Eight charities across the North East and Yorkshire have been awarded funding to advance social prescribing and support communities as they recover from Covid-19.
Helix Arts, Sunderland Culture, and Northern Heartlands in the North East, Tuille House Museum and Art gallery in North Cumbria, and Space2, Heeley Development Trust, Third Sector Leaders Kirklees and The Artworks in Yorkshire and Humber – are among a range of partnership projects by voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) groups across England selected to receive grants of up to £50k from the £1.8m Thriving Communities Fund.
This funding has been administered by Arts Council England (ACE) and has been made possible through a unique partnership between The National Academy for Social Prescribing (NASP), ACE, Historic England and Natural England. These partners, along with NHS England and NHS Improvement, Sport England, the Money and Pensions Service, and NHS Charities Together, have come together to form the Thriving Communities Programme.
The projects chosen will unlock the power of social prescribing in their local areas, bringing together place-based partnerships across arts and culture, heritage, nature, physical exercise, financial wellbeing, health and care, with a focus on those people most impacted by Covid-19 and health inequalities.
Jane Hartley, Thriving Communities Regional Lead for the North East and Yorkshire said: “I'm thrilled these positive collaborations between social prescribing and voluntary and community sector partners in our region, working to deliver a wide range of cultural, outdoor and group activities to support communities in their recovery from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, will be supported through the Thriving Communities Fund.”
The Thriving Communities Programme works alongside existing local infrastructure agencies in helping local VCFSE groups and organisations to help them build stronger partnerships and connect people to community support. It aims to help these groups share learning, gain new ideas, access funding and develop partnerships across sectors.
James Sanderson, Chief Executive of the National Academy for Social Prescribing said: “The last year has shown how important social prescribing is in helping people to stay connected, feel supported and to maintain their wellbeing. We began our ambitious agenda to support people to live the best life they can by accessing support in their local communities based on what matters to them. We're so pleased to support and encourage these projects through the Thriving Communities Fund, to scale and spread social prescribing even further, and help our communities thrive.”
Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, Chair of NASP added: “At its heart the Thriving Communities Fund aims to support our communities to address many issues they face as the result of Covid-19, through innovative social prescribing. I know the chosen projects will see huge benefits, which will ripple out into wider society. We look forward to working with them as they unlock the power of social prescribing in their local areas, helping those who really need it most.”
For more information about the funding and the Thriving Communities programme visit the National Academy for Social Prescribing (NASP) website.