The North East Place and Wellbeing Network

 

The North East Place and Wellbeing (NE P&WB) Network is an informal network which was developed from the first ‘Using Place as a Lens to Improve Health’ symposium held in September 2022. The symposiums have been hosted by the North East Population Health Alliance.

There are currently over 100 members signed up to the network. Members receive regular updates on current development, publications, events, funding opportunities related to Place and Wellbeing across the North East.

 

Although the network is informal at the moment it has an outline Terms of Reference and has agreed a particular aim to:

“Develop opportunities and build on existing resources to support individuals and communities to engage with the natural environment to improve their health, wellbeing and resilience”

 

The NE P&WB Network objectives are to:

  • Promote an equality of access to nature for the benefit of health and wellbeing, applying a Community-Led Health approach.
  • Establish a ‘Green Health Pathway’ and develop tests of change around social prescribing.
  • Develop a shared learning and understanding of ‘Place and Wellbeing’ through data and experience, in context of the ‘Natural Environment’ and the benefits to people’s health.
  • Establish and sustain a ‘North East Place and Wellbeing Network’ and a sharing platform to build networks and learning.

 

As a regional network there have been a couple of pieces of work the network has wanted to focus on and they are:

  • Adopt a common language and understanding around ‘Place’.
  • Develop a policy that compliments and enriches national, regional and local strategies.
  • Gather stories and listen to lived experience.
  • Create capacity to sustain green spaces.
  • Invest time and resources to gather data to evidence the benefits of Place and Wellbeing.
  • To take ‘test of change’ Social Prescribing projects to the next level and develop a universal model with an agreed single directory of services.
  • Raise awareness of the benefits to accessing nature and green spaces with a focus on the younger generation.

 

Further Information

North East Population Health Alliance (nhsgrampian.org)

Using Place as a lens to improve Health 2023 (nhsgrampian.org)

Events - The North East Place and Wellbeing Network

Newsletters - The North East Place and Wellbeing Network