The Well Communities programme invests in local community-led projects by finding out from local people what they would like to be improved in their communities and developing programmes that reflect each community's particular health and wellbeing needs.
View the below video to learn more about Well Communities:
Our role
RSPH was tasked with creating a new “Training Communities” bespoke programme in association with Well London, for people who live in the most deprived areas of London. The training was designed to improve individual's knowledge in health related topics and provide practical skills in order to help others in their community improve their lives.
How did we do this?
Project team members visited volunteers and community members in their local area and held focus groups asking them what they would want in a programme, what skills are important to them and what they wanted to gain from this opportunity.
About the training
The programme looks at building core communication and project management skills, marketing, outreach work and developing their role as a Well London volunteer/health pioneer for their area. It seeks to improve confidence and self belief, providing people with a voice and opportunity to influence their community in addition to developing an understanding of the vital health and wellbeing messages which can delivered to their peers.
The training incorporates the Level 2 Award in Understanding Health Improvement, Level 1 Award in Health Awareness and Level 2 Award in Applied Health Improvement and delivered over five days (25 contact hours) running six times in the allocated boroughs.
Well London
In phase 1 of Well London a wide variety of activities took place themed around mental well-being, physical activity, healthy eating, open spaces, and arts and culture with initiatives to build confidence and practical skills through volunteering and being involved in project delivery.
Phase 2 is based on a peer-to-peer approach and involves volunteer co-ordinators working with their local communities to increase their knowledge of services and resources focussed on healthy eating choices, levels of physical activity, mental wellbeing, social interaction and community participation.