PARTNER ORGANISATIONS AND RESOURCES
Understanding wider networks and key partners can help Town and Parish Councils to improve community health and wellbeing through collaboration and effective engagement. This section has a number of useful links to organisations working across Worcestershire and resources from national networks.
Health and Wellbeing in Worcestershire - Advice and guidance for physical health and mental health and wellbeing. To access the many resources and a wealth of information to support the wellbeing of people across the county visit Health and wellbeing | Worcestershire County Council
Centre for Ageing Better – As the national and local population becomes increasingly older, there are a number of things T/PCs can do to enable their communities to become more age friendly. This online booklet provides an initial framework to consider.
Healthy Worcestershire – A free health improvement programme in Worcestershire. The weekly sessions will help people to be active and healthy and have fun meeting new people in their area. Delivered by Solutions 4 Health on behalf of Worcestershire County Council, the service is open to anyone over 18 who lives in or is registered with a GP in Worcestershire. To find your local group visit the Healthy Worcestershire website.
Outreach in Motion: A new way to connect with the community.
Are you a service provider who wants to reach out to more people in the community? Do you want to join a network of mobile outreach projects that can help you deliver your services more effectively? If so, you might be interested in Outreach in Motion, a new initiative supported by Worcestershire County Council.
Outreach in Motion is a collaboration between the Mobile Community Outreach Partnership. It aims to offer opportunities for other services to use the existing community buses as platforms for outreach work. You can either join one of the buses at an event or be hosted by the bus on their rounds. You can also display your information and advice materials on the buses to reach those who are not online.
To find out more visit the website here Outreach in Motion :: Herefordshire and Worcestershire Integrated Care System
National Association of Local Councils (NALC) – Host a useful health and wellbeing page and an informative resource containing example case studies and links to information for Town and Parish Councils, visit – Health and wellbeing (nalc.gov.uk).
Community Services Directory - Enables you to search for support or services in your area. You can also register your organisation to appear on the directory for Worcestershire residents to find you here.
The VCSE Alliance – Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise organisations play a critical role within local health and care systems both as service providers, in engaging communities and giving people a voice.
The aim of the VCSE Alliance is to promote a strong and visible VCSE sector working collaboratively to deliver excellent services that are aligned to need.
The Alliance supports (VCSE) organisations to become partners within the Integrated Care System (ICS). By working together we aim to improve the health and wellbeing of people in Worcestershire and reduce inequalities.
Parish and Town Councils are invited to attend meetings and to access resources and training through The VCSE Alliance. Visit their website to find out more information.
Worcestershire Advice Network - A partnership of local agencies here to help you with everyday problems such as benefits, housing and debt. They can also help you understand how care and support services work locally, the care and funding options available and how people can access care and support services. All advice and information is free and confidential. Follow this link to find out more Worcestershire Advice Network.
Network of Wellbeing – A Devon based charity that have some really interesting online content to help inspire and inform on wellbeing, see their Five Ways to Wellbeing page for further information. Their Improving Wellbeing in your Community article is also insightful.
Active Herefordshire and Worcestershire - An independent charity who use physical activity and sport as a tool to improve the lives of residents across Worcestershire. They run a number of initiatives and programmes and would be a useful consultee if considering any physical activity initiatives. To find out more about the support they offer visit their website here.
Worcestershire Insights - A free and open website designed so that users can easily access local data relevant to Worcestershire. This site brings together data from local and national sources, across several themes to provide a full overview of Worcestershire and how it compares locally and nationally.
The data available could support both planning and research prior to any funding application. The data will form a base line of research which could be used to support your bid for funding or grants. An essential tool to support local charities or groups to secure funding.
Worcestershire County Council have developed a helpful guide for Town and Parish Councils to access relevant information for their communities. You can access it here through the ‘Parish Data Resource’ using this link PowerBi Dashboards
Worcestershire Community First - It is an enabling organisation for supporting individuals and groups to make a difference for their local communities. This is achieved through connecting and engaging with the community, identifying where essential services could make a difference to peoples’ lives and facilitating this change through the actions of dedicated individuals and organisations. Connect central government funding initiatives to communities so they can make a real difference. Running a variety of programs visit Worcestershire Community First to find more details.
Herefordshire and Worcestershire Wellbeing and Recovery College - offer a wide range of FREE educational courses covering Mental Health, Wellbeing, Recovery and Life Skills online and face-to-face. They also have a number of valuable resources on their website to help people to understand their own mental health and that of people around them. Visit their website here HW Wellbeing & Recovery College | NHS Charities Together
Health in Neighbourhood Planning - Planning shapes the places in which people live and their ability to live healthy lives. Neighbourhood planning, introduced by the Localism Act 2011, gives communities direct power to develop a shared vision for their neighbourhood and shape the development and growth of their local area. The process of making a neighbourhood plan provides an important opportunity to ensure that new development and changes proposed in a neighbourhood plan area (typically the area covered by 1-2 town or parish councils) are planned and designed to support people’s health and wellbeing.
Norfolk County Council have developed a guide for anyone working on a neighbourhood plan Health in Neighbourhood Plans
Effective Community Engagement – Many councils look at ways to engage and understand the needs of a community. One method is to use a Community Survey, either specifically for Health and Wellbeing or as part of a wider Parish Plan. We have developed an example questionnaire that you can use as a starting point Example Health and Wellbeing Survey
