Higher risk
Cardiovascular disease is the name for a group of conditions that affect the heart and blood vessels, including coronary heart disease and stroke.
It remains one of the UK’s biggest health challenges, responsible for around a quarter of all deaths, but its effects are not felt evenly. Our Black, Asian and Multi-Ethnic residents and people living in more deprived areas face higher risks.
Putting community knowledge at the heart of national research
Researchers from King’s College London and the University of Nottingham, working alongside Lambeth Council’s National Institute for Health and Care Research-funded Health Determinants Research Collaboration and Boots the chemist, have joined forces in a partnership known as CIRCLE PLUS.
The team is one of the university‑led groups selected to take part in the new NIHR Cardiovascular Disease Inequalities Challenge Consortium.
New ideas and approaches
By taking part in CIRCLE PLUS, Lambeth is helping ensure that community needs and day‑to‑day experiences are reflected in how new ideas and approaches are developed.
Lambeth brings an understanding of how health challenges play out locally, and experience in working closely with residents, community groups and local services to support healthier lives, grounding the research in real‑world settings.
Word from the Cabinet
Cllr Nanda Manley-Browne, Joint Cabinet Member for Healthier Communities, said: “We welcome this important investment in the future health of our diverse communities.
“We know that Black, Asian and Multi-Ethnic residents communities face a significantly higher risk of death and disability from heart disease and stroke, and this council is committed to tackling the inequalities many local people continue to experience.
“This kind of ground-level research and investment is exactly what we need to start making a real difference to people’s lives.”
Part of a wider UK network
CIRCLE PLUS is one of nine university‑led groups forming the NIHR consortium, alongside collaborations led by the Universities of Glasgow, Leeds, Surrey, Swansea, Birmingham, Ulster, Imperial, and Bristol.
Each group will work with NHS partners, councils, charities and local organisations to shape solutions that work for different communities across the UK.
Research activity is expected to begin in autumn 2026, bringing together national expertise and local insight to strengthen prevention, early detection and better management of cardiovascular conditions.
About Lambeth HDRC
Lambeth HDRC is an NIHR‑funded partnership that helps the council bring research, data and community insight together to better understand what shapes residents’ health.
It supports local services and partners to use evidence in practical ways that contribute to fairer, healthier lives across the borough.
For more information visit lambeth.gov.uk/lambeth-hdrc.
