Circle Health Group case study

Case Study: Healthcare

Engagement in Action: Building a Connected Workforce at Circle Health Group

Circle Health Group transforms employee engagement with Total Active Hub, creating an inclusive culture of movement across its nationwide workforce.

Movement Programme Events Gym Discounts Rewards Insights

In 2023, Circle Health Group (CHG), the UK’s largest independent hospital provider, partnered with Total Active Hub to spark organisation-wide engagement through movement. With 55 hospitals and centralised teams across the country, CHG wanted to go beyond traditional engagement activities like bake sales and knitting competitions to create something inclusive, impactful, and unifying. The launch of The Big Circle Move became the most successful wellbeing initiative in their history, paving the way for the creation of an always-on Active Hub to support staff wellbeing, reduce absenteeism, and build a more connected workforce.

The Headline Impact

MOTIVATED

64%

of users have increased their engagement with colleagues
INCREASE ENERGY

72%

of users report that movement makes them feel more energised
MOTIVATED

95%

of users report feeling more motivated to move more

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From a simple year-round employee movement programme to fully managed services, we offer tailored programs to help you spark movement and boost engagement across your workforce; whilst embedding CSR.

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CHG needed a way to create meaningful, organisation-wide engagement that would unite employees across 55 locations and central teams while supporting long-term staff wellbeing.
Existing initiatives such as bake sales and knitting competitions had limited reach and struggled to engage the wider workforce.
Staff were dispersed across hospitals, departments, and central functions, making it difficult to deliver a shared experience.
The healthcare environment placed high physical and emotional demands on employees, leaving little time or energy for wellbeing activities.
Absenteeism and musculoskeletal (MSK) issues were growing areas of concern, with a need for preventative action.
CHG wanted a programme that was both inclusive and scalable, able to engage everyone from clinical staff to administrative teams.
Total Active Hub worked closely with the Employee Engagement team at CHG to design and deliver an inclusive, scalable programme that would engage employees across all hospitals and central teams throughout the year.
Implemented an always-on movement programme built around team-based challenges to drive inclusivity and ongoing participation.
Leveraged a monthly prize fund to provide regular incentives and create compelling reasons for employees to get involved.
Designed inclusive activities that moved away from traditional step-only challenges, ensuring everyone could take part regardless of role, ability, or location.
Embedded CHG’s flagship annual campaign, The Big Circle Move, within the wider year-round programme to sustain momentum and visibility.
Equipped CHG’s leadership with live data insights to monitor participation, track outcomes, and celebrate success across the organisation.

This success highlighted CHG as a leader in employee wellbeing while positioning physical movement as a driver of both engagement and health outcomes.
1,590 employees signed up to the CHG Active Hub (19.8% uptake).
3,129 employee-created challenges built a culture of ownership and shared accountability.
Over 300,000 miles of movement and 129,000 activities recorded.
CHG’s Big Circle Move gained industry recognition: at the Best Companies Wellbeing Awards, it was celebrated for inspiring 725 staff to take part in a 30-day active challenge in May, completing 40,730 miles of activity
“It’s nice to see how your colleagues are getting on in the challenges and give them encouragement nearing the completion.”

“The Active Hub has changed how we engage our people. It gives every colleague, no matter where they work, the chance to take part in something bigger and feel connected across the whole organisation. By making movement a constant part of our culture, we’re not only building stronger engagement but also supporting the long-term health and wellbeing of our teams”

Ella Warwick

Head of Employee Engagement & Organisational Development, Circle Health Group

The solution we implemented for CHG was a nationwide, inclusive movement programme, spanning over 55 hospitals and central teams, designed to deliver year-round engagement and motivate employees through diverse and accessible initiatives.
Onboarding Kit: Created and delivered to central Employee Engagement team to enable them to effectively communicate to all employees
Always-on Calendar: Monthly movement events catered to all fitness levels, ensuring consistent engagement.
Flagship Events: High-profile moments such as The Big Circle Move to drive visibility and excitement.
Movement for Good Initiatives: Linking physical activity to CSR goals to add purpose and wider impact.
Wellbeing Ambassadors: Champions across hospitals to promote and encourage participation.
Specialist Webinars: Accessible online sessions with incentives, adding education and support alongside activity.
Everyday movement is creating momentum and energy across CHG’s hospitals and central teams:
Most active hour: 5–6pm, with a secondary lunchtime spike between 11am–1pm.
Most active day: Tuesday.
Walking (53%) was the most popular activity, reflecting accessibility for all staff.
Running (14.5%) was the second most popular activity

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