A new social
enterprise dedicated to increasing years spent living without illness and
disability in older people has been launched out of the BioEnergetics Research
Group (The BERG) at the University of Northampton (UON).

‘The BERG F’
is a social enterprise dedicated to improving public health by funding and
supporting bioenergetics research that will deliver practical health solutions.

A key focus
area for bioenergetics research is healthy ageing – improving quality-of-life
in an ageing population and extending the age to which we expect to live in
good health.

Co-Founder, Dr
Alexander Lehner, who is Senior Lecturer of Human Nutrition at UON, commented:
“Queen Elizabeth II retained her cognitive, emotional, and physical
functionality past her 96th birthday, fulfilling her official duties right up
to her passing. This epitomises how we as humans can age and die without years
of suffering and low quality of life. Everyone should be enabled to age and die
with the dignity that a productive lifetime of good health affords, and
bioenergetics sits at the heart of understanding how this can be achieved.

“A dedicated
investment channel was required to support this research, and a global network
is required to build a research community to deliver practical health guidance
in a future healthcare system that supports good health, above prolonging
disability. These are the primary objectives of The BERG F.”

This year, the
BERG F directors are actively engaging with NHS social value sponsors across
the UK who have a specific appetite for health innovation and impact under
their contracts with the NHS. The BERG F is now about to announce its first
funded research project, and continues to seek and build relationships with
those wanting to fund social impact and change how we approach ageing.

Dr Lehner
continued: “We believe the study of bioenergetics offers the most promising
means to nurture a healthier, more joyful, more productive, and more
independent older population. The BERG F intends to remain at the forefront of
driving this meaningful change in society.”