Charity awarded £50k for project to improve wellbeing after Covid

A Ross-on-Wye charity has been awarded £50,000 for a project to strengthen community bonds and increase access to social activities to improve mental and physical wellbeing.

Ross-on-Wye Community Development Trust (Ross CDT) will receive the funds from the National Academy for Social Prescribing (NASP)’s Thriving Communities Fund to support its work.

Their project, which is called CLOVER, aims to increase social connectedness and help local communities to cope with the impact of Covid-19.

The Ross CDT hopes it will improve access to social prescribing activities in the HR9 postcode area, especially for those over 65, the rurally isolated and carers, to improve mental and physical wellbeing.

It is planned to for 14 months between March 2021 and April 2022 and is being coordinated by Ross CDT on behalf of a partnership comprising five other partners.

Ross CDT chairman Jane Roberts said: “We’re absolutely delighted that The Thriving Communities Fund understands our vision for social prescribing in the community.

“With huge competition for the funding we are over the moon and we feel this is a huge step for us in achieving what our charity originally set out to do.

“Now the hard work begins and we very much look forward to working alongside our partners who are all committed professionals and care deeply about the wellbeing of our communities.”

More than 200 applications were received and just 37 projects were selected by NASP across England to receive funding from The Thriving Community programme – a unique partnership between NASP, Arts Council England, Historic England, Natural England, NHS England and NHS Improvement, Sport England, the Money & Pensions Service and NHS Charities Together.

Their collective aim is to strengthen the range of social prescribing activities offered locally, enhance collaboration and networking between local organisations and enable social prescribing link workers to connect people to more creative community activities and services.

The strong application submitted by the Ross CDT, demonstrated to NASP that this powerful partnership would benefit local communities in far reaching ways, supporting people who have suffered during the global pandemic. The partnership, involving Herefordshire Council’s Social Prescribing Team, also includes:

• Active Herefordshire & Worcestershire – a vibrant, independent organisation focusing on creating a more active and healthier community by enabling a thriving, sustainable environment of physical activity and sport;
• Herefordshire Wildlife Trust – with 5,000 members and over 200 volunteers, the charity aims to bring people closer to nature and inspire people of all ages to discover and care for Herefordshire’s wildlife;
• Ignite CIC – an arts award supporter, the team works closely with the community, encouraging people to get involved with healthy leisure and creative activities whilst employing highly qualified instructors, coaches and creative practitioners;
• Rural Media – a Hereford-based charity producing award-winning films and digital arts projects, working with communities, schools, groups and individuals to create issue-driven films, heritage and digital arts projects that raise awareness, influence change and celebrate rural life.

Other voluntary groups and social enterprises will also be encouraged to engage in Ross CDT’s CLOVER project, creating opportunities for volunteers to get involved and help support the aims of this exciting new partnership.