Why heritage?
It is proven that heritage can help
A range of programmes have shown how heritage-led approaches deliver tangible benefits for people struggling with loneliness and isolation, and for people living with long-term conditions, such as dementia and mental ill health.
Evidence shows that engaging with heritage and the historic environment can increase life satisfaction, confidence and social connection. It can also improve memory and brain function, increase feelings of identity and belonging and strengthen resilience, purpose and inspiration for the future.
Heritage is for everyone
Prescribing heritage activities can support people dealing with stress and isolation, whatever their background or needs are. It can be a way of tapping into people’s existing interests, giving them more choice, or helping them to try something new.
Heritage can be accessed in a variety of ways, depending on levels of ability, needs and interest - through volunteering, walking, visiting, participating in projects and sharing memories with others, in-person and online.
Connecting people to heritage activities is a way of widening your offer and giving clients a chance to explore something different, inspiring and authentic.
Heritage can be used both for prevention and as part of a clinical pathway
Referrals can be part of the support you offer for issues like housing problems, debt and loneliness, alongside other interventions. Including heritage activities in the social prescription can help people feel integrated and valued in their community.
How to talk to clients about heritage
Read our conversation prompts to help you talk about heritage activities with your clients.
How to work with heritage partners: getting started
Map local heritage assets and partners
Find out what heritage sites, activities and organisations exist in your area and how they can be used for any referrals. Use this Mapping Guidance to find heritage opportunities in your area.
Connect with heritage organisations
Heritage organisations include national bodies like English Heritage and The National Trust; regional organisations like the Restoration Trust or Wessex Archaeology; and small local museums, archives, clubs, places of worship, historic houses, Community Interest Companies or Heritage or Archaeology Trusts. Smaller organisations may have less resources, but often better local knowledge and more flexibility.
Any of these organisations may already be offering wellbeing activities, suitable for social prescribing referrals, such as heritage walks, memory cafes and community archaeology. Even if some sites normally charge participants, they may have access to funding for specific groups, or volunteering opportunities.
Often, organisations with an existing wellbeing offer will try to reach you themselves, so remain open to invitations and potential collaboration.
Where possible, visit the heritage provider and experience the activity yourself – there is nothing like personally trying out what the site or programme has to offer. Your visit can strengthen the partnership and help you see the whole spectrum of opportunities for a variety of social prescriptions.
How to work with heritage partners: working together
Understand the opportunities
There are a wealth of opportunities for engagement with heritage in most places, but they do vary significantly in character. While some bigger towns and cities may have a great number of historic sites, clubs and museums, smaller or more remote communities may have one or two main heritage assets and fewer organised activities.
Still, each place has its history and identity, which have been changing over time. Look for organisations, projects and sites that are offering involvement with things like storytelling, restoration and research – or simply inviting people to explore what's on their doorstep and get to know their neighbourhood better.
Some spaces may have developed local signposting or befriending services, such as Heritage Connectors in Frome or Heritage Buddies in Nottingham.
Others may have established a local heritage wellbeing hub, which may co-host services and activities and even potentially co-host Link Workers, such as Delapre Wellbeing in Northampton or Bramley Baths in Leeds.
Elsewhere there may be specialist social prescribing pathways, supporting referrals to creative health or heritage groups, or even facilitating them - for example the Heritage for Wellbeing Group in Great Yarmouth , Well-city Salisbury or Archaeology on Prescription in York.
If there aren’t specific heritage wellbeing programmes where you are, there is always the simplest form of heritage engagement, which is free and very accessible – heritage on your doorstep. From a visit to the local museum or getting involved in a local history club, to a walk in the historic part of town or the ancient landscapes surrounding the village, it is about noticing what’s around, being curious to discover more about the people who live there, and contributing by sharing time or memories. Explore the National Lottery Community Fund’s Bringing heritage to your doorstep page for more ideas and inspiration.
Understand the challenges
There are some barriers to maximising the wellbeing potential of heritage sites and activities, including:
- Language and terminology – there are many conflicting perceptions about history and heritage, so the best way to start a conversation about heritage is to explore what it means to the individual and what can help address any concerns
- Physical barriers - some heritage sites could be physically difficult to access – whether because of inadequate transport provision in remote locations or due to physical barriers for people with disabilities in some old buildings or archaeological sites
- Financial barriers - such as high prices for tickets or memberships
- Psychological barriers - some people may not feel welcome or comfortable at certain historic sites – perhaps because their ethnicity or social group hasn’t been represented historically in these places, or because it has a difficult history with problematic interpretation.
There is a growing awareness about these issues and most heritage organisations who offer wellbeing activities have developed approaches after careful consideration. Still, it is important to be aware of these barriers and ensure that they are addressed adequately by the activity provider before a referral is confirmed.
Collaborate and co-produce
Collaboration means understanding each other’s needs, strengths and weaknesses and working together to find what works best at every stage.
It is important to understand what heritage organisations can and can’t do – and what they may need help with.
Heritage professionals may worry that they are not health experts and are not sure how to offer a safe and high-quality experience for participants. They will usually welcome support and advice – including recommendations on training and safeguarding practices. Some may have had training on working with vulnerable people, but others would welcome your advice on this – especially if the activity is addressing higher level of needs. Feel free to suggest partner organisations that can help heritage practitioners in the design and delivery of safe prescriptions.
As the link worker, you should also be open about your main challenges and the gaps in local provision, as well as about the areas of expertise and support you can offer. This will help heritage activity providers design their programme in the most efficient and beneficial way.
Be clear about what you can do and don’t be shy about asking to be hosted, run drop-in sessions or other services on heritage providers’ sites. This is often possible and can help your clients feel safer and more comfortable when attending activities there.
You can support the heritage provider by asking for feedback from clients and ensuring that their views and experiences are informing the approach.
How to work with heritage providers: stay together
Sustainability
It is important to think about sustainability of the pathway from the beginning. Work collaboratively to develop opportunities for clients to engage independently after the end of their social prescription – whether through volunteering, employment, becoming a local heritage champion or a heritage connector. This will ensure that the client benefits are maintained for the long-term and not just for the length of the referral.
Sustainability is equally crucial for the heritage provider and the activities they offer. Explore funding opportunities together, such as grants, local government support, partnerships or opportunities to get longer commissions.
Gather evidence
Gathering good data on the outcomes for participants is crucial for proving that the prescription is efficient and effective – for funders and partners alike. High quality monitoring and evaluation are important, but they also need to be proportionate to the size and scale of the activity, as well as appropriate for the participants and their circumstances. Work together with the heritage providers and your clients to find out the most suitable methods for capturing outcomes and feedback and use these to secure financial and strategic support in the long term.
