Creative Home Delivery Service is a pioneering arts and health programme that has been running in Carmarthenshire since 2023, and supports individuals that in live in social isolation across Carmarthenshire.
Created in partnership with Carmarthenshire County Council, Hywel Dda University Health Board, People Speak Up and Connecting Carmarthenshire, Creative Home Delivery Service is designed to help older people, especially those who are lonely and living in isolation, to be engaged and help improve their mental health and wellbeing using the arts and creativity.
The Creative Home Delivery Service sees GP/ social prescribers and Connecting Carmarthenshire partners refer cases and match them with a professional wellbeing facilitator and freelance artists from arts and wellbeing organisation, People Speak Up. The artist and wellbeing facilitators go into that older person’s home and deliver a one to one session. The sessions held in their individuals home are bespoke to the needs and interest of those who it’s aiming to help.
Since its launch in 2023, over 300 people have benefitted from the ground breaking initiative.
Some of the impact statements from participants from Creative Home Delivery Service have said:
“If the social prescriber never came to see me that day, I wouldn’t have been able to access such a great service.”
The local Social Prescribers in Carmarthenshire have said about the initiative, “There’s always something I can refer somebody into here, and I do believe that if People Speak Up wasn’t here, it would be a massive void in Llanelli.“
“In my opinion, PSU offer people a lifeline to start the journey to better wellbeing. Their support for the people of Carmarthenshire is invaluable and long may it continue.” Buddug Davies.
Founder and Chief Executive of People Speak Up, Eleanor Shaw said, “We have been working on improving this bespoke home delivery service since the start of the Covid Pandemic, when we were locked down as a community, when we realised that our older people needed to have those community services taken to where they live, in their homes. Zoom was not accessible for all!“
“We have an incredible, passionate and dedicated team of freelance artists – storytellers, poets, writers singers, dancers, rappers and visual artists who go into people’s home and help them overcome barriers to engagement, and support their mental health and wellbeing.
We want to thank the hundreds of participants who have trusted us, the service and welcomed us into their homes. It really has been a magical journey, not for just the participant but also for the creative team. Relationships have developed, new jobs have been created, we have seen an improvement in mental health, wellbeing, mobility has increased and the older people that were not leaving their home for months, started to visit us at our hub in Llanelli and our arts space at The Carmarthenshire Living well centre in Carmarthen. A ripple effect of community resilience and personal empowerment has come from just a very simple idea. We would also like to thank all of our partners – a true example of what happens with partnership working.’
Based at the Arts, Health and Wellbeing Hub, Llanelli’s & Carmarthenshire Living well centre in Carmarthen. People Speak Up (PSU) is a social, arts, health, mental-health, and well-being community organisation working across Carmarthenshire.
For the latest events and activities please visit peoplespeakup.co.uk
