,000 nutritious recipes, structured meal plans, and holistic wellbeing support tools, translated into 18 distinct languages to ensure accessibility for diverse ethnic communities.

To prevent digital exclusion, physical resources—including a comprehensive paper manual, printed meal plans, and a DVD set—are provided to residents who lack internet or digital device access. Community support is further reinforced through a dedicated online forum and a moderated WhatsApp group to encourage peer-to-peer connection among participants. Upon joining and completing the initial course, residents remain eligible for continued support for up to 12 months.

Who Is Eligible to Access the Free Scheme and How Can Residents Apply?

The service is fully funded and available at no cost to adult residents aged 18 and over who meet specific health metrics. Eligibility is determined by Body Mass Index (BMI) thresholds:

• Adults with a BMI greater than 30.
• Adults with a BMI greater than 27.5 who are from Asian, Black, or other ethnic minority backgrounds, reflecting established clinical guidelines regarding lower BMI risk thresholds in these populations.

Local residents wishing to assess their eligibility or register for the scheme can visit the designated online portal at grohealth.com/havering or contact the support team directly by telephone on 0330 133 0307. Alternatively, referrals can be initiated directly through general practitioners (GPs) or other primary healthcare professionals operating within the borough. Further health resources and BMI checking tools remain accessible via the local authority’s Live Well Havering digital hub.

What Did Local Official Councillor Graham Day State Regarding the Initiative?

Highlighting the public health rationale behind the launch, Councillor Graham Day, Cabinet Member for Adults and Health Care, emphasised the severity of weight-related health risks within the local authority area.

Councillor Graham Day stated that

“obesity is the second biggest preventable cause of death after smoking, and in Havering three in five adults are overweight or living with obesity.”

Addressing the daily challenges faced by local citizens, Councillor Graham Day further noted that

“in our busy lives it can be difficult to prioritise eating well and moving more, which can make maintaining a healthy weight more difficult. Our aim is to support residents through initiatives such as this weight management programme, which provides a range of support to help them live and maintain a healthier lifestyle.”

Background of the Havering Weight Management Development

Public health initiatives aimed at weight management in England operate under a tiered framework established by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines and NHS England. Tier 1 covers universal population-wide health promotion, while Tier 2 represents targeted community-based lifestyle interventions for adults classified as overweight or obese.

In recent years, local councils across the United Kingdom have assumed direct responsibility for commissioning Tier 2 weight management services through their public health budgets. Havering, situated in East London, reflects broader national statistical trends where a majority of the adult population lives above a healthy weight, increasing long-term demands on local primary care and NHS hospital trusts.

The partnership between local authorities and private or non-profit health technology providers, such as Gro Health, represents a growing shift toward hybrid delivery models. By combining traditional in-person group sessions at local community centres with digital app-based tracking and multilingual content, local councils aim to increase engagement rates, reduce regional health inequalities, and reach historically underserved demographics across diverse urban and suburban populations.

Prediction: How This Development Can Affect Havering Residents and Local Healthcare Provision

The launch of the Havering Weight, Wellness and Activity Service is expected to directly impact both local residents and the broader healthcare ecosystem within the borough in several distinct ways:

1. Direct Impact on Eligible Adult Residents

For adult residents living with overweight or obesity, particularly those from lower-income or ethnic minority backgrounds, the provision of a fully funded service removes financial barriers to professional health coaching and nutritional guidance. The availability of 18 languages on the digital app and non-digital physical resource kits means that non-English speakers and elderly or digitally excluded residents can participate equally. If participant retention remains high over the 12-month access window, individuals may experience measurable improvements in cardiovascular health, blood sugar regulation, and general mental wellbeing.

2. Operational Impact on Local NHS and Primary Care Services

By providing a clear self-referral and GP-referral pathway into a Tier 2 preventive programme, local general practices and community health teams gain a structured non-pharmacological option for patient management. Over the medium to long term, effective community weight management interventions can reduce GP consultation volumes related to obesity-linked chronic conditions, including Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and joint pain, thereby alleviating pressure on local NHS facilities across Havering.

3. Community Engagement and Social Connectedness

The inclusion of peer support networks, such as local community group sessions, dedicated WhatsApp groups, and digital forums, addresses the isolation frequently associated with lifestyle changes. This social infrastructure may foster sustained community-level peer encouragement, helping participants maintain healthy eating and exercise routines well beyond the initial 12-week structured phase.