Buckinghamshire Community Wellbeing Hub celebrates one year anniversary

On the 13 June 2024, the Buckinghamshire Community Wellbeing Hub (BCW Hub) marked a significant milestone - its first anniversary. 

The innovative space, dedicated to health and wellbeing professionals, was inaugurated on June 1st, 2023, by Countess Howe, His Majesty's Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony at Buckinghamshire New University's (BNU) Aylesbury Campus opened the doors to one of the UK's first coworking spaces dedicated to health and wellbeing professionals.

The BCW Hub forms an important part of the University's contribution to support the Government’s integrated care systems (ICS) strategy. This partnership between BNU and Buckinghamshire Health and Social Care Academy bringing together placed-based partner organisations exemplify a commitment to enhancing the health and well-being of local citizens by Integrating Care, Nurturing Wellbeing & Empowering Futures.

Over the past year, the BCW Hub has become a beacon of support and collaboration fostering growth and well-being for residents and Health and Social Care professionals alike and allowing BNU learners access to shadow professionals, attend training, and participate in Health promotion activities.

We have forged strong partnerships with health and social care and VCSE providers by sharing resources, knowledge, and networks and have collectively strengthened our community resilience.

The BCW Hub’s impact is evident in the numbers:

• 1000+ individuals have accessed the BCW Hub.
• 400+ residents have participated in over 15 Health promotional activities including socially prescribed activities and carers support groups.
• 300+ individuals have attended over 18 training and awareness sessions.
• 22+ volunteering, placement, and work experience opportunities have been offered to learners.

The anniversary celebration event was a vibrant affair filled with inspiring speakers who spoke about their BCW Hub journey and what it means to them and their service users. Networking promotional stalls and singing for the brain and Tai Chi taster sessions delivered by the Alzheimer's Society added to the festivities.

Professor Karen Buckwell-Nutt, Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor (Student Experience) and Director of the Institute for Health and Social Care at BNU, shared: “It was an absolute pleasure to open the celebration event. It is incredible to think a year has already passed since the grand opening of the BCW Hub by the Lord Lieutenant, Lady Howell. 

"The amount of engagement with the Hub is impressive and the impact on community groups was clear to see during the event. Voluntary groups activity and health promotion interventions are some examples of the work within the Hub that were being praised by those in attendance”.

Distinguished guests joined the celebrations including the Mayor of Aylesbury Town Cllr Alan Sherwell and Cllr Mimi Harker the Chairman of Buckinghamshire Council along with over 70 of our Health and social care and VCSE (Voluntary, community, social enterprise) partners. Their presence underscored the collective efforts that have made the BCW hub a lifeline, a bridge, a catalyst for positive change, and a place of hope growth, and resilience for all.

Korinne Leney – BCW Hub Project Co-Lead and Head of Volunteering and Community Partnerships at Buckinghamshire Health and Social Care Academy remarked “What a fantastic afternoon celebrating the first year of the Buckinghamshire Community Wellbeing Hub! 

"We're grateful for the dedication of so many health and social care colleagues, community groups, learners and volunteers who have made the vision for the Hub a reality. 

"So proud of the collaborative efforts of the project team for building strong partnerships that have made the Hub a supportive, welcoming, creative, and safe space for residents, learners, and professionals alike, and we're excited to continue to work in partnership and grow the Hub’s offer in its second year”.