Joining the Dots: When Personal Wellness Becomes Population Wellbeing by Sophie Howe

When you think of wellbeing, what comes to mind? Yoga? Massage? Cycling to work? Playing sports? Good food? Spending time with family and friends? All of these things are, of course, good for your individual wellbeing. But how do we ensure that all the constituent parts of approaches to individual wellbeing add up to something that contributes to societal wellbeing?

In June, Therme Group held their annual gathering of staff, friends and family (I use this term loosely, meaning the large cohort of experts Therme has gathered as part of their ecosystem) in Sibiu, Romania. It was a gathering of teams developing Therme wellbeing resorts in various parts of the world, with internationally acclaimed urbanists, academics, doctors, public health leaders, economists, and even a CFO (no, not Chief Finance Officer - a Chief Fun Officer).

As you might expect from a company whose raison d’etre is wellness, there was ample opportunity to experience sauna, bathing, connecting with people and even massage. However, the discussion was focused on the role of companies like Therme Group in setting the broader ambition for wellbeing in cities.

From sauna and mineral pools to nutrient-dense menus and fitness classes the whole breadth of Therme’s wellbeing interventions delivered in a nature-focussed environment are backed up by scientific research. For example, among other things, sauna and thermal bathing can improve cardiovascular health, mineral bathing has been linked to improved immune function, and spending just two hours a week in nature can bring significant health and wellbeing benefits. Therefore, there is a case for thinking of Therme as a preventative health intervention. By keeping the costs of their facilities low, Therme ensures that as many people as possible can access these interventions. The next level could involve developing preventative healthcare partnerships with public services - viewing these exciting and attractive facilities in communities as part of city-wide public health infrastructure - let’s think of it as democratising wellness. 

However, the wellbeing benefits don’t stop in the facilities. Therme’s have the potential to transform communities by planning and designing them to address the wider determinants of health. Drawing from the work of Michael Marmot, The World Health Organisation and Public Health Institutes across the world, we understand that increases and decreases in both life expectancy and quality of life are most closely correlated with factors outside the healthcare system itself. Addressing these factors requires long term joined up policy interventions.  

Social protection which includes counteracting poverty, living conditions, including access to nature, reducing air pollution, and designing spaces that encourage walking and cycling, and social and human capital, reflecting the quality of your relationships and the sense of community in the place you live, as well as whether you feel you have agency in that community, all play vital roles. Loneliness and isolation are increasingly posing a significant threat to public health, and the issue is likely to grow as the population ages. Moreover, there are also worrying trends of poor mental health among young people. Recent data shows us that even the young are lonely. In theory, they’ve never been more connected, but in reality, it seems that an online connection doesn’t have the same benefits as a face-to-face one. 

As the first Future Generations Commissioner for Wales (and indeed the world) my role for the last seven years has been to identify the trends and potential scenarios that governments need to act on now: what do we need to do to secure the wellbeing of current and future generations? Most people are aware of the megatrends around an ageing population, climate change, biodiversity loss and technology, but are they joining the dots between these factors and what they mean for towns cities and communities in the future?

Done right and with purpose, how we plan, design, build, and deliver community services can address some of these challenges; when done wrong, it can exacerbate them. Therme facilities can rejuvenate communities, redevelop connections to local heritage, provide opportunities for engagement in art, and even involve people in creating art. For example, the tiles painted by local Manchester primary school children during Therme’s sponsored workshop at the Manchester International Festival 2021 will form part of the fabric of the Therme Manchester facility.  

Thinking of these facilities as a ‘third space’ - the place you go to hang out that isn’t home or work - offers substantial opportunities for people to connect. This enables them to reap the health and wellbeing benefits of that connection, along with those of thermal bathing and exercise.  

Therme is also joining the dots by considering the impact of its activities within the broader city ecosystem. For instance, it is adding to or, in some cases, initiating new routes for cycling and walking to better link communities and green former concrete jungles. These active travel links can, in turn, enhance living conditions, reduce air pollution, and provide people with access to nature and public open space. 

Therme facilities create good-quality jobs for local people both within the facilities and across the supply chain. By collaborating with local skills and employment agencies, the group has the potential to support interventions that assist those furthest from the labour market and those living in poverty to access high-quality jobs.  

Our cities need long-term, joined-up planning, design and delivery from the public sector, supported by purpose-driven private sector organisations. This support is vital to address a wide range of public policy priorities for the wellbeing of citizens. Infrastructure of the future needs to work harder in delivering this, and I’m excited by the aspirations of Therme Group to deliver beyond individual wellness towards the bigger prize of whole societal wellbeing.