Cumberland Council is set to become a centre of excellence in research into local health-related issues.

The local authority is among 11 locations selected to receive part of £55m in funding through the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

The NIHR invests these funds in new Health Determinants Research Collaborations (HDRC) nationwide.

HDRCs enable local authorities like Cumberland to be more research-active, thereby encouraging evidence-based decision making.

As part of its commitment to improve residents’ health and wellbeing, the council bid for the funding.

The council plans to tackle health problems in a preventative, evidence-based and innovative manner while involving all its teams.

Cumberland Council will receive £4.8m to create a new HDRC.

The funds will facilitate a new research team which will partner with voluntary sector workers.

The team will also closely collaborate with researchers from the University of Cumbria and the University of Central Lancashire.

The team’s work will be primarily focused on more deprived local communities.

Enhanced research will equip the council and its partners with a deeper understanding of the health issues in their area.

This will enable them to devise strategies to combat these problems, subsequently improving residents’ health and wellbeing.

Councillor Emma Williamson, deputy leader and executive member with responsibility children, family wellbeing and housing, said: "This is fantastic news for the council, our partners and the wider community.

"As a council, we set out from the start to make a real difference to people’s lives especially our most vulnerable residents.

"We want to tackle the real health inequalities within our community and ensure we do what we can so that everyone has the opportunity to enjoy a healthy and active lifestyle, especially into later life."

The new HDRC is expected to be operational from January 1, 2024.