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03 June, MANCHESTER: Foresight Group (“Foresight”), the leading listed infrastructure and regional private equity investment manager, has announced the exit of Bolton based ABL Health (“ABL” or the “Company”) to Bay Tree Private Equity.

ABL Health is committed to reducing health inequalities and promoting healthy behaviours through the community-driven healthcare services it provides across the UK. It helps people to be healthier and happier for longer, through services such as weight management programmes, smoking cessation clinics, alcohol reduction advice, emotional wellbeing support, mental health services for children and young people, and preparing for cancer treatment.

Foresight invested in ABL in 2018 to enable the management team to accelerate its growth through expanding the Company’s regional coverage and range of services. ABL has an ambitious team, led by CEO, Denise Leslie, to which Foresight introduced a Chair, Christopher Jessop, who brought considerable experience in building leading UK health services businesses. Since 2018, the team was significantly expanded through the creation of a number of high-quality jobs and, at the end of 2023, the number of ABL employees had increased by over 160 employees.  

Today, ABL is a leading Company in the community-health sector. In the past two years, its total number of clients supported to achieve a positive outcome - across driving good health practices, increasing weight loss, improving physical activity, quitting smoking, and attending alcohol intervention sessions - increased by nearly 15,000 to c.50,000. It is estimated that 62% of ABL’s clients are from economically deprived areas.

During Foresight’s investment, sales and EBITDA increased by c.150%. This exit generates a 4.1x cash-on-cash return for investors in the Foresight’s first fund dedicated to the North West.  

Claire Alvarez, Partner at Foresight Group, comments: “It has been a pleasure to work with Denise and team over the past six years. Her team has built a leading name in community healthcare and through its work is contributing to alleviate the growing burden on the NHS. Foresight is proud to have worked alongside such a determined team and wish them all the best in their new partnership with Bay Tree.”

Chris Jessop, Chair of ABL, commented: “ABL is a genuinely values-driven business, making a huge and important contribution to addressing health inequalities in the community. Both myself and the management team have been very appreciative of the support that Foresight has provided to foster ABL’s impressive growth over the last few years and wish the business continued success in the future.”   

 

ENDS

Advisers to the vendors:

Lead Advisor – KPMG

Legal – JMW Solicitors

Financial – Grant Thornton

Commercial – PMSI

 

For more information contact:

Chris Barry, Influential: Barry@thisisinfluential.com / +44 (0)7733 103 693

Lucy Sherwood, Foresight Group: marketing@foresightgroup.eu / +44 (0)20 3667 8100

 

Notes to Editors

About Foresight

Founded in 1984, Foresight is a leading investment manager in real assets and capital for growth, operating across Europe, Australia, and the United States.

With decades of experience, Foresight offers investors access to compelling opportunities at the forefront of change.  Foresight actively builds and grows investment solutions to support the energy transition, decarbonise industry, enhance nature recovery and realise the economic potential of ambitious companies. 

A constituent of the FTSE 250 index, Foresight’s diversified investment strategies combine financial and operational skillsets to maximise asset value and provide attractive returns to its investors. The wide range of private and public funds is complemented with a variety of investment solutions designed for the retail market.

Foresight is united by a shared commitment to building a sustainable economy and growing ambitious companies.  

Visit https://foresight.group/ for more information.

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