Celebrating social prescribing day and a beautiful partnership

Integrated Plus funds local community interest organisations to facilitate groups and support to help improve the health and wellbeing of clients referred to the service via its Spring into Action social prescribing fund. The service primarily supports people who struggle with non-medical difficulties such as social isolation, mental health difficulties, and practical difficulties (finance, housing, managing long-term health conditions).

This helps to support Dudley CVS wider organisational goals of developing the local offer by utilising local partnerships, building capacity, and supporting opportunities for volunteering. Riverside House delivers social prescribing funded support to Integrated Plus clients to improve health and wellbeing via art and traditional craft sessions. Sessions funded are held in an outstanding natural setting that has been designed and built to create a nurturing, comfortable, safe and inspiring environment.

Riverside House has been providing social prescribing sessions for over 10 years funded by Integrated Plus. It is an ambitious social regeneration project located at a derelict and neglected grade II listed 19th century iron masters house and grounds. The site has been repurposed into a Health and Wellbeing Centre which creates an oasis of peace and quiet near to the centre of Stourbridge. Riverside House delivers health and wellbeing through traditional crafts, the arts, ecology, heritage and food and nutrition.

Riverside House has a fantastic team of staff, volunteers and crafts people who bring enthusiasm, emotional warmth and understanding to both the individuals and the activities. Feedback from clients regarding groups delivered are that the environment and social setting have a profoundly positive effect on their health and wellbeing.

These sessions also provide the opportunity to learn new skills and engage with peers in small groups, usually four people per group. Clients who have attended have spoken about benefits beyond the obvious practical skills that are learnt. These include many skills that are intrinsically learned that will positively affect the participant beyond the workshop duration itself.

Sessions are guided by professional practitioners with experience in therapeutic craft or art. So far this has included art and crafts, such as woodwork, blacksmithing, copper craft, creative writing, crocheting, willow weaving, printing and other art-based crafting.

Our Spring into Action social prescribing fund allows the service to fund a variety of groups in the local community that develops the local offer and new opportunities for clients to engage with support. An organisation who has been a long-term partner of Integrated Plus is Riverside House CIC in Stourbridge. This beautiful and peaceful heritage site has developed a lot over the past 10 years since the partnership began.

On 26^th March 2026, National Social Prescribing Day, Integrated Plus held a celebration of the great work that this partnership has achieved by inviting people who have accessed support for a celebratory gathering at Riverside House. The event allowed former and current participants to connect, share stories, and discuss how the sessions had helped them develop confidence. Below are some quotes from the day:

If you would like to find out more about the wonderful things happening at Riverside House CIC, please visit their website – Riverside House website

For more information about Spring into Action or if you are a not-for-profit organisation who would like to develop a project to support people in the local community using your skills, or would like to discuss an idea, please contact Hayley Wright, Volunteer and Activities Coordinator at Integrated Plus for more information: hayley@dudleycvs.org.uk.