Health and Wellbeing | Barrowden Village Ha

Barrowden Village Hall Replacement - An Opportunity to work with local Health and Wellbeing providers

The proposed replacement of the village hall has given us an excellent opportunity to assist the
NHS and local authorities in piloting the Rutland Health and Wellbeing Strategy.
In developing the proposal to replace the present village hall, the trustees are committed to
providing a new facility that, besides being a centre for leisure activities and entertainment as
currently exists, also becomes a hub which addresses the community, and health and wellbeing
needs of village residents and those from surrounding areas.
A study by Focus Consultants has identified health and wellbeing needs relating to
loneliness and rural isolation, together with the needs of the young as well as evidence of a
generation gap. It is therefore beneficial to bring health and wellbeing services closer to
communities to reduce barriers and health inequalities.

The Barrowden Village Hall Development Group (BVHDG) is pleased to work with other voluntary and statutory
services to meet and promote community needs in Barrowden and surrounding areas.
We are liaising with the following partners who are supportive of our plans:

• Councillor Sam Harvey, RCC Portfolio Holder.
• Rutland Primary Care Network Manager: Nicola Turnbull.
• RCC Head of Community Care Services: Emma Jane Perkins.
• RCC Senior Mental Health Lead: Mark Young.
• Rutland Health Watch.

Uppingham Surgery

Creating a Community Hub in Barrowden
The future of the NHS and the Local Authorities is moving towards an integrated approach to health
and wellbeing; the utilisation of community hubs will be key to its implementation. The offer of
community health and wellbeing support must be delivered in a convenient and accessible way.
This means that a space which can be made private, must be made for either one-to-one or group
meetings for diverse purposes and activities. Barrowden Village hall is key in that it is accessible to
a number of local communities and community partners and it is this location and proposed
redevelopment programme that will enable the delivery of the needs of these communities.

The group have already identified a number of key services and activities that could potentially
benefit from the new hub facility for example:
• Sessions or group meetings for those supporting or living with people on palliative care,
dementia or learning disabilities by providing an accessible space and coffee hour.

• Sessions such as gardening, arts and crafts, and games for those experiencing social
isolation, loneliness or low level anxiety.
• Classes for those with learning disabilities, for example arts and crafts.
• Coffee mornings offering social support for parents and toddlers.
• A space for charities, for example LOROS Hospice Care and other national and local health
initiatives to hold sessions.
• Exercise and wellbeing classes and education.
• Regular pop-up sessions from various providers offering support for those needing to access
housing, financial, citizens advice, or similar services.

These examples are services in Rutland that the community served by Barrowden Village Hall
would naturally struggle to access. The impact of bringing these services locally to Barrowden via
the facilities offered by a new village hall would be immeasurable and greatly improve social
isolation and reduce health inequalities.
Rutland does not currently have a community hub or wellbeing centre with the result that rural and
isolated communities are often overlooked or excluded from services. The opportunity to pilot this
hub approach is both exciting and challenging for the Trustees but one which, once established, will enable
the scheme to be replicated across Rutland.