Belgrade Theatre and Coventry & Rugby GP Alliance join forces for social prescribing

Drop in sessions. Photo © Ayesha Jones.

Belgrade Theatre and Coventry & Rugby GP Alliance join forces for social prescribing drop-in session.

Thursdays 7 September, 5 October, 2 November and 7 December 11am – 1pm at the Belgrade.

Arabella Neville-Rolfe

The Belgrade Theatre and the Coventry & Rugby GP Alliance have announced that they are joining forces with the aim to improve and support the health and well-being of their local communities by offering monthly drop-in social prescribing sessions this autumn .

The sessions, which will be held in the Belgrade’s No.71 space monthly from 11am-1pm (Thursday 7 September, Thursday 5 October, Thursday 2 November and Thursday 7 December), will provide an opportunity to meet local Social Prescribers face to face to learn more about the service.

Social Prescribers offer a friendly space to provide social support, housing support, artistic activities, financial support, lifelong learning, volunteering, and physical well-being. During the drop-ins, service users can expect to receive support and information on the benefits of Social Prescribing, what to expect from their appointments, and how to get the most out of the service.

Monthly social surgeries. Photo © Ayesha Jones.

Social prescribing can help individuals have more control over their own health and find ways to improve how they feel in a way that suits them. Studies show that people get better and feel better faster than those treated with medicine alone. The monthly surgeries are also an opportunity for freelance artists and organisations in the region to have an information exchange with the social prescribers. They provide an invaluable platform to share current information about workshops and events they are leading which can be socially prescribed into and to gain insight into current health priorities for the city and region.

The team at Coventry & Rugby GP Alliance and the Belgrade Theatre are delighted to be partnering up to offer this support to their local community, share the health benefits of the arts, and bring people together.

Angela Hunt, Lead Social Prescriber of Coventry & Rugby GP Alliance said, "Social prescribing is a way of looking at a person’s health in a very holistic way. Traditionally if a person has a health issue, they might visit their GP and it will be looked at in a clinical way. Social prescribing will look at the whole picture of a person’s life. It will take into account where they are living, their finances, their social network, their friends, and their family. It is really about connecting people with different opportunities and activities in the local community to support their well-being."

"Social prescribers are such an important part of the ecology of arts and health because they play a vital role in the link between health organisations and the people that are accessing health organisations. What we have at the Belgrade is an absolute wealth of workshops for all different ages, all different abilities, and people that come from different backgrounds and environments. Our whole approach at the Belgrade is to meet people as they are, where they are, and take people on that journey with them. We are so pleased to be working with Coventry & Rugby GP Alliance and facilitating such important work," says Laura Elliot, CEO of the Belgrade Theatre.

Drop-in's will held in the Belgrade's No 71 located on the ground floor through the café.