Community Connections

Community Connections was a fortnight of online and in-person activities hosted by GP practices in the Mile End and Bromley By Bow area. With each practice taking a different theme, it was a chance for local people to try out new things like Zumba and gardening and learn more about health and wellbeing.

The events presented opportunities for our community to reconnect, but also for staff to meet with their patients and the wider network of practitioners, enabling them to build connections and improve teamwork.

Events were organised in collaboration with the Population Health team from the Bromley by Bow Health Partnership, MEEB, Well One, Community Connectors and the Felix project.

Mental Wellbeing

Week one kicked off at St Andrews and included a guest from mental health charity, Mind who shared knowledge with patients and locals and a Patient Pod mini assessment helped people to understand their current health needs.

Many conversations about how to stay well took place and it was wonderful to see so many smiling faces. The activities and stalls supplied tips and advice that anyone could take away with them to apply to their everyday lives.

The highlight of the day was when staff, patients, community members and passers-by all came together for a taster Zumba session – people even joined in from nearby balconies!

“I loved being able to see and meet people again”.

Children and families

St. Paul’s Way hosted the children and families day which included support from the rapid response social prescribing team, the Population Health Team, Year Here Fellows and general social prescribers.

Social prescribing was offered by our team and DIY parent workshops could be explored with new parents.

“It was nice reconnecting with people”.

Activities included messy play painting and play dough for the kids, as well as a talk from the Toy House Library about the importance of play. Dental students from Queen Mary University attended to provide open discussion on oral health with props for children and parents to use and also goody bags to go home with. The snacks on offer were of course healthy!

A representative from Mind came to advise on mental health and wellbeing for women and also to talk about setting up a dad’s peer support group in the near future.

Nature

Wellington Way Medical Centre hosted our nature themed day. Fun activities included seed planting and pebble painting. Collective Works PLC attended to consult staff and local people about a landscaping plan at the site. A representative from Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park attended to offer support and advice around horticultural plans and local artist David Burbage attended to discuss his collaborative mural plans. A Community Researcher from the Bromley by Bow Act Early team also attended to listen to the community’s ideas.

The community response was overwhelmingly positive with many participants expressing an interest in learning more about activities for parents, gardening and walking groups and information sessions on important subjects like postnatal depression.

Online

After our week of in-person events, the fun continued with a week of online activities. We started off with relaxing chair yoga, then led into an informative Health Literacy Talk, explored the imagination with a Creative Writing Workshop, then a beautiful classical piano recital, and ended the week on a high with a pop quiz.

“We need more of this”.

What’s next?

Our Community Wellbeing and Social Prescribing Week is happening 7th-11th March at the Centre.

We will be running a Community Connections event every three months. Our next Community Connection day will be on Saturday 21st May 2022.

To find out more, email thccg.connectedcommunities@nhs.net.

Community art project

We’ve created Artscapes that feature urban life in Tower Hamlets. We invite you to help us to make it beautiful by adding your personal touch.

Community health project

Do you want to improve health and wellbeing for families and children locally? We invite you to attend the launch of our new project: ‘Rise to Shine’, on Wednesday 30th March, 11am-1pm.

To find out more and register your interest in any of our projects, please email thccg.connectedcommunities@nhs.net.