About SO:Links
To book onto your next local SO:Link click here. Dates will be added as they are arranged.
Communities working together. Keep up to date, have a say and get involved in your local area!
SO:Links bring local residents, volunteers, community activists, community groups, faith based organisations, local health and council representatives, community navigators and social prescribers and a host of other people together. They are a space to
- Find and highlight the great things happening locally
- Share resources and information, both local and city wide opportunities
- Help local community people have a say in what they want to see in their area
- Discuss and challenges or gaps
- Work together on new projects and initiatives, with support from others in the community and from SO:Linked community development workers
We hope in each area these groups will:
- Provide a space for local voluntary, health (PCNs, localities, health teams) and social to work together with local residents
- Consult and share with the community so that local residents set the priorities for the area
- Work together on initiatives growing out of that community consultation
- Provide a communication channel for updates on local and city wide initiatives, on the ‘asks’ that people in each area are approaching SO:Linked community navigators for, keep local people up to date on the new activities and opportunities happening in their local area. So that together we can shout about the great things happening in each area, respond to local need, and bring people together to help communities develop in the priorities they’ve identified.
- Share info and raise awareness about local services, activities and any challenges, and increase understanding of each other’s services.
- Produce a clear paragraph update from each area so that people who couldn’t ‘be’ there could sign up still to be kept in touch with developments in ‘their’ area
Some of the people who will hopefully be coming along:
- Local residents
- Local volunteers
- Representatives from local community groups or charities
- Representatives from city wide charities or services
- Community navigators
- Housing association representatives
- Community centre representatives
- People from health teams, primary care networks, community independence service
- Councillors
Take a look below for the latest plans in each area and sign up to get involved or receive updates!
Come along to SO14:Link
The first meeting of people who live, work or volunteer in the SO14 area on zoom had a great energy as we got to know each other. People recognized people they had spoken to on the phone but never seen face to face. We shared what was happening in the area, and especially what was available over the festive period. The group talked about some city wide initiatives – bringing people together to support bereavement support, and green spaces. We started to think about gaps or things the community would like to see locally. Some local residents wanted to organize a litter pick, some public safety funding was talked about, and the group discussed the need for more local community spaces that could be used by local groups.
SO14:Link 2.2.21
It was great to see some new faces, the new social prescriber link workers with St Mary’s surgery, Loysen who is working with Solent Mind, and others.
We talked about projects under 3 themes that had come up in the last meeting: 1) Food provision 2) Physical and mental health and 3) Community buildings and spaces
Some good links were made with people wanting to get involved with Loysen’s work supporting mental health with people from BAME communities and men. (see below how to get involved) and people linking up with Saints Foundation to let them know about the SO14 area (see below). Local Social prescribers and community navigators were able to share information about services they signpost people to. Organisations like Homegroup and Communicare were able to share updates and their offers and local resident rep Lynda was able to highlight residents’ views.
Things the group is taking forward before the next meeting are in italics below
We’d love to see you at the next meet up, please sign up on eventbrite:
Food Provision
Several food projects locally – Marketplace launching in April, St Mary’s Church, Social Action Group food club at Board in the city, GEMS, SCM basics bank Love Southampton at St Mary’s Church, Poitiers Care who deliver to SO14 area on a friday.
Physical and Mental Health
Hearing community views – We’d love to have conversations with local people and local organisations about the SO14 area. Rather than a survey, we’d love to just have a conversation with you and hear your thoughts about SO14.This information would form the basis of an application that organisations in the city are pulling together to bring funding to the local area. If you’re happy to have a chat, then please get in touch with Lucy Horne at Saints Foundation (lhorne@saintsfoundation.co.uk) – we’d love to hear from you! Equally, if you’re an organisation who has carried any community consultations in the past and are happy to share your findings, please do get in touch too!
Southampton mental health network’s survey on a mental health friendly city is still open
Communicare can support people who live alone with a reassuring follow up call follwing their vaccination, refer through communicare
Homegroup have a weekly telephone group quiz
Loysen’s work around mental health with people from BAME communities and men Engaging with mental health support – Supporting Loysen’s work in encouraging more people from the BAME community to engage with mental health support and Loysen’s work with encouraging men to engage with mental health support. Anyone interested can contact Loysen directly – “Loysen O’Reilly” <LOReilly@solentmind.org.uk>
Community Buildings and Spaces
Community centres and spaces – We’ll continue to map these and make contacts with those people who hold community centres, outdoor spaces or community rooms in the local area, to work together to help the community access these spaces as things open up.
Other
SO:Linked community directory has been updated to be more searchable – you can filter by category and postcode, but also search by search terms such as food, or organisations name, such as communicare.
Support for local young people – the group were Interested in the support for young people especially 11-15 year olds currently in SO14 area. We’re going to invite along the youth organisations to tell us more about this next time.
New group at St Mary’s for people to sign up to – Re-Work is free employment support provided for those who are currently unemployed due to Covid-19. It comprises of six interactive online sessions focusing on mindsets, the current job market and interview technique (including online interview technique). We use a coaching method that means that throughout the course participants are putting what they learn into practice immediately and with regular feedback they can work on week in and week out. Re-Work has been developed by employment experts Resurgo, who have worked in employment coaching and training over the past 16 years. Our pilot ran before Christmas and a personal highlight was how encouraging and empowering the participants were of one another. This is one of the reasons why their confidence and resilience grew over the course because despite not being in the same industry they could benefit and learn from each other and cheer one another on. The course is free and on Zoom once a week (Thursday 1-3pm) for six weeks. If there is anyone you think might be interested they can self-refer here but if you want to find out more just drop me an email or a call on 07768 137 300
Right in the heart of the city, want to get together and build on what is great about SO14 and be kept up to date with local news and happenings?
Let us know by clicking here
Date coming soon!
Have an interest, part of a group, or live in SO15 area? Be the first to know about the SO:Links in your area by clicking here
Register for the next SO16:Link here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/so15-so16link-tickets-133346289341
See the notes from the last online gathering (18.12.20).
Want to work with other local residents and groups in your community to build on what is great about your areas? Get involved by clicking here
We primarily cover Bitterne Park, Thornhill, Harefield and Townhill.
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SESSH
SESSH, 22.06.21
Today’s session included a wealth of information exchange about what support activities are happening within the SO18/19 area from recovery rooms and a wellbeing course “Supportive Conversations” to a well being café, health walks, free food provision and support with becoming digitally included. There was a huge focus on how to let people know about what is happening in their local area if they are not or do not wish to use the internet. Hopefully coming out of lock down means that we once again can populate local notice boards and leaflet local neighbourhoods. Our next project will be about communicating with our community, so we do not leave anyone out. If you are an interested local person or organisation and want to be part of our network, please let us know and we will include you in our mailing list
Click here to join the mailing list for this area if you can’t attend the event
We primarily cover Peartree, Woolston, Weston
Itchen to Bridge the Gap 14/7/21
Green Network– had second meeting last week. The recording is on the website Green network: Green Social Prescribing – So:Linked (solinked.org.uk). If you want to be included in the Green Network mailings then please contact a.ivancevic@southamptonvs.org.uk The next meeting’s theme is food growing
Saints Foundation Independence Day– successful event, well managed and felt safe.
Vaccines- Guildhall event was successful, about 1700 people came. Flu vaccine is coming up so unsure what will happen with covid boosters. St Mary’s Fire Station and Oakley Road have pop up walk in vaccine clinics, especially for people who are worried/unsure of the vaccine. Home visits vaccines are available. Communicare volunteers have helped and got a lot out of it and are very appreciated. There is a new variant of covid called Lambda.
Positive activities and support for families – Homestart is piloting in SO14 but hope to branch out, they want to put activities/drop ins on, so think about if needed in this area and update Louise with any requests of local families for this area.
Food banks and pantries in SO19 weekend provision – Emma raised this and the group shared information and highlighted a gap which Louise and others will look into and see if there is a way to plug this. Communicare’s volunteers (communiteers) may be able to help deliver food at weekend sometimes.
SO:Linked Directory- planned how we would support organisations to upload their activities on there. https://bit.ly/Add2SOLiD Can send info about local activities to Louise to upload.
One Team – Naz updated on the One Team multidisciplinary initiative that the Primary Care Networks have asked the East Locality leadership team to set up.
Mental Health subgroup and leafletting – discussions at this focused around letting people know what is out there. Itchen to bridge the gap discussed and made plans to produce leaflets – both physical and downloadable – and how to distribute.
Weight management – Naz updated us about weight management and how CWT can support people who want support with this.
Communicare event – Communicare are hosting their first tea party at Meon Court in Harefield on Thursday 29th July 2-4pm. Priority is given to Communicare people but there may be space if you have people interested.
SCPA Play Event Friday 30th July 10am-2pm at Hoglands Park
Next meeting 11th August 10am on Zoom, use previous zoom link, but it will be sent out again closer to the date.
Click here to join the mailing list for this area if you can’t attend the event
