Northern Heartlands is looking forward to expanding its Creative Health work in Teesdale thanks to a £10,000 grant.
The funding is a reward for the successful Take Part in Teesdale project, which brought people together through weekly creative sessions in Butterknowle, Woodland, Cockfield and Evenwood over the past year.
At present, Take Part in Teesdale continues on Monday afternoons at Barnard Castle’s Methodist Church Hall on Scar Top. Northern Heartlands is working closely with social prescribing link workers in the dale to connect people in need of support with the free sessions.
The additional funding, which comes from the DCMS Know your Neighbourhood scheme, will bring more opportunities for professional artists to deliver extra health and wellbeing-led events.
Participants in the project report enhanced mental wellbeing and increased confidence. Feedback from users including comments such as: “It has genuinely helped me with my confidence in getting involved with people again and life too”, and: “We are all loving what we have been participating in and we are so excited for the next one.”
Katy Milne, senior manager at the Barnard Castle-based charity, said: “This is the kind of work that sits at the heart of what we do. We bring together the creativity of artists, communities and partners to explore what matters to people in the places where they live.
“With over eight years’ experience, we’ve seen the impact that creative practice can have on wellbeing and connecting communities.”
The charity is strengthening its reach and deepening relationships across Teesdale, supported by organisational development funds from the Weston Charity award, Business Durham and funding secured from Esmée Fairbairn Funding Plus- enabling the team to build capacity and extend its impact.
Northern Heartlands’ director Jill Cole said: “This is a particularly exciting time for us as I prepare for retirement after eight years of leading the organisation.
“We’re in a strong position with an experienced and capable team with the skills, strengths and capacity to respond to new opportunities.
“This recent funding recognition shows the value of bringing creative and health work together to support communities, which has really been a core strand of our work since the Covid pandemic.”
For more about Take Part in Teesdale, contact Lyndsey Middleton, creative communities co-ordinator at Northern Heartlands on 01833 200220 or email lyndsey.middleton@northernheartlands.org
