Peter Sandy Email & Phone Number

Community as a Crucible of Health CreationThe one thing that drew me deeper into the workings of a community charity for children and young people was its effects. Boxing4Life created body-mind confidence, which clearly spilled over into other areas of life at the key stage of adolescence.I realised we are also a grassroots early intervention service for adolescent mental health. Who knows how many potential referrals to the NHS Child & Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) our first decade in Leytonstone might have prevented - just by modelling behaviour within our family-in-the-community atmosphere?CAMHS is one of the services of the NHS public health trust covering Waltham Forest - North East London Foundation Trust - which owns the Grade 2 listed and now 'at risk' Langthorne Chapel in Cathall, a surviving remnant of West Ham Workhouse.This Workhouse Chapel serving past generations could be a haven for future generations. My reason for posting here is to garner support and help for turning this neglected building into a Youth Hub, and to explore ideas and innovations around Youth Hubs and well-being in adolescence. Could Youth Hubs be part of a new preventive healthcare approach with Community as a Crucible of Health Creation as its mantra or paradigm? Could we create new interpersonal and digital links between communities and mainstream mental health professionals to help ignite those crucibles and keep them active? Things are stirring in Waltham Forest around the idea of Youth Hubs and to help take things forward we have a progressive 'holding space' for many VCSE organisations working with youngsters in the form of the Borough's excellent Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP). The Council's 15-minute city concept could be useful too.So what might be possible? What could preventive mental healthcare for young people look like if Education, Local Government and Public Health all saw Community as a Crucible of Health Creation. Please add your experiences and dreams for the new era of health creation.

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  Manager

  Boxing4Life

  Nov 2009 - Present