Welcome to the September edition of our Thriving Communities Programme Newsletter. We begin with some unfortunate news. 

I and all at Communities1st are sorry to have to announce that this will be the last newsletter you will receive from us in this role.

NASP recently released THIS STATEMENT announcing that the Thriving Communities national programme will be concluded at the end of September to make way for a revised approach to supporting regions’ Social Prescribing development, through health integration.

The team of Social Prescribing Senior Advisors that will be realising this initiative will be based in house at NASP rather than hosted within the VCFSE as Regional Leads have been. This announcement is made with very heavy hearts from our perspective. The East of England is an area of strength, innovation and opportunity for Social Prescribing and our programme had been going from strength to strength with the support of Communities 1st and most recently with our counterparts in the Midlands.

NASP has ambitious plans to continue supporting the Social Prescribing movement through greater health integration and influence. We encourage you to keep updated with NASP’s work. To stay in touch please fill in this short form, which will also give you the option to join their newsletter so you can stay in the know!

We have made every effort to make this newsletter extra special with useful information and hopefully some wisdom that will support your work moving forward. We will also ensure that a legacy of this project remains available on the Communities 1st website so you can find valuable and relevant resources, event recordings and publications that will help you realise the full potential of social prescribing where you are.

It’s been the greatest privilege supporting you and your incredible work over the past few years I wish you the very best with achieving your continued ambitions for Social Prescribing where you are. I plan to remain very close to the Social Prescribing movement and will be a lifelong advocate for the principles and approach that make it so important. Whatever the future brings, I hope you will continue making our communities great places to be!

With the warmest wishes

Tom Watkins

Head of Thriving Communities East of England & Midlands

Link Worker Induction Guide

Please read and share the NASP Link Worker Induction Guide - designed by Link Workers for Link Workers. The guide is ideal for those just starting their social prescribing journey and their employers. the templates and information provided are all practitioner-led and were created by link workers who are members of the NASP Link worker advisory group to guide link workers directly on how they might approach the first few weeks of their role.

The guide includes:

• Useful tips and checklists for the first few weeks in a Link Worker role
• Videos from Social Prescribing Link Workers and their beneficiaries
• A toolkit of templates to support the work and ongoing professional development
• Guidance for line managers on supporting new recruits

New Evidence Report

Please read and share NASP’s new evidence report and briefing titled ‘Supporting the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector to evaluate social prescribing’

This review helps to collate existing resources for ease of use with the aim of supporting evaluation of Social Prescribing activities. Due to the existence of a large number of evaluation resources this is not just another toolkit. This serves as a trusted resource offering potential solutions which have been identified to shared challenges when evaluating social prescribing activities.

Social Prescribing Webinars Update

NHS England is currently going through a period of change as they transition to new organisational structures, which includes a review of the current programme and what they will be focusing on in the future. Consequently, the NHS England Social Prescribing team will no longer be producing a regular monthly webinar, but will be looking across NHS England to share details of webinars taking place across the organisation and those hosted by external partners such as NASP. 

Past webinars can be accessed in the webinar library of the FutureNHS Social Prescribing Collaboration Platform

Guidance: Looking after your team’s health and wellbeing

A new health and wellbeing guide has been developed by NHSE to support teams to improve their health and wellbeing through a culture-change approach. This guide is designed to empower and enable teams to come together to shape their health and wellbeing journey, building on the NHS Health and Wellbeing Framework.

Social Prescribing Self-Assessment Development Guide

The National Academy for Social Prescribing (NASP), National Association for Voluntary and Community Action (NAVCA) and Spirit of 2012 have produced a new toolkit for Social Prescribing Link Worker host organisations, with a particular focus on hosting in the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector. It aims to help Primary Care Networks (PCNs) and host organisations establish, develop and maintain a sustainable and effective social prescribing scheme in a local area.

More information .

Delivering operational resilience across the NHS this winter

NHSE have published a letter setting out the national approach and the key steps to winter planning for 2023/24. This follows on from the publication of the Urgent and Emergency Care (UEC) Recovery Plan in January 2023, to deliver improvements for patients across the integrated Urgent and Emergency Care (iUEC) pathway.

For most people with a long term health condition or impairment, swimming and aquatic activity is excellent for health. But there are some things should be considered to make the experience a safe and enjoyable one.

Considerations before swimming for certain
health conditions to reduce harm or distress:

Considerations before swimming before /after surgery

NASP are looking to create new materials that explain what social prescribing is to members of the public. These could be distributed through health settings or community venues, like libraries, arts venues or leisure centres. They would love your help in understanding what would be most useful – and what should be avoided.

The team would be very grateful if you could fill in this short survey - it should take less than five minutes. Thank you!

Hear from clinicians leading and pioneering social prescribing implementation, addressing the challenges to promote a collaborative approach connecting individuals to community resources, and establishing a more sustainable clinical culture for patients and physicians. Social prescribing is growing in its policy and practice around the world across different health system contexts. Achieving patient-centred biopsychosocial care at a systems and population level can prove challenging. How can clinicians support the uptake of social prescribing, bridging the gap between medical treatment and community interventions to improve health and wellbeing?

SAVS Networking Brunch 

Come stop by the SAVS building for a morning of networking, meeting other organisations and supporting each other.

Refreshments such as tea and coffee will be provided along with some light snacks.

Digital transformation for charity trustees
This engaging 90-minute online workshop is designed exclusively for charity trustees in Hertfordshire, where the exciting possibilities of leveraging digital technology to streamline board operations, optimize decision-making processes, and unlock strategic growth opportunities will be explored.

This course is fully funded for paid workers and volunteers from VSCE organisations in Hertfordshire.

Free Training Courses

Norfolk and Waveney MIND are running some free training courses in Suicide Prevention & Awareness from July onwards.

For more information 

Suffolk Culture Network 

The Suffolk Culture Network is a collective of organisations and individuals working in and around Suffolk. The group works collaboratively to ensure the continued resilience of the arts in the cultural, social, educational, environmental and economic life of the county. The network welcomes new members who would like to join.

If you are interested in joining, please drop Tom Beese an email.

Click here to find out more 

Creative Socials & Afternoon Events 

• DOVETAIL by Vanhulle Dance Theatre  
  A powerful dance performance followed by Q&A and an inclusive movement, flow and wellbeing workshop.
   - Wednesday 27th September – Bawdeswell Village Hall 1-3pm
• Creative Socials – Clay Pots & Coasters with Lucy Wheeler
  Experiment with a number of different techniques and make your own coaster and/or pinch pot inspired by nature
  - Tuesday 3rd October - Great Yarmouth, St George’s Theatre Café 1-3pm
  - Monday 9th October – Hunstanton, Community Centre 1-3pm
  - Wednesday 18th October – Great Massingham, Village Hall 1-3pm
  - Thursday 19th October - Attleborough Town Hall 1-3pm 
  - Friday 20th October - Dereham Library 1-3pm 
  - Friday 27th October - Thetford Library 2-4pm 

The Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund

Further details of organisations awarded onward grants will be announced through the CCLF later this year.

Deadline: Rolling fund with deadline of noon on Monday 16th October
Click here to find out more

Healthier Futures Fund

Apply for up to £50,000 – £100,000 pa (£100,000 – £300,000 over 3 years) for initiatives to support the health and wellbeing of local people. Through the Healthier Futures fund NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough is making £2 million available to Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) partners across the area to deliver health and wellbeing improvements for their local people and communities.

The fund opened for applications on 1st May 2023.

Deadline: 1st November (outcomes by end of November)
Click here to find out more

Good Life Fund 

The Good Life Fund offers grants of up to £1500 to people in our local community to help set up groups that connect people, such as book clubs, craft classes, or activities that encourage people to learn new skills.

Click here to find out more

Grants available for health and wellbeing related projects.

Grants can fund a wide range of activities, including: purchase of equipment, education and training, research, as well as general grants for health related purposes.

Click here to find out more  

Harlow Recreation Trust

Grants up to £10,000 are available for projects and activities that support the development of recreational skills, knowledge and talent for the benefit of people living in Harlow. P

Home Instead Charities

Grants of up to £1,500 are available to small, local registered charities and up to £500 to grassroots organisations with projects that further the needs of our ageing adult population through well-being activities and programmes to prevent social isolation and loneliness.

Check here to find out more 

Household Support Fund Application Form

Southend Emergency Fund is pleased to announce that it has funding to award grants to support third sector organisations who provide assistance to vulnerable households.

The aim of the scheme is to give vulnerable households financial support and peace of mind. Households eligible to receive funding are those which have any of the following:

-People with disabilities
-People with caring responsibilities
-Pensioners

Click here to find out more 

Hertfordshire Household Support Fund for Groups - grants to address food and energy poverty

Grants of up to £5,000 are available to groups working in areas of deprivation in Hertfordshire that support adults in need by providing access to food and/or support with bills such as fuel and water. It can also be used to provide support with essentials linked to energy and water.

Larger grants (up to £10,000) may be considered where a group can demonstrate an ability to work across a larger geography or support significant numbers of local residents. If you would like to apply for more than £5,000 please contact grants@hertscf.org.uk before making an online application.

All awarded grants must be spent to meet immediate needs within six months of receipt.

Grants available for projects that are helping to reduce crime and make Hertfordshire a safer place to live

Grants of up to £5,000 are available from the Police Commissioner's Action Fund to support innovative local schemes which aim to reduce crime and make our communities safer. Your project will help deliver the aims of the Commissioner’s Community Safety and Criminal Justice Plan for Hertfordshire (2022-2027) which sets out the priorities for ‘Everyone’s Business.’

Mental Wellbeing in Children and Young People Through Physical Activity Programme.

Hertfordshire County Council Public Health is inviting applications from community and voluntary organisations to deliver physical activity projects that promote mental health and wellbeing and reduce inequalities among children and young people aged 5-18 or 5-25 in children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

Connecting Older People Fund

Grants of up to £10,000 are available to support projects that help combat loneliness or poverty faced by older people in Norfolk.

Small Grants Fund

Luton Rising Small Grants (formerly London Luton Airport Ltd (LLAL)), provides short term funding to not-for-profit groups that can deliver in Luton against the main objectives of this fund. Luton Only

This fund is administered by BLCF on behalf of Luton Rising. Grants of up to £10,000 can be considered, generally but not necessarily limited to one year only to support community and voluntary activity in Luton.

Deadline: 3rd November (Noon)
Click here to find out more

Transforming Suffolk Loan Fund

Loans are available for charitable, voluntary and community groups delivering work in Suffolk.

Deadline: Open all year round 
Click here to find out more

Social Prescription Link Worker

• Salary:£27,895 per annum
• location: Based predominantly in GP practices in Luton with a requirement to visit a range of
  establishments across the Borough. The post holder will be required to work outside normal office hours to meet operational requirements approx. 2/3 times per week.

More Information

Active Forests Co-ordinator

• Hours: Fixed Term - until end of March 2026
• Salary: £26,534
• Location: Guisborough Forest, with regular home working. 

More information

Active Forests Coordinator - National Forest

• Hours: Fixed Term - until 31st March 2026
• Salary: £26,534
• Location: Based at the Hicks Lodge Forest Centre, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Swadlincote LE65 2UP with regular travel to community woodlands in the National Forest area including Sence Valley near Ibstock.

More information

Music For Dementia Partners With Dementia-
Themed To Mark World Alzheimer’s Month

To mark World Alzheimer’s Month, The Utley Foundation’s Music for Dementia campaign has brought back to the London stage In "Other Words", a powerful play exploring how music can help reconnect people living with dementia to their loved ones and the world around them.

More information

UK Poverty 2023: The essential guide to understanding poverty in the UK

UK Poverty 2023 sets out recent trends in poverty across the UK, how levels of poverty differ between groups of people and regions, and the impact it has on people’s lives. These findings can help us to understand the current situation and future prospects for poverty in the UK.

Click here to read the full report. 

Best wishes,

The East of England Thriving Communities Team