Local Councils are in a unique position to bring together people working in their patch. This can provide workers and volunteers an opportunity to meet, join up work and improve their services locally. One Local Council hosts a Health & Wellbeing Network where GPs, community groups and the Councils do this.
If you would like to do something similar, please get in touch to register your interest.
Case study: Somersham’s Health & Wellbeing Group
A Parish Councillor from Somersham set up a local health and wellbeing group for the village. The group have three simple goals - to encourage people and organisations to work together more efficiently at the local level; to build community capacity; and to enhance people’s lives. Nearly two years later, the group is still growing and includes the Clinical Commissioning Group. The Parish Councillor says:
"The initial meeting was really useful – some people who’d been working on similar issues were meeting for the first time. It was possible to see all the overlaps. We were able to do some asset mapping – looking at everything that was available in our communities, all the positive energy of people and all the knowledge and resources that we could all draw on. Now people know who’s working locally and how to get in touch between meetings – they work on things together much more. Sometimes what’s needed is to get the right people in the room to make connections"
