Draft:Norfolk Initiative for Coastal and Rural Health Equalities
 | Draft article not currently submitted for review.
This is a draft Articles for creation (AfC) submission. It is not currently pending review. While there are no deadlines, abandoned drafts may be deleted after six months. To edit the draft click on the "Edit" tab at the top of the window. To be accepted, a draft should:
It is strongly discouraged to write about yourself, your business or employer. If you do so, you must declare it. Where to get help
How to improve a draft
You can also browse Wikipedia:Featured articles and Wikipedia:Good articles to find examples of Wikipedia's best writing on topics similar to your proposed article. Improving your odds of a speedy review To improve your odds of a faster review, tag your draft with relevant WikiProject tags using the button below. This will let reviewers know a new draft has been submitted in their area of interest. For instance, if you wrote about a female astronomer, you would want to add the Biography, Astronomy, and Women scientists tags. Editor resources
Last edited by Qwerfjkl (bot) (talk | contribs) 5 days ago. (Update) |
| Abbreviation | NICHE |
|---|---|
| Type | Research initiative |
| Headquarters | University of East Anglia, Norfolk, United Kingdom |
Region served | Norfolk |
| Fields | Coastal environments, heritage, sustainability, community research |
| Website | uea.ac.uk/niche |
Norfolk Initiative for Coastal and Rural Health Equalities
[edit]The Norfolk Initiative for Coastal and Rural Health Equalities (NICHE) is a research and innovation unit working as an Anchor Institute within the Integrated Care Systems architecture, based at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England. The initiative aims to address health inequalities in coastal and rural communities within Norfolk and Waveney, with a particular focus on improving healthcare access and outcomes for underrepresented populations.
As an Anchor Institute, NICHE collaborates with local healthcare providers, government bodies, charities, and community organisations to drive systemic improvements in healthcare services. The initiative has fostered priorities and collaborations that support organisations like the NHS Norfolk & Waveney Integrated Care Board. [1]
History / Background
[edit]NICHE was established with legacy funding from Health Education England (HEE) in the East of England , which is now part of NHS England’s Workforce, Training and Education Directorate. Funding was granted to address the unique health challenges faced by rural and coastal communities, support the newly formed Integrated Care Systems partnerships and associated workforce development needs.
NICHE also gained an additional grant to lead an over arching evaluation of all other Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) in the East of England, that were successful in obtaining funding, and has formed a collective group titled the Eastern Partnership for Innovations in Integrated Care (EPIIC).
Since its inception, NICHE has focused on reducing health disparities, improving healthcare access, and supporting workforce development in remote and isolated areas.
Mission and Objectives
[edit]NICHE's mission is to improve health outcomes in rural and coastal communities by addressing the systemic causes of health inequalities. Key objectives include:
- Improving health inequalities across rural and coastal communities.
- Workforce (capacity and capability) development and transformation.
- System collaboration and transformation through effective partnership working.
- Wellbeing and sustainability.
Publications or Resources
[edit]NICHE publishes research papers, reports, and policy briefs on a range of topics related to rural health, workforce development, and health inequalities. Notable publications include research on:
- Integrated care models in rural areas.
- Mental health challenges in coastal communities.
- Best practices for healthcare workforce training in isolated regions.
NICHE Events and Activity
[edit]The development and transformation agenda NICHE is working to achieve with partners locally in Norfolk and Waveney, across the East of England, are also significant to other audiences. Therefore, events and work is focused on knowledge mobilisation, sharing learning and what works for the people in need of health and wellbeing. Events have included:
- Shared Learning Events – where practitioners, academics, partners and the public join together to hear of local innovations of what works, for whom and how, so that lessons learnt can be shared and scaled in other areas.
- Conferences. NICHE's first conference took place in 2023, at Dunston Hall and was well attended by local practitioners, clinicians, and colleagues. A second conference in 2024 took place at the John Innes Centre, UEA, and brought together partners from Europe, and across the East of England. An international conference is now being planned addressing Shaping Our Futures, through New Coalitions to be held in Sri Lanka.
NICHE Workstreams and Projects
[edit]- Workforce Intelligence Network
- Therapeutic Optimisation
- Workforce Optimisation
- Evaluation
NICHE collaborating partners
[edit]- Norwich Museums
- Norfolk Healthwatch
- The James Paget University Hospital
- The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kings Lynn
- Tapping House, Kings Lynn
- Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
- International Practice Development Collaborative (IPDC)
- Eastern Partnership for Innovation in Integrated Care (EPIIC)
- Critical companionship network
See Also
[edit]- University of East Anglia
- Health Education England
- NHS Norfolk & Waveney Integrated Care Board
External Links
[edit]- Official NICHE Website
- NICHE Conference 2023
References
[edit]- UEA NICHE Project Overview
- NICHE Anchor Institute
- ^ "NICHE Homepage". Retrieved 21 May 2025.