20 March 2026
Hants & IoW Social Prescribing Network Networking and Showcase Celebration Event 2026
Wednesday 11th March 2026, Vineyard Church, Winchester
Angela Gill, HSPN & Voluntary Sector Health & Wellbeing Forums Facilitator, Community First
Angela opened the celebration event with a review of the event programme. (There were a record-breaking 195 attendees at the event!)
Tim Houghton, Chief Executive, Community First
Tim welcomed attendees and then presented “Communities Create Wellbeing”, focusing on how voluntary sector organisations contribute to health outcomes. He discussed the role of community-powered initiatives, the value of early intervention, and how grassroots groups enhance wellbeing by reducing pressure on statutory health services.
Samantha James, Health Integration Lead, National Association for Community and Voluntary Action (NAVCA)
Samantha delivered a comprehensive presentation titled “Neighbourhood Health: From System Ambition to Community Reality”. She outlined insights from NAVCA members, highlighted inequalities, explored system pressures, and presented five key challenges in neighbourhood health: defining neighbourhoods, fragile relationships, data and insight gaps, capacity mismatch, and leadership shifts. She also showcased VCSE contributions, case studies such as the Cornwall Community Hubs, and NAVCA’s policy recommendations.
Jason Brandon, Deputy Director and Principal Social Worker, Hampshire County Council Adults’ Health and Care
Jason discussed the vital role of the VCSE sector in supporting health, wellbeing, and independence. He reviewed demographic challenges such as an ageing population and deprivation‑linked inequalities. He explained Hampshire’s prevention-focused strategy, emphasising partnership working, community connection, early intervention, workforce development, and evidence-led decision-making.
Debbie Thompson, Social Prescriber, Mosaic Primary Care Network
Debbie shared a powerful session including a patient interview video demonstrating the life transforming impact of social prescribing. She emphasised the power of collaborative working across sectors, showing how joined‑up approaches provide personalised support, empower individuals, and strengthen resilience within communities.
Interactive Workshops
After a networking break, attendees then attended one of three workshops: –
Workshop 1 – Hampshire Active Health Programme: Led by Emma Dovener of Energise Me, focusing on translating learning into practical community health actions.
Workshop 2 – Supporting Men’s Mental Wellbeing: Led by Jack Tomkinson, Hampshire County Council Public Health, exploring suicide prevention, self‑harm reduction, and community‑based strategies.
Workshop 3 – Personalised Care & Health Inequalities: Led by Jess Berry, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care Board, examining approaches to reduce health inequalities.
Q&A Panel – The Benefits of Collaborative Working
Panel members were: Jess Berry, Katie Dixon, Clinical Lead Inequalities and Population Health, Tim Houghton, and Samantha James. Wide-ranging questions were asked including about the public perception of Social Prescribing, how Social Prescribers could help improve physical and mental health outcomes, how does partnership working improve outcomes for people with complex or multiple needs and challenges…
Some questions centered on illustrating the importance of cross-sector collaboration, sharing data, system integration, community insights, local health project funding challenges, and co‑designed approaches to improve health and wellbeing.
The programme concluded with a Geographical Networking Lunch and with attendees engaging with some of the c35 organisations represented at the Market Stalls.
Thank you all who joining us!
Forthcoming Events and Contact Details
Tuesday 21 April 2026 – 13:00–14:00
Voluntary Sector Health & Wellbeing Forum Webinar
Theme: Building a Healthier Future for Women: Screening, Strategy, and Support
Tuesday 12 May 2026 – 13:00–14:00
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Social Prescribing Network Webinar
Theme: Supporting Young People to Thrive: Community‑based Approaches
Thursday 25 June 2026 – Time and Venue TBC
East Hampshire, Havant & Alton Voluntary Sector Health & Wellbeing Forum
Theme: Networking and Showcase Event
Contact Information
For further information or event queries, please contact Katy Ovens, Community First’s Health Forums Officer, at healthforums@cfirst.org.uk