Centre for Health Equity and Sustainable Societies (CHESS)

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Centre for Health Equity and Sustainable Societies (CHESS)

CHESS is a research centre at the University of East London (UEL). We work with communities, the NHS, local authorities, and partners to reduce health inequalities and improve wellbeing. 

Our work turns research into real-world action. We focus on fairness, inclusion, and practical change.

The challenge and our purpose

Health inequalities continue to shape how long and how well people live. These inequalities are driven by social, economic, and structural factors, not individual choices alone.

CHESS exists to help close the gap between research and practice. We generate evidence with communities and partners, then use it to shape policy, services, and everyday decision-making.

Our purpose is simple: to support fairer health systems and better outcomes for people and places.

Centre for Health Equity and Sustainable Societies (CHESS) logo

How CHESS works

We bring together people with different knowledge and experience, including: 

  • Researchers from across disciplines
  • NHS and public health partners
  • Local authorities
  • Voluntary and community organisations
  • Residents and community leaders 

We co-design, deliver, and evaluate projects together. This ensures our work reflects lived experience and leads to change that works in practice.

CHESS at the University of East London

CHESS is a dynamic research centre based at UEL. We connect global evidence with local action, often described as a glocal approach.

Through research, teaching, and community engagement, we help tackle health inequalities in north-east London and beyond. 

Our work strengthens UEL’s contribution to: 

  • Research excellence
  • Teaching innovation
  • Knowledge exchange and impact 

This directly supports the Research Excellence Framework (REF), Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), and Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF).

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Our values

Our approach is guided by three core values:

  1. Equity – advancing fairness and inclusion in every project and partnership.
  2. Collaboration – creating space for shared leadership, knowledge, and innovation.
  3. Impact – producing measurable change in policy, practice, and everyday lives.

By fostering research that is inclusive, applied, and action-oriented, CHESS is helping to transform health equity from a research priority into a lived reality — locally, nationally, and globally.

Our mission

Our mission is to rethink how health equity is understood and achieved.

We work towards a world where everyone, regardless of background or circumstance, has the opportunity to achieve good health and wellbeing.

Our objectives

We do this by:

  • Producing cutting-edge research that identifies the root causes of inequality and informs systemic change in health and social care.
  • Empowering communities through co-production — ensuring that those most affected by inequities shape the research agenda and solutions.
  • Driving policy and practice transformation by translating evidence into actionable recommendations that support more equitable health systems.
  • Developing future leaders in health equity through mentoring, doctoral scholarships, and early-career research opportunities.
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How CHESS supports UEL’s strategy

Our mission aligns with UEL’s Vision 2028. Our work supports the University’s priorities around:

  • Health gain and wellness
  • Social justice
  • The Glocal Anchor principle

This ensures research delivers benefit locally while contributing to global knowledge.

At its heart, CHESS exists to co-create a fairer, healthier society, where research is not only excellent but also ethical, inclusive, and transformative.

Our workstreams

  1. Research and consultancy: We deliver applied research and consultancy that supports public, voluntary, and community organisations.
  2. Engagement: We build meaningful relationships with communities and partners to support shared learning and trust.
  3. Student experience: We provide students with opportunities to engage in research, evaluation, and community-based projects.
  4. Research into teaching: We explore how research can improve teaching practice and student learning.
  5. Innovation into practice: We support the use of evidence to improve services, systems, and policy.
  6. Foundation programme: We help build research skills and confidence across partners and early-career researchers.

Key programmes and partnerships

NIHR Health Determinants Research Collaboration - Tower Hamlets 

The NIHR Health Determinants Research Collaboration Tower Hamlets aims to support the London Borough of Tower Hamlets to use research in decision-making so local communities can live longer and healthier lives. Launched on 1 October 2022, funded by NIHR and London Borough of Tower Hamlets

Key features include: 

  • Funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and Tower Hamlets Council
  • A focus on a diverse borough facing high levels of deprivation and rapid population growth
  • Strong collaboration between the council, universities, voluntary organisations, and residents
  • Investment in local research skills and infrastructure
  • Sharing learning to support wider health research systems

IOC Olympic Studies and Research Centre

UEL is a recognised member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Olympic Studies and Research Centres network.

This Olympic Studies and Research Centre: 

  • Supports teaching and research linked to sport, media, and management
  • Provides access to the British Olympic Association archive, documenting Team GB history since 1906
  • Builds on research into East London’s Olympic legacy
  • Aligns with UEL’s commitment to reducing health inequalities, particularly in Newham

ICC Evaluation Unit 

The ICC Evaluation Unit delivers high-quality, co-produced evaluations for public benefit.

Its work includes: 

  • Service improvement and transformation evaluations
  • Rapid and complex community-based evaluations
  • Free evaluation clinics and continuing professional development (CPD) training
  • Acting as learning and funding partners
  • Involving an intergenerational community panel and students in evaluation work

Governance and leadership

CHESS is guided by a collaborative governance structure that supports transparency and accountability.

  • Director – Dr Darren Sharpe, Associate Professor, Social Justice Studies
  • Deputy Directors - Dr Laura Vanderbloemen, Prof Nikolajs Zeps
  • Members - Dr Andrew Barnfield, Dr Andy Galbraith, Caroline Doolan, Dr Elizabeth Walters, Gail May, Georgina Cox, Dr Janet Hoskin, Dr Joanne Harris (GP), Joyce Antubam, Prof Julia Davidson, Dr Katie Wright, Prof Marcello Bertotti, Dr Matthew Almond, Dr Moyra McAllister (GP), Dr Patricia Smith, Prof Rachel Wicaksono, Robert Waterson, Dr Sadie King (Health Fellow), Dr Silhouette Bushay, Dr Stewart Bruce-Low, Dr Susannah Pickering-Saqqa, Teresa Mcmahon, Tracey Lemay, Prof Winston Morgan, Jorge Sebastian Castro Caicedo, Josepha Reynolds

This structure ensures integrity, accountability, agility, and alignment with both UEL’s mission and community priorities.

Get involved

Whether you are a funder, policymaker, researcher, practitioner, or community partner, we welcome collaboration.

To connect with CHESS, share ideas or explore partnerships, email: chess@uel.ac.uk.

Struggling to find protected time to get down to writing?

Join us for online Write Offs. All are welcome to join via MS Teams. 

The centre offers weekly cross-disciplinary ‘write offs’ to support communities of researchers at all career stages who are struggling to find the time to write. We help researchers by providing peer support, good writing discipline and greater confidence in writing. This has enabled multi-disciplinary conversations as well as supporting drafting and strengthening REF 2029 research outputs and research informed teaching.