Hannah Harrison and Oliver Nightingale
Two University of Worcester graduates who have worked together to bring free physiotherapy services directly into communities have been Highly Commended in the University’s inaugural Alumni Awards.
Hannah Harrison and Oliver Nightingale were recognised in the Social Impact for Healthcare category for their innovative partnership, which is helping to improve access to healthcare in communities that can often face barriers to traditional services.
“It is a huge honour to have been nominated for this award, and to be highly commended is incredibly humbling,” Hannah said. “Oliver and I have been privileged to take what we learnt in the lecture hall straight out into practice.”
Oliver added: “I was absolutely honoured; it was a real shock and I can’t quite believe it.”
Together, the pair developed a free physiotherapy service based at Oasis Community Hub Warndon, providing NHS-style outpatient physiotherapy appointments in a trusted community setting. The service operates within one of the UK’s most deprived communities and is funded by Oasis Community Hub Warndon and Platform Community Chest until at least January 2027.
The initiative has already demonstrated the potential for healthcare services to be delivered differently, bringing support closer to where people live and helping build stronger relationships between healthcare professionals and local residents. The model is now being replicated across the West Midlands through partnerships with community hubs, foodbanks, churches, care homes and community groups.
Oliver studied Physiotherapy at the University, graduating in 2024, and within two years established his social enterprise, Health Valued, providing accessible and discounted healthcare services while also creating placement opportunities for students.
Reflecting on his time at Worcester, Oliver said: “The Healthcare Foundation Year was the access course that allowed me to come into university. It taught me the underpinning values of being a health professional, but understanding the wider context of the health system and what we could do as professionals to make an impact.”
For Hannah, the award recognises a journey that saw her return to education after a successful 12-year career in retail because she wanted to pursue a role focused on helping others.
“I wanted to do something with my life that would try and make things better in supporting people who were vulnerable to have their own voice and be heard and considered,” she said.
After joining the University in 2021 to study a Foundation Degree in Health and Social Care, Hannah progressed to the Applied Health and Social Care top-up degree, graduating in 2024, before completing a Master’s degree in Management and Leadership in Health and Social Care.
She is now Community Leader at Oasis Community Hub Warndon and Chair of the Board of Warndon Pride in Place, a major community development programme. Through her work at the Hub, Hannah has helped create opportunities that connect health services directly with local people, including the physiotherapy clinic she established with Oliver alongside a community supper club.
Hannah said the University’s support and teaching had been instrumental in preparing her for her role.
“The lecturers were absolutely outstanding all the way through,” she said. “What really held the most value to me was they were all experts in their own field, so they were able to bring with them the understanding of the reality of the sectors, but also overlay it with the evidence.”
She added: “The course has really improved my confidence in my understanding and my ability to do my job. It’s definitely made me able to represent my community better and ensure that the work that my team do is rooted in these fundamentals: prioritising relational approaches, having a trauma-informed approach, and actually giving person-centred care.”
The University of Worcester Alumni Awards celebrate graduates who are making a significant contribution to society through their work and leadership.