News

Case Study: North Somerset Council

12th June 2026

Creating a Single Gateway to Community Health & Wellbeing Services North Somerset’s model is precisely what Integrated Care Systems have been asked to build: a community-rooted, data-enabled gateway that connects residents to preventative support before they reach statutory services. It’s local innovation in service of national ambition. The Challenge North Somerset Council like many local…

Thank you to our Volunteer Heroes!

1st June 2021

Volunteers Week is an opportunity to celebrate the work of volunteers across the country.   This year it’s especially important to take a moment to recognise and thank the millions of volunteers who have played an essential role in supporting people during the pandemic.   We want to say a huge THANK YOU to the…

CASE STUDY: Connected Communities Suffolk

17th March 2021

Setting up a social prescribing service during the COVID-19 pandemic   By Colin Baldwin Localities Manager – Suffolk County Council     We’re part of Connected Communities – a European project operating in some areas of England and Northern France, focused upon using social prescribing to tackle rural isolation and loneliness amongst older people.  …

CASE STUDY: Croydon COVID19 Community Response

2nd November 2020

How we used technology and partnership working to support vulnerable adults during COVID19   By Karen Chillman, Head of Volunteering – Croydon Voluntary Action     When COVID19 hit, our local authority reached out to Croydon Voluntary Action to help support vulnerable adults who didn’t have a health or social care need, but still needed support.…

The Beacon social prescribing service shines bright in Bury

12th March 2020

The Beacon social prescribing service in Bury may only have been running for a few months, but it’s quickly making an impact for local residents.   A service for GP networks across Bury, the service supports patients who have social, emotional or practical needs by assessing their needs, developing personalised care and support plans, and…

“Simply Connect is a partner who listens to us, and supports us whenever we need it”

1st November 2018

Case Study Mike Plows, Chief Executive – Bath & North East Somerset Community Volunteering Previously, we were using Do-it to host our volunteering opportunities for the area. Unfortunately we had numerous problems with it, and as a Volunteer Centre, it allowed us minimum flexibility. During the initial year of Do-it going live we had to increase our…

How to set up a community-asset based social prescribing project

30th October 2018

Karen Chillman, Head of Volunteering at Volunteer Centre Croydon, explains why she worked with us to set up a community-asset based social prescribing project. “Connect Well Croydon has been born from a local need. Our Volunteer Centre is based within the Centrale Shopping Centre, and we had a large number of people coming in who…