Report Shows Positive Impact of Creative Health and Wellbeing Community Programme in Cornwall

A new report published from a local social enterprise confirms the positive range and scale of its impact on individuals and organisations in Cornwall and beyond.

Arts Well works in creative health, to promote activities that help with depression, anxiety and distress; whilst providing a range of creative opportunities directly to the public, businesses and other organisations.

Arts Well’s new Impact Report assessed its work undertaken over the past two and a half years, and how it has affected individuals and organisations with which it has worked.

Findings highlight a reach of thousands of people and that Arts Well continues to provide the highest quality training and development sessions that meet the needs of those working in creative health, and that it improves health and the wellbeing of individuals, groups and communities.

From April 2021 to December 2023, the period covered by the report, Arts Well delivered programmes across Cornwall that includes 32 projects aimed at people most impacted by the pandemic, through its “Creative Health and Wellbeing Community Programme”, engaging 642 participants directly in creative health activities including: a creative outdoor project with adults with learning difficulties; a music project for young women experiencing poor mental health; an arts and crafts group for older isolated people; creative activity sessions for families in insecure or temporary accommodation; and arts and crafts sessions for carers.

The Social Value Engine (SVE)  used to calculate the social return on investment indicates that for every £1 invested in the project, the social value return was £7.87, with outcomes including:  reduced social isolation; improved feeling of belonging in the local community; increased confidence; relief from depression and/or anxiety; and improved wellbeing for people with dementia.

Participant comments included: “…I can recommend this course to anyone feeling a bit low and needing a mood enhancer. I found it really useful… one lady started coming just after her husband died from Covid and the group has been a lifeline to her since losing him…A very special way to enjoy and connect with my child…I don’t cry on the days that I have the workshops to come to…The workshops help me fight depression and dark thoughts…I arrived feeling a bit out of place and left feeling inspired!...”

Other programmes included: 63 projects for young people in Cornwall via its “Arts Lab” programme, in partnership with Creative Kernow and Headstart Kernow; 8 online “Writing for Wellbeing” sessions as part of Mental Health Awareness week and Creativity and Wellbeing Week; “Fun Palace” for local residents and workers in October 2022, with the aim of building connections within the TR10 8FG community; a “Wellbeing at Work” event for Creativity and Wellbeing Week; 8 workshops in partnership with the National Trust and social prescribers at Godolphin House; 6 “Vounder Therapy Garden” workshops in  partnership with the Eden Project; and 10 “Community Health and Wellbeing events” focused on health and wellbeing of individuals and communities in partnership with a wide range of other voluntary, community and social enterprise sector (VCSE) organisations across the region.

Jayne Howard, Director of Arts Well, said:

“We knew our work encompassed the whole of Cornwall but it was good to see that reflected in our maps of activities, with over 3000 people reached spanning all areas. We felt that as a small organisation with just three part-time staff - Vicki Bampfield-Hammond, Project Coordinator; Olivia Beckwith, Development Director; and myself as Director - we excelled in what we deliver, and putting this report together really demonstrated that. 

 Jayne continued “The survey - carried out by an independent organisation - provided us with very welcome information on how we are valued by others including creative practitioners, health and care staff and organisations.  We have an excellent reputation, but it was humbling to see how much our work and expertise is valued - especially the importance of connecting people to the wider creative health movement.  We also knew that our training and professional development programme was well-received, but seeing all the results put together was extremely rewarding in showing us how positively they were viewed.

Jayne added: “We will continue to provide the highest quality training and development sessions that meet the needs of people working in the field of creative health. We will carry out our survey on an annual basis moving forwards, with a similar impact report produced at least every two years, assessing Arts Well’s impact on creative health in Cornwall. Arts Well is supported by Cornwall Council’s Wellbeing and Public Health Team and the Culture Team – so we want to say a big thank you to them for their support of creative health work in Cornwall. We would also like to thank all our partners, stakeholders, and supporters who enable this work to happen. And of course, a big thank you to the creative practitioners who have delivered such amazing activities and projects which demonstrate the value of creative health to individuals and communities.”

Creative health – defined as “creative approaches which have benefits for our health and wellbeing”, and can include activities such as visual and performing arts, literature, or creative activities in nature as well as innovative approaches to health and care services – is shown to promote healthy behaviours, help prevent ill-health, support the management of long-term conditions, and treatment and recovery across the life course; it offers patients effective, non-clinical approaches that reduce reliance on healthcare services and result in cost savings, as well as improving quality of life; creative health can be applied in homes, communities, cultural institutions and heritage sites, and healthcare settings.

The full results of the Impact Report are now available via Arts Well’s website: https://arts-well.com/resources/impact-report-2024/ and circulated via Arts Well’s newsletter, shared via social media and other networks – local, regional and national - as well as a small number printed to be available at events.