#socialprescribing

[dhemley]

Arts Prescriptions Have Come to Massachusetts

Art Heals! I’m excited to be among the first in the nation to make art prescription a reality, and am thrilled to partner with Art Pharmacy to bring arts prescriptions to Massachusetts. This year, I wrote about the Arts on Prescription initiative in two articles for Art New England magazine. The Healing Power of Art, Art New England, March/April 2024. Transforming Health Through the Power of…

[practical-conservation-leeds]

Green Gym

So as well as helping out on Fridays for the Green Team, I also volunteer at SG on a Monday afternoon for the Green Gym session. The GG model was developed in response to clinical evidence that links being outdoors in nature with improved mental health outcomes. I had attended a Green Gym previous to the one at SG when it was held in the Inkwell garden, Leeds 7. This was the first time that I started to hear about 'social prescribing' - whereby GPs can recommend that patients receive support for their mental health via local charities or other community groups (instead of / as well as traditional medication and therapy).

The Inkwell project was a collaboration between TCV and Leeds Mind and was set up to provide supervised and guided physical activity in the form of conservation work, as well as opportunities to form social connections, and access to the outdoors - all of which are shown to promote mental health and wellbeing. I attended a couple of sessions there and enjoyed it; sadly Inkwell was forced to relinquish their outdoor space so it could be used for a house build. There is now a greater push towards 'green social prescribing', and currently NHS England are trialing two-year programmes at seven sites, including in North and South Yorkshire (more info here).

Having worked in mental health for almost ten years I was feeling burnt out and looking for a change of career. In that time I had also been developing my own personal interest in the environment, conservation and climate change. I know from experience how much I benefit from being outdoors in nature (physically and mentally) and was starting to learn about the old ways of celebrating the seasons via the pagan traditions. I wouldn't say I am a "Proper Pagan" (whatever that might be!) but I definitely vibe with the dictionary definition:

Paganism from classical Latin pāgānus = "pertaining to the countryside, rural, rustic; (by extension) unlearned; (in medieval Christian Latin) heathen."

Anyway, I am going off on a tangent... the members of the Green Gym at SG have spent a lot of time in the veg patch this summer. I've been attending the group fairly regularly since June and I would say that the best crop I've seen is definitely the beans - French, Runner, Broad and Green (and yellow and purple varieties). I have had them coming out of my ears in fact - luckily my rabbit also enjoys munching on them so can help me work through the mountain of beans. Here are some picture of them:

And a photo of my rabbit inspecting the chard and lettuce from the veg patch:

[mysticalsharkvoidbandit]

#merveleemyers get #ready 4 #socialprescribing as #expert #authority #su...

[carlislefoundation2019]

20/03/19. Lots of reading to do today, preparing for this event. Very exciting.

[interfaith-vegan-alliance]

Recently noticed a #wasp that seemed obsessed with some #weavedwillow. S/he appeared to have an assistant! 📢 please visit our beautiful Leeds based #TeachingGarden 🌈 ALL welcome here 🌍 🎨 A creative space, we facilitate #homeeducation and support positive 💚 #MentalHealth for everyone ❤️ Learn #Ukulele #Guitar #TinWhistle 🎶 #SocialPrescribing 🧘‍♂️ Receive FREE #ecotherapy #outdoortherapy @ our #HealingGarden #MedicinalGarden🌱 Join the community and #LearnTogrow #organic We advocate #Veganic #Stockfree #FoodProduction, #Compassionate & #ConsciousLiving, #PermaCulture Design. #AlohaGarden #ZenGarden #ForestGarden #UrbanGarden #AHIMSAALLOTMENT #AllotmentLife #GardensOfInstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CgEP1FWs5HH/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[nadisha-choudhury-blog1]

Hi, I am currently researching young peoples’ perceptions of health and understandings of social prescribing.

Social prescribing is a form of non-medical intervention that is being used in the NHS by healthcare professionals with the aim of enhancing people’s wellbeing.

*This study is open to those that are aged 18-25. The survey is anonymous. Please see the link to the survey below. It will only take approximately 5 minutes to complete.* Thank you!’

SURVEY CLOSING ON TUESDAY

https://westminsterpsych.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0VWsLSGzIBiZ6ES?Q_CHL=qr

[natty373]

Beautiful feast 💚 still in my mind 🙌🏽 what a joy it is to have friends over and share some home made food, with deep conscious conversations (mostly about awesome food) enriching our senses 👅 👂 👁 👃 🙌🏽 developing our first couples friendship .... so much love for the souls we hold near, for those who give time, to share moments of joy, depths connection through conversation & space holding ... so blessed to have you in this 3D realm to share with 🙌🏽 . . . #thankyou #iloveyou #gratitude #veganfeast #pesto #yellowtomatoes #salad #succulents #cacti #goodtimes #funnymoments #socialprescribing #family #love #consciousliving #slowliving #gardenpicnic #alfresco #bewhatyouwant #lovewhoyouare #friendship #liferefinementtherapies #cateringservices #styledbynatty #whitetea #honey #kombucha (at Corrimal, New South Wales, Australia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CIu-JH9gA1Y/?igshid=yay2o0exevvk

[edwardfoley]

Pleased to attend and speak at Merton Uplift today to celebrate World Mental Health Day and learn more about the great services they provide in the community. #worldmaternalmentalhealthday #mentalhealth #merton #mitcham #wimbledon #merton #mertonpark #deputymayor #socialprescribing #wimbledonguild #raynespark (at Wimbledon, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3ceyHfnFgG/?igshid=irs9om8sxsdo

[arts4therapy]

This article discusses scientific studies that highlight the benefits of art to wellbeing and mental health. (Link in bio) • Experiencing art decreases stress levels: A study from the University of Westminster found that participants' stress levels decreased after a lunchtime visit to an art gallery. • The brain is hardwired to process art: "areas of the brain involved in processing emotion and those that activate our pleasure and reward systems are also being engaged." • But perhaps the biggest benefits come from actually producing art. According to a 2014 study, producing visual art improved psychological resilience and increased brain activity for the participants by the end of the experiment. #artsandhealth #wellbeing #arttherapy #socialprescribing (at Bournemouth) https://www.instagram.com/p/BwnGpDYp97O/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=10926pegxmj32

[lapiscare]

Who? What? When? Where? (Part 2)

So how can you be part of social prescribing?

The first point of call is your GP. Your GP will put you in touch with your local link worker who will have a face to face conversation with you and design a personalized solutions prescription. 

This will include what your social, emotional and practical needs are and find solutions and services to empower you to improve your own health and well being. 

For example if you were socially isolated, your link worker would provide information for local groups and activities to become a part of. 

For mental and physical well being you may be advised to try a local park run or a Zumba gold class. where there is no judgement for your age, ability or social situation. 

Just remember social prescribing only works if you put in the effort as well. 

[anniesartthings]

FMP Progress week #8

Still on Easter break and took a few days out this week for some rest, family time and to apply for a job that will help me combine my #creativepractice and #wellbeing work promoting #socialprescribing activities. Great to do some wider research on this area as it was also useful for my #fmp topic too!

Had a good sort out of my #homestudio after the collage workshop last week and finished the collage for the #seedsedgmoor community art project as well as completing a few more with repurposing some older pieces of work and proof prints of postcards I have on sale just for fun! Continuing to repurpose packaging and recycle materials as well as try to communicate environmental and social justice themes with the work. Also noticed i had developed the linoprint piece I did last year further by incorporating it into the collage designs in differnt ways.

I stitched the bunting pennants cut from old aprons and trimmed the paper pennants made from loo roll wrappings ready to string up in my EOYS installation. These may well be devloped further with stitching, paint and collage to tie in with the #creatingrecovery theme. The collages were uploaded to the SEED Sedgmoor site and i had some lovely exchanges with the lead artist.

At the weekend I got to see a #privateview of a gallery exhibition by local artist Melanie Thompson entitled 'Where do we go from here?' I collaborated with her in a recent video performance art series and this was shown in the exhibition. I also took part in her workshop last year on installation art and she kindly agreed to do a video interview for my FMP project, so I have video and audio material to include in my show. I learned a lot about how to set up a show and describe each installation and got to chat to the other core artists at the gallery and learn more about hteir work and upcoming shows. There were some really interesting layouts in the exhibition- with chairs hanging from ceilings ('Gravity Falls' see below), video installation of the Empathetic shoes work, and traditional hanging pieces too.

One of the ehibits 'Sheersburg girls' was a rather poignant series of prints of former students that the artist taught in 1995 in Germany and she had carried their photos with her meaning to do follow up work at a later date with more up to date photos. When she contacted the training venue to trace the students again they had deleted all records, so the artist made marks on the images of these 'lost' women and displays them in this exhibition.

For relaxation I played with watercolours this week as I realised I hadn't painted for a while. Did some #shadowdrawing of a glass of water on the table, then I added random circles to create an abstract piece, and also did a quick study of a honey jar that was sat on the breakfast table. This was pure playtime and relaxation in the morning sun after breakfast, and it was good to get over the fear of watercolours which I develop from time to time if I havent made time for practice.

I ended the week updating my sketchbook, reflecting in this blog and planning work for next week back at college-- only 2 weeks left before have to set up show and I have a lot of work to do to finish ceramics pieces and plan layout of show space.

[practical-conservation-leeds]

First post and introduction!

So this is me just trying out a few thing in order to get things started on the old blogging front. I thought I would see what different kinds of posts look like before I decide whether to use this platform or an alternative.

This is going to be a place for me to post about my ongoing volunteer officer training at TCV Skelton Grange. For anyone that doesn't know, The Conservation Volunteers were founded in 1959 with the aim of harnessing the enthhusiasm of amateur conservationists to care for nature and the environment within their local communities. With the recent focus on social prescribing within mental health services, it has also become part of their remit to run groups supporting vulnerable or isolated people with their wellbeing.

I have been involved with TCV a few times in the past, including attending a Conservation Holiday in 2006 where the task was to re-surface a public footpath with gravel and reinforce the steps. I am unsure of the location but we stayed in a youth hostel and the volunteer leader came to work in a very NSFW t-shirt which he had borrowed from his son and not looked at before he put it on - LOL. Back then they were called British Trust for Conservation Volunteers and I may have been given a t-shirt as a thank-you for attending (not the obscene one that the instructor wore though).

Then a few years later I started volunteering at TCV Hollybush (based in Kirkstall) but that was in the administration office and not really involved in hands-on conservation. As a student in Leeds I had also volunteered with Hyde Park Source which again had an environmental angle, but was more about transforming bin yards in inner city Leeds (still a worthy and rewarding exercise).

It was only as a 40-something and after having taken time off work following a serious health incident that I made my mind up once and for all that conservation is the direction that I wanted my career to move in. But more on that later...

Here is a photo of my first visit to Skelton Grange:

The location itself is an odd one and quite hard to find if you are unfamiliar with that part of Leeds (which I am). You need to go up Pontefract Road and then navigate your way through a series of industrial estates in order to find it. The environment centre itself is nestled between a National Grid substation, a Yorkshire Water sewage treatment plant, and the site of a new 'combined heat and power' plant which is still under construction - e.g. not in the least bit peaceful or relaxing! On the other side you have the River Aire, and the canal (part of the Aire and Calder Navigation) which is slightly more tranquil.

This photo is of a more recent visit - you can see the new power plant in the far distance on the right:

[surveycircle]

New on my Pinterest: New Studies @SurveyCircle http://bit.ly/2De7Qh7 : Participants needed for online survey! Topic: "Social Prescribing User Experiences in the UK" http://bit.ly/2FJZF03 via @SurveyCircle #uk #gp #health #nhs #socialprescribing #nurse #LocalCommunityServices #survey #surveycircle http://bit.ly/2YpR2z0 #SurveyCircle #Research #Survey #Study #CallForParticipants #Participants #Respondents | Participate now: http://bit.ly/2XdxRqE

[paintingsinhospitals]

“Art became my retreat from the chores of life. Everything felt better. I was able to break the cycle of resentment and pessimism that was consuming me” - Artist Anjali B Purkayastha on the meditative power of art (link in bio) • • • • • #artsinhealth #60voices #culturehealth #artshealthwellbeing #socialprescribing #mindfulness #meditation #meditate #mindful #quote #wellbeing #quotes #wellness #quoteoftheday #yoga #draw #ink #artoftheday #healing #instaquote #color #creative #arts #instaartist #graphic — view on Instagram http://bit.ly/30ObgnU

[dreddymd]

Tweeted

RT @letusrevolt: @MineralDoc I think you’d like to join in the #socialprescribing hour on twitter on Weds 8-9pm 😉 All things #LifeStyleMedicine #functionalmedicine #linkworkers with primary care under the hashtag #socialpreshour All about non-medical interventions which are …

— Eddy Bettermann 🇩🇪 (@DrEddyMD) April 1, 2018

[natty373]

What a glorious way to initiate Willow to my world by taking him to wonderful arms of @moorestreetgeneral to nourish us with chai, chats & connection this am! 🥰 To this wonderful woman 🙌🏽 I am so grateful @penny2901 for ALL ur support, care & kindness that u share with me/us over the years!! 💕👌🏾❤️Totally awe & gratitude 🙏🏽 to you!! ... this was our first outing the two of us = Success ... to realise this little little guy loves to be out at sunrise 🌅 on the elements brings light to my heart ♥️ as we learn each other a little more each day!! So much love!! . . . #namaste #friyey #socialprescribing #connection #consciousconversations #localcoffeeshop #yogachats #babylife #livingphilosophy #slowliving #morningrituals #friendship #fun #sunrisesessions #liferefinementtherapies #ma #gratitude #mamalife #homebirth #gentleparenting (at Moore Street General) https://www.instagram.com/p/CQPX7Txj8nW/?utm_medium=tumblr