Social Prescribing And Civic Engagement

ongoing

Volunteering as part of social prescribing (SP) schemes is beneficial for physical, mental health and wellbeing and promotes civic engagement. SPACE creates an easily replicable framework for SP through volunteering in Community/ Urban Gardens as a core option for such schemes enabling 30 health & social care professionals & NGO leaders to build capacity in SP to engage 125 cancer patients. SPACE develops an upscaled methodology with resources to train health, social care and rehabilitation practitioners as well as volunteering/NGO leaders, building their capacity to include volunteering in urban/ Community Gardens as part of healthcare and rehabilitation interventions especially for people recovering from cancer. In this way links between health & social care providers and civil society are made to better meet community needs. SPACE will improve social inclusion and diversity in civic engagement whilst at the same time reducing health disparities and inequalities in Europe. The sustainability of results will be ensured through the free availability of the training programme leading to increased skills for health, social care and rehabilitation practitioners, NGO staff and volunteers as well as policymakers. The SPACE Community of Practice will promote the methodology leading to increased quality of activities and practices, including transnationally, to address common needs and priorities for people of diverse backgrounds and situations concerning their civic engagement opportunities as well as health and rehabilitation needs, especially for people recovering from cancer, and in this way contributing to the EU Cancer Mission. The resources and policy work will introduce new actors to volunteering, civil society and civic engagement enabling transformation and change at individual, organisational and sectoral level, leading to improvements, new approaches and upgraded skills in a variety of different health, social care and rehabilitation contexts.