Kathryn Bowden is the Primary Care and Integrated Neighbourhood Working Coordinator for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. Together with Saints Foundation's Health Lead, Paul Hedges, she is talking about partnership working in Southampton.

Their work is very much in-line with the NHS ten-year plan.

Together, over the last nine months, they have been delivering community hubs across the city of Southampton and they now work with 49 organisations, delivering services from health checks to advice, and physical activity. Among those organisations, at two locations, is the Mountbatten Hampshire Community Engagement Vehicle (CEV).

Kathryn said: "This didn't exist before. Now there's a well established partnership."

"What we've achieved is nothing short of miraculous," said Paul.

He added: "We had a programme set up, but then we paused and changed everything. People were saying, 'why would you do that?'

"One reason was to align ourselves better with the NHS ten year plan and to better support the community.

"We gathered six hundred people here at St Mary's to tell them. We expected six hundred angry older people. Actually they wanted an input to help redesign the programme. It was organic."

The programme is free to access and you don't have to book. A huge 80 per cent of engagement with the programme is through word of mouth.

"We'd become risk averse. We need to learn to take risks again," said Paul who added Saints Foundation is proud to be part of the programme and be involved in its community. The Southampton FC brand helps open doors and start conversations.

Kathryn has warned funding is crucial for the scheme to continue. Currently, it is backed by Saints Foundation. They have delivered the programme with what they had available but it is a 'moving model' as well as a growth model - creative thinking is needed to make the funding go as far as possible.

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