The work across these areas is broad and varied, and highlights how we are using the 100 Day Challenge approach beyond the health and social care world that we have traditionally occupied:

• In Essex we are working with the county council and the wider community to discover better ways of supporting people with learning disabilities and autism to live meaningful lives.
• In Scotland we are working with Midlothian Early Action Project to transform mental health services for young people.
• In Manchester we have launched the first of three 100 Day Challenges, in partnership with Manchester Local Care Organisation. The Challenges are working in each of the city’s 12 neighbourhoods to tackle placed-based health issues defined by local communities.
• In Lincolnshire we supporting health and care organisations from across the county in a challenge focusing on frailty that includes working with homeless people.

One of the cornerstones of a 100 Day Challenge is to come up with new ideas and test them - rapidly! Whilst the teams are only a couple of weeks in, some really interesting stuff is emerging already - the kind of stuff that gets us out of bed and on early trains to far flung places across the UK. Here’s a few ideas to whet your appetite:

• A team in Canvey Island has identified people who have direct payments and are testing out creative ways they could pool their budgets.
• A team in Colchester is setting up a social enterprise to help people with learning disabilities and autism start their own businesses.
• A team in Lincoln is trying to increase the understanding of frailty within homeless community.
• A team in Cheetham is training community diabetes champions to connect with people who don’t have English as a first language.

The ideas listed here are just the tip of the iceberg and show just how ambitious teams of front-line staff and local people can be if brought together to improve the lives of a whole range of people - under the right conditions of course. More on that another time!

Our team works with local authorities, the NHS, and others to radically rethink how they work together and how services are provided which place people at the heart of their design. In Essex we’ve seen a real commitment to accessibility and involving people with learning disabilities and autism throughout the challenge from the start. They have played a vital role in the design process, have produced materials and events with us, and are integral team members - including one person being voted as team captain! It has been a powerful reminder for our team at Nesta to keep listening, and challenging ourselves in terms of how we work. It’s no surprise, but cutting the jargon and innovation speak, and using plain English makes our work better for everyone!

In Manchester and Lincolnshire we have let go of some control. How? By training 16 local coaches within the existing health and care system - a role that Nesta staff would usually adopt - to help support front-line staff to make sure that the impact of the 100 Day Challenge is lasting and ongoing.

There are exciting times ahead for Health Lab and the hundreds of people currently involved in 100 Day Challenges, so watch this space for more updates!