Hertfordshire County Council has announced a £2.9 million investment in a series of new public health projects aimed at improving health and wellbeing for residents across the county – including people in and around Hitchin.

The funding forms part of the council's Public Health Prevention Investment Programme, which is designed to support long-term, preventative initiatives that help residents live healthier, more independent and fulfilling lives.

Four projects have been selected for funding, each delivered through partnerships with specialist organisations and local services.

One of the schemes, Live Longer Better in an Age-Friendly Hertfordshire, will be led by Age UK Hertfordshire and focuses on supporting older residents. The project aims to tackle isolation, improve mobility and help people overcome barriers to everyday activities – issues that affect many older people across North Hertfordshire.

Another programme, Nourish Hertfordshire, will work with 40 of the county's most deprived schools to improve the quality of school food. Led by School Food Matters, the initiative will involve pupils, parents and staff, alongside specialist training for school chefs, to help promote healthier eating habits from an early age.

The Musculoskeletal (MSK) Rehabilitation Pathway, led by the University of Hertfordshire, will support residents living with long-term pain and physical limitations. The scheme aims not only to improve health outcomes but also to help people remain in, or return to, work.

Meanwhile, Work Well 4 Health, led by Herts Urgent Care, will offer personalised support to residents in East and North Hertfordshire who face health-related barriers to employment.

Dr Allison Wren, Deputy Executive Member for Public Health and Community Safety at Hertfordshire County Council, said: "We want to create a county where every resident thrives and achieves their aspirations, and where inequalities are reduced.

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Supporting people to eat healthily, be physically active and live a safe, healthy and fulfilling life into old age are key priorities. Funding these projects will help us deliver this vision."

The investment will run over three years and is funded through the Department of Health and Social Care's Public Health Grant, which is ring-fenced specifically for projects that improve health and wellbeing.

All four projects are expected to begin in April 2026.

For more information about the programme, visit www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/PHIP.