The Lambeth Community Fund – happiness and wellbeing awards

1. The Lambeth Community Fund – happiness and wellbeing awards Cathy Togher senior programme & relationships manager

2. Supporting increased wellbeing • Partnership between Lambeth Council, NHS South East London and LCF launched in 2011 – the Lambeth communities for health programme • £80,000 grants programme with capacity building support • Grants from £2,838 to £9,900 to 11 organisations • Focus on physical health as well as overall aim to improve wellbeing for local residents • Additional training from colleagues at SLAM on wellbeing and Mental Health First Aid training

3. 1st year highlights Springfield Community Flat – women and girls project

4. 1st year highlights • 11 grants • supported 460 residents • two MHFA training programmes • two tailored designed ‘what is wellbeing workshops’, two measuring wellbeing workshops and one fundraising session was delivered. • 76 training placements were accessed by local organisations (reaching 31 organisations that were not funded through the main programme) • 21 hours of one to one capacity building support was provided to grantees

5. Then came the Lambeth happiness and wellbeing grants… • In 2012 Lambeth Clinical Commissioning Group agreed to run another programme – the Lambeth happiness & wellbeing fund • Groups had shown that a small amount of funding can go a long way and have a bigger impact if community / user led • £16,756 awarded to 11 local groups ranging from £1,161 to £2,000 • A greater focus on improving wellbeing

6. Lambeth happiness and wellbeing grants • Priorities based on consultation feedback from Lambeth groups: • Address the impact of welfare reforms and socio-economic differences • Give young people skills and tools to cope with stress and depression and build resilience • Tackle isolation and loneliness and improve, expand and strengthen social networks • Encourage measuring the impact on the wellbeing of the beneficiaries – evidencing our approach

7. Lambeth happiness and wellbeing grants – what happened? • 180 residents supported to improve their mental wellbeing to date • 369 indirect beneficiaries • Primary beneficiaries were children and young people 22.2%, adults and older people at 22.2% • 8 out of the 9 groups used a form of wellbeing measurement • 34 volunteers helped deliver the work – 16 of whom were new and also beneficiaries • One group secured an additional £3,700 for their work

8. Case study – Art4Space • Funding was to run the ‘Get Involved’ project; a five-week course for five young people from a local youth club to undertake a community arts project and gain accreditation. • Worked with 19 young people in the end! • Ran extra sessions • Used short Warwick –Edinburgh scale – all showed at least a two point improvement in wellbeing • Five young people gained NOCN accreditation • Measuring wellbeing now used across all their work!

9. Case study – Southbank Mosaics • To provide training in mosaic arts for 10 adults at risk of marginalisation due to mental ill health in Lambeth • Used NEF dynamic model of wellbeing with limited success • All participants have gained confidence and feel more social • Team went through Mental Health First Aid training as a result • Promoting ‘five ways to wellbeing’ with all attendees now • Veronica’s story…

10. Case study - Colombo Centre • They ran a ‘living well’ programme of activities for over 60s living in the local area. This included physical exercise, cookery classes, dance classes and social activities • Supported 55 older people (original target was 30) • Wellbeing questionnaires • Beneficiaries showed 1 point improvement in self efficacy, 2 point improvement in health and sense of wellbeing by 1 point • Continued friendship and activities after the project finished

11. Additional outcomes • Long term benefits: • Groups using monitoring to secure new funding • 6/9 projects continuing work at some level • Beneficiaries – friends made through the work have continued after the project and continue to decrease isolation and improve wellbeing • Groups integrating wellbeing measurements into core work (recognising all that they do improves wellbeing!) • Partnerships – new relationships with statutory providers in particular

12. Measuring wellbeing • Seen an increased take up • Groups more likely to secure repeat or new funding with evidence of their impact • Innovative models being used and adapted • Still facing barriers – incomplete findings, presenting information, integrating into core delivery, following through

13. Measuring wellbeing What can we do to facilitate measuring wellbeing? Prefer being handed a framework and being made to use it? Developing own frameworks? Offering a selection of methods? Training and support? User led / action research approach? What do you think?

14. Lambeth & Southwark happiness & wellbeing grants • Based on the successes of our small groups we are pleased to announce the launch of the Lambeth & Southwark happiness & wellbeing grants • Groups working in Lambeth and Southwark • Grants from £500 - £2000 • Welcome cross borough applications! • More details go to : http://www.londoncf.org.uk/grants/available-grants/overview.aspx

15. Contact us Cathy Togher cathy@londoncf.org.uk www.londoncf.org.uk telephone: 0207 582 5117 info@londoncf.org.uk