A project to connect local communities has been launched in North East Derbyshire and Chesterfield to provide funding and support aimed at tackling social isolation.
A project to connect local communities has been launched in North East Derbyshire and Chesterfield. Feeling Connected is a partnership led by Derbyshire Voluntary Action with the support of Chesterfield Borough Council and North East Derbyshire District Council.
It provides funding and support aimed at tackling social isolation by encouraging volunteering, nurturing neighbourliness and developing new initiatives to address some of the barriers causing loneliness and the associated mental health problems that come with it.
Breaking down the barriers
Plans were actually being put in place before COVID-19 hit for the Feeling Connected project because of growing concerns about loneliness. Public surveys were being run and the activities of local voluntary sector groups were being mapped.
When the pandemic hit, an action plan was about to be launched. With signs local residents were further losing their connections and becoming isolated it was decided one of the first steps should be the recruitment of a social connectedness development worker to support local people and groups to break down the barriers they were facing.
Derbyshire Voluntary Action Business and Operations Manager Julia Cook said: “The development worker is really involved at a neighbourhood level, working with individuals and small groups.
“For example, there is one community that was meeting on a patch of grass outside their houses during the pandemic for a chat or a game of bingo as that was the only way to socialise. She helped get them some lights on the greenspace. It created a sense of community and she arranged a Christmas lunch at a local community centre for them.
It made a huge difference to that community. Some of them had not left their homes since the start of the pandemic. There is a huge amount of anxiety out there.
“She has also worked with spouses of military veterans who have PTSD to set up a peer support group. Peer support is a common theme with a lot of the work – getting people together to support each other. The pandemic has disrupted many of the local networks that used to be there so it is about re-establishing them or find new ones.”
The creation of the post has proved so successful that a second development worker is now in the process of being recruited.
Funding new initiatives
The second part of the project has involved the creation of a Feeling Connected fund to help new initiatives get off the ground. This has supported five separate projects so far although more funding is available for this year.
One of the organisations that received funding was the Derbyshire Education Business Partnership. The partnership ran a project called ‘Let’s Get Creative’ which was aimed at young people with learning difficulties. They took part in a range of initiatives including river walks which was combined with developing a guided app around the trail, helping them develop employability skills as well as tackling social isolation.
Meanwhile, EMH Care and Support received money to provide additional support for adults with learning difficulties to gain independence by developing digital skills.
Michelle Drain, Inclusion and Engagement Co-ordinator at EMH Care and Support, said: “Many of our service users experience barriers when it comes to online usage and they feel anxious and need reassurance to help and encourage them. Thanks to the funding from the Feeling Connected project, we have been able teach them how to use technology and online platforms, such as emails and Zoom.
“This has enabled them to engage with others in order to create a wider network and make them feel part of a community – something they have missed out on hugely.”
Meanwhile, social enterprise Kakou has received funding to run mental wellbeing workshops involving art, music and signing and Ashgate Hospice Care has used its grant to buy seven tablet devices to create an
IT equipment loan service for its community patients, many of whom have had to shield and have very limited contacts.
The tablets are all set up with the most up to date software, apps and, for those without broadband, the sim cards they need to access virtual hospice support, wellbeing activities and a way to connect with others to combat their feelings of isolation and loneliness.
‘We’re trying to provide the boost people need’
Councillor Jill Mannion-Brunt, Chesterfield Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, said: “Tackling social isolation and supporting our residents to overcome the impact of the pandemic is a priority for Chesterfield Borough Council and is at the heart of our COVID-19 recovery plan.
“Many people have experienced social isolation throughout the pandemic – especially those who have limited access to technology so we’re really pleased to be supporting this project and looking into new initiatives which will help promote social connectedness for our residents.”
And Councillor Alan Powell, North East Derbyshire District Council’s Cabinet Member for Partnership Engagement and Strategy, added: “The pandemic has affected us all, but for some people the feelings of loneliness and isolation have been greatly amplified during this time.
“Organisations like chat groups, art classes and other groups play a huge part in a local community and can provide people with the boost they need if they are feeling lonely or isolated.”
Contact details
Julia Cook, Business and Operations Manager, Derbyshire Voluntary Action