Communities in Calderdale will soon benefit from increased opportunities to enjoy arts, culture and other activities to improve health and wellbeing, through the power of social prescribing – especially in areas hardest hit by the impacts of COVID-19.

Following a successful bid to the national Thriving Communities Fund, delivered by the National Academy for Social Prescribing and partners, Calderdale will receive the maximum available funding of £50,000 to support voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise projects in the borough.

The bid for funding was submitted as a joint project involving multiple organisations, including Calderdale Council, Active Calderdale, the South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, voluntary sector groups and creative and cultural organisations such as Halifax-based community arts organisation, Artworks, The Everybody School of Art. Wider partnership working will also be established when the project launches.

The funding will be used to plan and deliver community activities including those involving the arts, creativity and culture, sport and activity and those focused on wellbeing. The work will support the recovery from COVID-19 by redeveloping community connections and supporting local organisations to work together more effectively for the benefit of local residents.

The Thriving Communities Fund will support 37 projects across England and is being delivered in a unique partnership between National Academy for Social Prescribing, Arts Council England, Historic England, National Academy for Social Prescribing, Natural England, NHS England and NHS Improvement, Sport England, the Money & Pensions Service and NHS Charities Together.

It is part of the Thriving Community programme, which aims to strengthen the range of social prescribing activities offered locally, enhance collaboration and networking between local organisations and enable social prescribing link workers to connect people to more creative community activities and services. The programme is enabling providers working in arts, culture and heritage, nature, physical activity and offering life advice and support to develop initiatives, learn and network, and build the evidence base for social prescribing.