This year's Social Prescribing Day is on 26th March - an annual celebration recognising Social Prescribing Link Workers, local community groups and regional and national organisations which support people’s health and wellbeing. 

To mark the day in the North East and North Cumbria, we are hosting a free online conference, 10am – 12pm, commending ‘The Power of People’.

As Network members we'd be delighted to have you join us at the event as we celebrate the fantastic work of social prescribing in all its forms across our region.

Our speakers will showcase the power of people to connect, build trust and make a meaningful difference through their social prescribing work. They include:

• Anna Basu, Clinical Senior Lecturer and Honorary Consultant Paediatric Neurologist, Population Health Sciences Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences at Newcastle University
• Simon Bromhead, Head of Development at Ways to Wellness
• Sarah Penn, Health Partnerships Support Officer at Cumbria CVS

• Lucy Cushley, Service Manager and Julie Sinclaire-Day, Social Prescribing Link Worker, from Teesside Mind.

You'll also hear from the currently funded Healthy Communities and Social Prescribing projects and see the difference they’re making across the region.

We hope you'll be able to join us on the day.

In our latest spotlight, VONNE member Food Nation CIC share the recipe for success behind Men’s Pie Club (MPC) and Xtra Ingredients – their food-based wellbeing programmes supporting men at risk of social isolation and loneliness. Their work enables men to connect through the simple, shared act of making pies at weekly clubs in community venues across the North East.

This community-led work has driven huge improvements to life satisfaction, mental wellbeing, social connectedness, life skills and confidence for hundreds of men across the region.  

As MPC has grown, members told them they wanted more opportunities to build skills, confidence and wellbeing through food, beyond the weekly club sessions. Xtra Ingredients was created in response to that feedback.

Co-designed with members, Xtra Ingredients is a structured, food-based wellbeing programme that builds on what already works in MPC, while offering a clearer, time-limited pathway for men who may be referred through social prescribing or who want something more focused. The programme aligns with the Five Ways to Wellbeing and subtly incorporates health literacy in a way that feels accessible and non-clinical.

Having participated in the programme, G Groom says: “The Xtra ingredients cooking course was really beneficial for me and my overall wellbeing. It gave me time to slow down, focus on something creative, and build confidence in the kitchen. An excellent course. I found the stottie Xtra ingredients cooking course incredibly positive for my wellbeing. It was not only a chance to learn new skills, but also a therapeutic experience that helped me relax and feel more balanced.”

North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) funding, via VONNE and the Healthy Communities and Social Prescribing programme, has also enabled them to strengthen their evaluation work with First Person Consulting, embedding tools that capture changes in wellbeing, social connection and food confidence over time.

At its heart, Men’s Pie Club is about connection, belonging and shared purpose - brought to life through food, friendship and doing things together.

The launch of England's first Men's Health Strategy is a significant and long overdue step forward. For the first time there is a clear national vision and commitment to tackling men's poorer health outcomes and lower engagement with services.

But ambition alone is not enough. Too often national strategies lose momentum between policy intent and local delivery. Improving men's health is less about stoicism and more about how services are designed.

Professor of Men's Health at the University of York, Paul Galdas, explores what it will take to make England's first Men's Health Strategy a success in his blog for The King's Fund. 

The Cancer Champions programme in County Durham is a new initiative designed to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of common cancers and encourage people to attend vital screening appointments. At its heart is a network of trained volunteers, known as Cancer Champions, who will be supporting their workplace or the wider community.

Over the next twelve months, the project aims to recruit and train sixty Cancer Champions, building a sustainable network that uses innovative digital tools and community engagement to spread awareness.

Delivered in partnership by health and wellbeing charity, Pioneering Care Partnership, and County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, the programme will focus on areas where cancer-related health inequalities are most common in County Durham.

If you or someone you know is interested in taking part, the Cancer Champion project would love to hear from you. Please get in touch by emailing: paula.town@pcp.uk.net

Across England, there is a shift towards neighbourhood health, with the aim of moving care closer to communities and tackling inequalities. On paper, the vision is compelling. In practice, however, many neighbourhood models are falling short of their potential.

NAVCA's new report, grounded in the lived experience of NAVCA member local infrastructure organisations (LIOs), and ICS-VCSE Alliances, shows why. It reports that too often neighbourhood working is shaped by system boundaries rather than community realities.

VCSE organisations are brought in late, funding is short-term and unstable, commissioning remains complex and exclusionary, and community insight is undervalued. The result is neighbourhood working that improves coordination within the system but misses the opportunity to build long-term community health and resilience. Where LIOs and VCSE leadership are properly supported, the difference is clear.

The National Academy for Social Prescribing (NASP) recently held a webinar focused on the role of social prescribing in neighbourhood health services which you can watch a recording of here. 

South Tees cancer prehabilitation patients are benefiting from new exercise programme with Middlesbrough Football Club (MFC) Foundation. The OPTIMISE programme helps to support referred patients to prepare physically, mentally and emotionally for cancer treatment by enhancing strength, fitness and overall health before and during treatment.

The sessions, held weekly at the Riverside Stadium and the Herlingshaw Centre in Eston, offer patients a unique opportunity to support themselves in improving their fitness during their cancer journey, whilst getting behind the scenes experience of the Riverside Stadium.

Health Innovation North East and North Cumbria (HI NENC) have been partnering with Newcastle GP Services (NGPS) to deliver Healthy Heart checks across Newcastle and surrounding areas in their community health bus, ‘Monty’. The initiative brings cardiovascular screening directly into communities most affected by health inequalities and poor access to care. 

To reach patients who may not visit their GP practice regularly, the Newcastle Community Health bus travelled to places of worship, supermarkets and community centres, offering blood pressure checks, diabetes screening, cholesterol tests, smoking cessation support, and lifestyle advice.

The outreach reached diverse populations, enabled earlier identification of cardiovascular risk, improved engagement with primary care and supported timely intervention.

NGPS work closely with trusted members in different communities, organisations and charities, to better understand the concerns and barriers that people may have in accessing health services. 

The National Academy for Social Prescribing (NASP) and Edge Hill University have published an evidence review about how nature-based interventions can support the wellbeing of people living with long-term conditions.

The review found that projects such as walking groups, community gardens, green gyms and outdoor arts programmes can support people with a range of conditions – and relieve pressure on the wider health system.

Read the review and download briefings for clinicians, commissioners and patients at the link below.

The Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance and the Group for Education in Museums (GEM) have published an evaluation report sharing the outcomes of an 18-month programme of embedding creative health practice in museums and heritage organisations. It highlights:

• Strengthened sector capability in co-production and trauma-informed practice
• Sustainable cross-sector partnerships
• More inclusive, representative cultural experiences
• Improved wellbeing for participants and staff

They hope the report provides practical guidance for museums seeking to embed health and wellbeing across their organisations. The project was supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

This National Centre for Creative Health (NCCH)’s evidence resource outlines that when people and organisations come together in neighbourhoods to use creative health interventions there are significant positive impacts. 

The evidence highlights measurable impacts such as reduced GP appointments, improved self-management, increased physical activity, improved screening uptake, and enhanced wellbeing for people with chronic conditions.

It also features real-world examples, including a Gateshead GP practice that worked with local systems and the wider community to develop personalised approaches to care, resulting in improved outcomes and reduced pressure on both GP and A&E services.

Health Innovation North East North Cumbria (HI NENC) are delivering Healthy Heart events for Community Health Champions. The aim of the session is to educate, support and empower community champions to raise awareness, deliver education and promote cardiovascular health. 

There are three sessions available to select from: 

24th March - in-person event in Newcastle. Register here 

18th May - in-person event in Middlesbrough. Register here 

14th July - online event. Register here 

This training, provided by Connected Voice's Haref team, equips organisations with the tools to understand, address and reduce health inequalities that affect communities everywhere. Participants will explore social factors which shape health outcomes and discover community‑centred approaches that make a real difference.  

This training is aimed at staff and volunteers in public‑facing roles, to build confidence, spark new ideas, and equip teams to engage more effectively with marginalised communities. 

As part of the ICB's WorkWell programme, a health and wellbeing support offer is available on the Boost platform here for all staff and volunteers, including those working in the VCSE sector, across our region.

It includes resources for emotional, physical, and financial wellbeing, self-help guides, virtual resilience workshops, fitness and lifestyle tools including popular wellbeing apps.

You can also access the staff wellbeing hub which offers free, confidential, rapid-access psychological support. Again this service is freely available to people working across the VCSE sector involved in health and care work. Alongside one-to-one support, there’s a growing programme of wellbeing offers.

If you’re unsure whether the Hub is right for you, watch a short video from Dr Richard Duggins, clinical lead for the Staff Wellbeing Hub, which explains what’s on offer and how to access support.  

If you would like to receive the monthly newsletter from the NENC Staff Health and Wellbeing Hub team, you can contact them on email: hubstheword@cntw.nhs.uk with subject ‘Briefing sign-up’

17th March, 10am - 2pm, The Catalyst, Science Square, Newcastle (lunch provided)

Community Catalysts CIC and the National Innovation Centre for Ageing (NICA) are hosting a collaborative session exploring how public services and communities can better support living and ageing well in North East neighbourhoods. The event brings together a balanced mix of local authorities, health organisations, community groups, and citizens. At the event people will: 

• Work with leaders, practitioners, and members of NICA’s VOICE network 
• Share learning and help shape regional approaches to neighbourhood health and wellbeing 
• Build connections for future collaboration 

We also produce a series of other ebulletins. Sign up on our website for:

• Health & Wellbeing Network bulletin (North East & North Cumbria)
• Research Partnerships bulletin (North East & North Cumbria)
• VONNE News, a fortnightly round up of relevance to the region's VCSE community
• VONNE Jobs, a weekly round up of all the vacancies advertised through VONNE
• Funding Information North East (FINE)*, fortnightly details of funding opportunities.

*A benefit of Membership+ support.