In Stockwell, a long-standing partnership between residents, voluntary and community groups, GP practices, the Council and others is providing essential support to vulnerable communities, promoting good physical and mental health by connecting residents to social and community activities that improve their wellbeing and resilience.
Thriving Stockwell’s community living rooms, held in childrens’ centres, arts spaces and community centres, run as peer support groups where members decide on activities to do that will support their overall health and wellbeing. This might be yoga, coffee and chat sessions, sewing, or rumba. Over twenty groups have run since 2023, involving Portuguese and Spanish speakers, Black mothers, LGBTQ+ people and individuals experiencing long term pain. The groups have support from Thriving Stockwell and Stockwellbeing Primary Care Network to establish themselves, connect them to useful sources of information or advice, and to run some of their activities, with most becoming self-sustaining over time.
Participants have reported greater levels of satisfaction with their life in general, improved mental health and a greater sense of purpose at the end of 12 weeks. Participants also reported closer social relationships, fewer worries about financial and material stability, and fewer concerns about safety, food and housing security.
Thriving Stockwell’s approach to health and wellbeing goes beyond traditional NHS structures and works proactively to connect people to services, services to services, and people to people, and provides much learning for Lambeth as we further develop neighbourhood ways of working.