Improving Wellbeing Across Bristol
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CONNECTING Improving wellbeing THE DOTS across Bristol THE RESEARCH Background In 2018 researchers Paul Marshall and Aisling O’Kane were awarded funds by the University of Bristol Faculty of Engineering to work with community organisations in four neighbourhoods of Bristol to explore how linking different communities could have a positive impact on health and wellbeing work happening in each area – and even lead to new collaborative work to address shared challenges. The four neighbourhoods - Lockleaze, Hartcliffe and Withywood, Knowle West and Southmead – share similar characteristics and challenges, particularly relating to the health outcomes of local residents. Paul and Aisling approached our team at Knowle West-based arts charity Knowle West Media Centre (KWMC) to help facilitate this project. We supported them to run a series of workshops - one in each community - where residents, groups and organisations shared knowledge, current projects and existing best practice around supporting people to improve their health and wellbeing. The workshops also explored how challenges and barriers can sometimes prevent organisations, and the people they support, from achieving the change they want. We then ran a larger event that brought together representatives of the four different communities to explore possible solutions, potential cross-community collaborations and inspiring creative approaches to health and wellbeing. Alongside the workshops, we worked with artists Mufti Games to create an interactive engagement tool that was taken onto the streets of Bristol, enabling us to hear a wide range of voices and engage with people who may not feel comfortable attending a workshop session. This report summarises the outcomes of this work and provides suggestions – based on materials gathered at workshops and from people on the streets – for future collaborative wellbeing work in Bristol. About Knowle West Media Centre Knowle West Media Centre (KWMC) supports people to make positive changes in their lives and communities. We do this by exploring how technology and the arts can help us make exciting things happen, come up with creative solutions to problems, and generate new ideas. An arts organisation and charity based in South Bristol since 1996, we began as a photography and health project. Our many current projects include training opportunities for young people in photography, filmmaking and design, support for entrepreneurs and freelancers to develop their careers, and creative projects working with local people to explore issues ranging from health to housing. We also run The Factory, an award-winning making and training space based at Filwood Green Business Park. The Factory provides access to new digital manufacturing technologies such as CNC routers and laser cutters, offers product design and prototyping services for clients, and delivers a range of free training courses. Knowle West Media Centre is supported by Bristol City y Council and supported using public funding by Arts Council England. Why work with artists? Who are the artists? At Knowle West Media Centre we work with artists Mufti Games create playful and memorable specialising in a range of art forms, including theatre, experiences for all ages. They make and tour their visual arts, craft and film, bringing them together own work and create games for others - to engage with local people in order to imagine and create new audiences in exhibitions, ideas and projects. futures and opportunities. We find that artists are Mufti work with actors, musicians, theatre brilliant at taking risks, creating spaces where directors, producers, designers and makers who imagination and co-design are possible, engaging love to make and play games. people in conversations and bringing people together. Mufti Games have been played at festivals, street Through projects such as the Bristol Approach and events and venues including: Eden Project, We Can Make Homes we have employed artists to Somerset House, Festival Number 6, Bristol Old engage in what we call ‘deep hanging out’: a process Vic, Wild Rumpus and partners on the Northern where artists are present in public community spaces Festivals Network. They have created games for to engage residents in conversations and the the Royal Shakespeare Company, Bristol 2015 generation of ideas through play, chatting and Green Capital, mShed and The Barbican Centre. participatory making. This work often complements more formal workshop programmes and enables a Find out more about their work wide range of people to contribute to a project in at www.muftigames.com an enjoyable and unpressured way. Mufti Games have a strong background in participation and creating playful experiences. For this project we were keen to capture the opinions of residents as well as organisations, so we commissioned Mufti Games to create a mobile engagement tool and take it to visit each of the four neighbourhoods in order to strike up conversations about health and wellbeing. Light up brain game. qA sketch of the mobile engagement tool. Highlighting different parts of the brain relating to wellbeing. Chalk board to capture what local people would like to see in their area to support wellbeing. Laser etched cork map for local people to pin where they currently get involved in local activities. Roll down buildable city for children. THE FINDINGS A Summary As a result of the workshops and street engagement, we found that each of the four areas has a wealth of committed community organisations doing successful and respected work in the areas of health and wellbeing. However, the areas face shared challenges, such as: ß perceived social stigma attached to living in, or being from the area ß lack of public transport ß lack of resource-sharing between organisations ß lack of a central space in Bristol that could support community innovation and greater connections between communities and researchers qThe mobile engagement tool at The Greenway Centre, Southmead. For example, we found that: Older men’s groups in Easton and Knowle West previously met in a central location (mShed museum) but stopped meeting due to a lack of regular dedicated space. This caused opportunities to share experiences and friendships with men of different racial and ethnic backgrounds to be lost. There are community ‘hack spaces’* in Bedminster and Knowle West, but they are difficult to access by public transport. These spaces run free courses, such as jewellery design, but many people aren’t able to attend. There are many great courses and meet-ups exploring computer skills, STEM (Science, Engineering, Technology & Maths), music and language that run during the day. However, people who work 9-to-5 jobs can’t easily take part in them. There are community meet-ups and events that occur in the evening that people with children and caring responsibilities cannot attend as they have no informal childcare or support available. Through door-knocking campaigns, community workers have discovered that many people have skills and knowledge that they could share but don’t know how to do so. These are just a few examples of the rich information that was collected about the experiences of community groups in and around Bristol. We hope this collated knowledge has the potential to inform future partnerships and projects, and lead to organisations obtaining future funding and research opportunities. *Hack spaces are community operated (often not-for-profit) workspaces where people with common interests can meet and collaborate with a focus on science, technology and art. Workshop Venues @symes community building managed by Hartcliffe and Withwood Community Partnership Learning and research centre at Southmead Hospital Buzz Lockleaze Cafe South Bristol Community Links Knowle West Media Centre Outcomes from Workshops and Street Engagement We asked both the workshop attendees and the residents we met on the street to highlight the positive activities and resources available to them in their communities. Hartcliffe and Withywood Positive activities and resources: Mentioned by residents: Mentioned by both: - Lots for single mothers (less for fathers) - Foodbank at Withywood Church - Good access to supermarkets - Good local community buildings - Green Spaces and events - Free and open events - Community Transport - Good transport links - Foodbank support Mentioned by organisations: - Volunteering - Mental health support CHURCHES: - Healthy eating - Foodbank at Withywood Church - Mowcroft Road Church HARTCLIFFE COMMUNITY PARK FARM: - Addiction support group - Young people’s activities: - All Saints church playgroup Our Bright Future (AWT) - AVT Wellbeing through nature @SYMES: - DHI (Developing Health & Independence) - CATT bus (community transport) - Hawkspring - Hartcliffe and Withywood community choir - Libraries - Jan’s Newsgroup for older people - Foodbank THE WITHYWOOD CENTRE: - Sexual Health Clinic - Age UK Day Centre - Sports groups - Into University - Health champions - Short mat bowling for over 55s - Brave Bold Drama - Healthy Life Styles - Children’s Centre - Befriending - Lifecycle - Wasps play scheme - Gymnastics Centre - Tai Chi - Older People’s Forum - Friends of Groups HARTCLIFFE HEALTH AND - Bristol Ageing Better ENVIRONMENT ACTION GROUP (HHEAG): - Community Café - Kitchen prescription - Vision BME - Gardening group - Dads’ Breakfast - Pop up café - Mental Health groups - Positive Minds - Gatehouse Centre - Roundhouse - Volunteering Matters - Health walks - Drop in craft group - Outreach stalls