The National Academy for Social Prescribing are delighted to announce that Tom Watkins of Communities 1st will be Thriving Communities Lead for the East Region.
Communities 1st are a voluntary sector infrastructure organisation; CVS, Volunteer Centre, Wellbeing Services and Voluntary support organisation based in Hertfordshire. Prior to taking on the role for NASP Tom has worked here leading the Volunteer Centre team as Volunteering Development manager since 2019. They have been awarded a contract by NASP to build and deliver the Thriving Communities programme across the East of England region.
Thriving Communities is the National Support Programme initiated by NASP in response to the impact and challenges caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic. It’s aimed at helping voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise organisations share learning, ideas and best practise. The programme’s work will enable these organisations to link in with local social prescribing schemes and be well placed to attract funding opportunities. By developing partnerships and fostering new connections we hope to create a stronger sector for social prescribing to take root and communities to thrive.
Tom is a lifelong volunteer and has been involved in all kinds of community activity and support over the years. He has enjoyed a varied career before joining Communities 1st, helping to establish Social Prescribing in Hertfordshire as part of the Community Navigator team almost 10 years ago. He has also worked as a Gymnastics coach in various clubs across the country and still finds time to teach when he can. He ran an international film festival and is a trained actor. Tom volunteers as a presenter on local Radio and is a passionate supporter of the arts.
He says: “I am a social prescribing evangelist; I know the amazing things it can do to transform lives, empower people and improve wellbeing. I love working with people and I love to help organisations maximise the impact they have in the community. I’m really looking forward to sharing learning and development opportunities across the east region, supporting new partnerships and networks and championing best practise to hopefully strengthen communities. The east of England has always been a pioneering region with incredible organisations that work so hard for the community, I’m very excited to be in a position to help sustain that.”
Joshua Ryan, Head of Thriving Communities, says “Through our regional leads we are cementing the strategic work that NASP are doing at a national level. These experts in their area will work with organisations delivering social prescribing in their local communities to deliver care that matters for each person. Thriving Communities is all about doing just that – enabling communities to thrive – and we’re delighted to have Tom on board to support the advancement of social prescribing in the East of England.”
To find out more about Thriving Communities visit socialprescribingacademy.org.uk/thriving-communities
Notes to editors
Contact details
Francesca Baker, Media Relations, francesca.baker@nasp.info 07877461555
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Communities 1st
Communities 1st are a voluntary sector infrastructure organisation; CVS, Volunteer Centre, Wellbeing Services and Voluntary support organisation based in Hertfordshire.
The Thriving Communities Fund
The Thriving Communities Fund supports local voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise projects that bring together place-based partnerships to improve and increase the range and reach of available social prescribing community activities – especially for those people most impacted by COVID19 and health inequalities.
Partnerships supported by the fund will come together to plan and deliver community activities involving partners from:
- the arts, creativity and culture (including museums and libraries)
- sport
- nature
- financial wellbeing
- community advice
- and the wider voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector.
Funded activities will increase social connectedness and help communities cope with the impact of COVID19. By working with those communities most impacted by the COVID19 pandemic, including Black, Asian and ethnically diverse communities, the projects we will fund will help to:
- strengthen the range of social prescribing activities offered locally
- enhance collaboration and networking between local organisations
- enable social prescribing link workers to connect people to more creative community activities and services.
Grants of between £25,000-£50,000 have been made available. Projects within the Thriving Communities Fund will run for a year including planning and delivery time. They are expected to commence on 15 March 2021, and end on 31 March 2022.
This Fund, totaling £1.8 million is being delivered by Arts Council England and has been made possible by the National Academy for Social Prescribing (contributing £1.15m from the Department of Health and Social Care) and Arts Council England (providing £250k from the National Lottery). Other strategic partners to the programme include NHS England and NHS Improvement, Sport England, Natural England, the Office for Civil Society, the Money & Pensions Service and NHS Charities Together.
About The National Academy of Social Prescribing
The National Academy for Social Prescribing was launched by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP, on 23 October 2019.
NASP is an organisation dedicated to the advancement of social prescribing through promotion, collaboration and innovation. They work to create partnerships, across the arts, health, sports, leisure, and the natural environment, alongside other aspects of our lives, to promote health and wellbeing at a national and local level. They champion social prescribing and the work of local communities in connecting people for wellbeing.
Their objectives are to
- Make some noise – raising the profile of social prescribing
- Find resources – develop innovative funding partnerships
- Build relationships – broker and build relationships across all sectors
- Improve the evidence – shape and share the evidence base
- Spread what works – promote learning on social prescribing