Press Release – July 2019

Local Doncaster Based Social Media Company Win Innovation Award

Worcestershire Health and Care Trust has been named the winner of the MidTECH Award for Best NHS-Developed Innovation at the annual Meridian Celebration of Innovation Awards 2019 (https://meridian.wmahsn.org/node/3062), with their new and innovative app BESTIE, developed by Doncaster Company, Wupwoo Ltd.

The MidTECH award, recognising BESTIE as a unique and innovative form of online support for young people, was presented during the annual ceremony on Thursday 18th July at the Park Regis Birmingham.

Steve Johnson, Founder of Wupwoo, said “It has been an absolute pleasure working in collaboration with such an enthusiastic and motivated team. Our collective vision is to make a real difference in the way that young people have access to effective support.” He goes on to say, “that our solution can scale, without putting any additional demands on the resources of the NHS and still deliver a personalised service.”

Wupwoo is a social support app offering a form of online support to anyone who needs it. It is a place where users can immerse themselves into the Wupwoo world of communication, self-expression and recreation.  It first launched in 2013, when the takeover of mobile devices, face-to-face conversation was slowly becoming a thing of the past and there was an increasing problem with people only communicating over social media and instant messaging. Wupwoo is a fun, exciting app, bound to put a smile on peoples faces. It is a positive change for the better! Users can communicate through chat venues, and can have the opportunity to meet new people in real-life activities. It allows people to break down barriers and have fun.

In 2017, Steve Johnson, began working with the Worcestershire Health and Care Trust on a different project with his other company, POSM Limited. It was expressed by the Trust that they were searching for a digital solution to help young people suffering with poor mental health without putting more strain on the NHS and CAMHS waiting lists. Seeing the opportunity, Steve explained what Wupwoo was and how it could be evolved to suit their needs. A workshop took place in November 2017, where ideas were discussed with Worcester Health and Care NHS Trust employees and CAMHS staff, some CAMHS users and Youth Board members. They gave their thoughts and wishes on what they wanted Wupwoo to become and how they wanted it to look. Further workshops took place, and eventually, named by the youth board, BESTIE was born as their own personalised version of Wupwoo.

In addition to BESTIE, two other NHS Trusts were nominated with their own innovations for the MidTECH Award for Best NHS-Developed Innovation. The University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust with COPDPredict™, and the University Hospitals of Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) with the Solihull Approach.

The awards are organised by West Midlands Academic Health Science Network (WMAHSN). Tammy Holmes, who headed up the judging panel said, “Every year we see the quality of submissions grow. Every one of our shortlisted candidates was chosen because they are addressing a real challenge in healthcare and offering solutions to the sorts of issues facing professionals, patients and carers every day.” The awards celebrate the Meridian Innovation Health Exchange, and the WMAHSN’s pioneering interactive online exchange to give people the opportunity to share their ideas, build groups and networks and connect with those whose innovations could change healthcare in the West Midlands. 

Full details about the event can be found at https://meridian.wmahsn.org/node/3062