A NATIONAL day to celebrate social prescribing will be marked in Harwich and Clacton next week with a range of activities.
To help the community understand how social prescribing works the Community Voluntary Services Tendring (CVST) will be hosting a Social Prescribing Day in both its headquarters in Dovercourt and Harwich Hub and in Imperial House, Clacton
CVST has a team of social prescribers – people who ‘prescribe’ social support to people to improve their health - working across Tendring in GP surgeries, hospitals, and within hubs.
At the event, there will be free NHS health checks, Henna demonstrations, access to social prescribers from a range of groups, and refreshments.
CVST’s social prescribers are linked to GPs across Tendring and help residents with issues such as weight management, befriending, loneliness, isolation, low level mental health, and getting active.
Sharon Dixon, head of communities at CVST, said: “Social Prescribing is a really important part of looking after our community in a way that takes pressure off our health services.
“And it can really change lives, whether that’s helping someone to get out of the house to make friends or get more active, or it could be supporting someone in being discharged from hospital.
Ms Dixon added: “What’s key is the overall wellbeing of our community, and helping with the issues that they might not know who to turn to for support.
“The term social prescribing isn’t all that well known by residents, so we want to open our doors and invite the community in to learn more.”
CVST is an umbrella organisation for the local voluntary sector and assists organisations and charities, hosting the Tendring Trustee Network, the Community Forum and the Community Network Breakfast.
While social prescribing, also known as community referral, in its modern form has been practiced since the 1990s, with a growing body of evidence showing that it can lead to positive health and well-being outcomes.
People are welcomed to “just turn up” at the events which will both run from 12pm to 4.30pm and fr more information visit here or call 01255 425692.
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