Sunderland Culture and regional film company Turps Film have linked up to capture the impact of an innovative social prescribing initiative.
Turps Film has been commissioned to document the work of the Sunderland Social Prescription Initiative (SSPP). The project will showcase the stories of Sunderland residents who have participated in SSPP activities, allowing them to tell their stories and explore the benefits of social prescribing.
Fundamentally, social prescribing involves helping patients to improve their health, wellbeing and social welfare by connecting them to community services which might be run by a council or a local charity.
It aims to address challenges faced by GPs of increasing pressure and stretched resources, while connecting individuals with their local communities to help them feel more empowered. The SSPP initiative will explore and test how people living in Sunderland can be helped to engage with a broader range of community activities to support their health and wellbeing.
A £50,000 grant from the Thriving Communities Fund has helped to establish the partnership between Sunderland Culture, Sunderland Carers Centre, Groundwork North East & Cumbria, Equal Arts and Sunderland GP Alliance.
The project aligns with the ambition of All Together Better, an alliance of health and social care providers, local commissioners and the voluntary sector, to create a single, integrated social prescribing service for the city.
Luke Holland, Founder and Managing Director of Turps Film, said “We are extremely proud to be working alongside Sunderland Culture on such a worthy cause. Their mission is to improve the lives of the people in Sunderland through culture and it’s a huge honour for us to be a part of that mission.
“Turps Film was founded on strong northern values, and we strive to support the people of our region. We are committed to raising the profile of SSPP to promote the benefits of cultural and environmental activities. The initiative is incredibly timely with the latest mental health stats indicating that 1 in 6 people will have experienced mental health problems in the last week.”
Sunderland Culture brings together the cultural programmes of Sunderland City Council, University of Sunderland and Music, Arts and Culture (MAC) Trust into an independent charity which delivers the programme in National Glass Centre and Northern Gallery for Contemporary Art, Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens, Arts Centre Washington and The Fire Station, as well as communities around the city.
Rebecca Ball, Chief Executive of Sunderland Culture, explained: “The project will increase social connectivity and help Sunderland communities cope with the impact of Covid as part of a national initiative to embed social prescribing in communities and healthcare.”
