Festival of collaboration: Speaking at an engagement event about social prescribing research

In September 2023, a festival to promote research-related engagement was held in Oxford. It brought together representatives from academia with community groups, businesses, policymakers, charities and members of the public. I ran a session at the event, with colleagues from GLAM (Gardens, Libraries and Museums) and Psychiatry, about networks around health and well-being.

At the event, I talked about the Oxford Social Prescribing Research Network (OXSOP). This is a virtual group that connects over 150 individuals with an interest in social prescribing. We meet through online meetings (and occasionally we meet in person). 

In the presentation, I mentioned some of the research we have been conducting in collaboration with our colleagues from GLAM on social prescribing. This research has focused on the role of the cultural sector in supporting people's broader health and well-being.

As part of the event, there was an opportunity for those attending to come and view some museum objects exhibited by GLAM colleagues. This gave us the chance to talk to people further about OXSOP and our research on social prescribing. It proved to be a great way to meet with people from different backgrounds (from the commercial sector as well as from academia). It has led to a number of new connections and at least one potentially new avenue for research on social prescribing. It highlighted the interest there is for addressing people’s health and well-being needs using non-medical approaches (when appropriate).

If you are interested in joining OXSOP’s mailing list, please send an email with this request (info.socialprescribing@phc.ox.ac.uk).