Merton Be Well Hubs showcase their impact
Be Well Hubs across Merton recently came together to share their experience of being part of the flagship South London Listens 'Be Well' programme.
Hosted in the heart of Merton at St Barnabas Church in Mitcham, over 50 Be Well Hub reps and community leaders reflected on how being a Hub has empowered their organisation and given them the confidence to support their communities wellbeing.
As well as sharing stories on how each group became accredited, we reflected on ‘what a healthier Merton looks like' and what role Hubs can play in achieving that vision.
Joining in the discussion was our Chief Executive Vanessa Ford, who explained: " It was fantastic to meet with so many engaged and passionate members of the community along with our Citizens UK colleagues. There is real power in the room and we really do want to strengthen relationships between the Trust and the Hubs, including identifying new hubs, too … i t’s so important to have as many Hubs as possible in places that matter to people."
The Be Well programme was set up in 2021 by South London Listens and local community leaders. It helps tackle loneliness and poor mental health by creating safe spaces in the community for people to make use of. The Hubs are run by trusted organisations such as community centres, schools, libraries, faith groups, health centres, football clubs and cafés, and provide people with support and connection.
Each Be Well space offers:
- a friendly place to talk and build connections
- activities to improve wellbeing and reduce isolation
- practical support and signposting to other services
- a chance to join with others to address local inequalities
There are currently over 100 Be Well sites across the south west and south east of London, of which there are 14 in Merton . These include:
- Mitcham Parish Church
- Wimbledon College
- YMCA
- Merton Libraries
- St Barnabas, Mitcham
- Sacred Heart Wimbledon
- Merton Metronome Café
- Salvation Army
