Community Gateway and Community Hubs Shortlisted for the 2026 HSJ Awards
Setting the standard for healthcare excellence
NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board and healthcare volunteering charity Helpforce, along with local VCSE partners, have gained national recognition for the development, evaluation and promotion of the county’s trailblazing Community Gateway and Hub Network (CGHN).
The 2 organisations have been jointly shortlisted in two separate categories at the prestigious Health Service Journal Awards 2026 - recognising an outstanding contribution to healthcare. The CGHN has been shortlisted for both Excellence in Narrowing the Health Inequalities Gap and Neighbourhood and Community Care Innovation of the Year.
The programme brings together NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board, Volunteer Cornwall, Age UK Cornwall and Isles of Scilly, Cornwall Voluntary Sector Forum and Cornwall Council, more than 50 community hubs and wider local voluntary and community sector organisations and social care partners. These include Pentreath, Cornwall Neighbourhoods for Change, The CHAOS group and Cornwall Rural Community Charity.
Together, partners have developed a county-wide model that helps people access practical, social and wellbeing support closer to home. The Community Gateway helpline is open 8am to 8pm, 365 days a year, while community hubs provide trusted local spaces where people can connect, get advice, take part in activities and access wider support before needs escalate.
Independent evaluation by Helpforce, found the programme supported 340,000 attendances in 12 months, with 88% of people reporting they felt less isolated. Confidence in managing health rose from 59% to 76%, and 99% of beneficiaries said their expectations were met or exceeded. Analysis also estimated more than £11.6 million avoided NHS costs over a 12-month period through enabling people get the right support earlier and closer to home.
As a national charity, Helpforce is working with partners to further develop the programme and share learnings with health systems elsewhere across the UK. The CGHN is helping to narrow health inequalities by reaching people in rural and coastal communities, improving access to support and responding to the social, emotional and practical needs that can affect health and wellbeing. It is also supporting the wider shift from hospital to community and from treatment to prevention, by helping people receive the right support in the places they live.
Dr Chris Reid, Chief Medical Officer for NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly and NHS Devon said: “I’m delighted that our pioneering and collaborative work in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly has not only been showcased as a blueprint for other parts of the UK but also recognized through this award shortlisting. It highlights the vital work of our many colleagues across the NHS, local authority and voluntary sector who continue to support thousands of our fellow residents to stay well, manage their own health and get the support they need.”
Amerjit Chohan, Helpforce CEO, said: “We are thrilled that the Community Gateway and Hubs network has received this national recognition. It reflects the strength of partnership across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, and shows what can be achieved when communities, voluntary organisations and health services work together to support people earlier and closer to home. We are proud to have worked alongside partners to evaluate and share learning from a genuinely trailblazing model that is inspiring the way in which health leaders across the country think about neighbourhood health.”
Emma Rowse, Chief executive of Cornwall Voluntary Sector Forum said: “The Community Gateway and Hub Network are a brilliant example of how vital the support of the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector is for people and communities across Cornwall and Isles of Scilly. Not only do they support people to improve their confidence and wellbeing, they also save the NHS millions of pounds. This infrastructure is an indispensable part of our neighbourhood health and wellbeing offer”
Rae Hall, Chief executive of Volunteer Cornwall said: “We are delighted that the community hubs and Gateway have been nominated for this award. Volunteer Cornwall works closely with hubs, supported by our Community Makers, to grow and sustain this essential element of our VCSE infrastructure, alongside our sector partners. Helpforce has shone a light on the impact of the community hubs and Gateway network, demonstrating the power of partnership working and local, place-based solutions to challenges affecting health and wellbeing.”
Tracey Roose, Chief executive of Age UK Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly said: This nomination is a celebration of what can be achieved when organisations come together with a shared purpose. The Community Gateway and Hubs programme demonstrates that real change doesn’t happen through individual organisations working harder—it happens when we work better together. We’re proud of the partnerships we’ve built across the voluntary sector, health, and social care, and most importantly, of the difference those partnerships are making to the lives, health, and wellbeing of people across our communities”.
The HSJ Awards received over 1,300 entries, with 231 projects and individuals from across the UK reaching the final shortlist.
HSJ Award winners will be announced on 19 November 2026.