Places Leisure, which operates and manages more than 100 leisure centres across England, is one of the first national public leisure providers to introduce in-house social prescriber link workers to help drive their healthy communities offering.

Social prescribing link workers connect individuals to community support that addresses practical, social, and emotional needs impacting their health and wellbeing. By working collaboratively across the health and care system, they target populations at risk of health inequalities and help ensure community services are accessible and sustainable.

It is estimated that one in five of people who visit their GP are troubled by things that can’t be cured by medical treatment(*). Social prescribing link workers can help reduce this demand on GPs by working with referred individuals to identify what matters to them and connecting each person with activities which can support them.

Typically, these roles are found within the NHS predominately based at GP practices, however, due to growing demand more roles are beginning to exist within third sector organisations including at Places Leisure.

Forming part of their Healthy Communities strategy and working closely alongside Northumberland County Council’s Public Health team, Places Leisure has introduced their first in-house social prescriber link worker who will be working with members of the community in Northumberland. The work by Places Leisure will be an additional resource supporting the current social prescribing network ensuring residents are supported to access the right activity to fit their needs.

Jonny Pickering, Head of Healthy Communities at Places Leisure, said: “The introduction of this new role to Places Leisure is an exciting step forward in our plans to not only provide leisure centre facilities in the area but to support the wider community in becoming healthier and more active. Social prescribing is key to linking physical activity to health and engaging inactive people in regular activity, which in turn positively impacts their health and wellbeing.

“Through this unique service we will be supporting members of the community to understand their needs and to provide access programmes and support primarily linked to physical activity. As Places Leisure is part of the Places for People group, we will also be able to work alongside our colleagues from the wider business to refer individuals to programmes and support for other areas such as money advice.

“We hope that the success of this role will create a blueprint for us to introduce more social prescriber link workers across the country helping us to support more people within our communities.”

Alison Elsender, Senior Social Prescribing Link Worker at Places Leisure, said: “I am delighted to be one of the first people to introduce social prescribing in the role of social prescribing for a national public leisure provider. This is a huge leap forward and hopefully just the beginning of seeing these types of roles in other organisations and sectors.

“Having worked as a Social Prescribing Team Lead in the NHS for five years prior to joining Places Leisure and previous to that in leadership roles in the VCSE and other statutory organisations. I have seen first-hand the difference social prescribing can have on individuals and the wider community. They are crucial in supporting people to access help and services for issues that cannot be cured by medical treatments alone. Whilst helping our communities we are also reducing some of the pressure and demand on our local GPs. I look forward to working closely with those within the communities that we can support holistically to improve their health and wellbeing.”

Places Leisure currently manages and operates 10 leisure centres in the county on behalf of Northumberland County Council.

* Torjesen I. Social prescribing could help alleviate pressure on GPs BMJ 2016; 352 :i1436 doi:10.1136/bmj.i1436