Community

Community Self Management

Rowan Alba’s Community Self Management project aims to support the 40% of our clients who do not leave their homes due to social anxiety and physical health issues. Regular events and co-developed tools support our community to visit new places and take part in engaging activities.

Teaching Artist Sam Rutherford explains how the Community Art Group supports interactions

A client-led approach built on lived experience

At the outset of this project we created a client-led Advisory Group that co-produces resources and designs the format of conversation events, including where they are held and which health professionals are invited. The resources developed through this group have created a valuable organisational tool to improve professional understanding of client issues and encourage self-management peer support.

Clients have been involved in volunteer recruitment, welcoming new volunteers to the conversation events so they can increase their understanding of our service. As we grow to deliver training events, our clients will be collaborative partners in training events including delivering experiential sessions (live or recorded.)

Our clients will also co-design evaluation tools with regard for individuals who find reading, writing and concentrating difficult. Evaluation tools may include informal conversation, group discussion and art-based exercises. Volunteers will support clients with simple surveys to assess long-term impact.

Our Projects

Our Community Self-Management is built on four main areas

Tools and resources

Co-produced video/audio/visual resources describing personal experience of long-term conditions and practical coping techniques, alongside QR links to NHS website.

Community events

Monthly events to encourage informal socialising between clients and health professionals.

Support for health

We make volunteer support and travel from client home to health appointments by taxi available, increasing client engagement with health services.

Increase awareness

Deliver annual training event for health professionals using experiential resources and learning from community conversations to increase understanding of client issues.

Community roles

We have a strong commitment to working collaboratively with our service users through a range of approaches and methods, ensuring that we engage with them meaningfully and respectfully.

We firmly believe that the lived experiences and perspectives of our service users are invaluable and should be both heard and valued. This approach allows us to drive meaningful change and enhance the delivery of person-centred support to individuals affected by addiction, mental health challenges, and social isolation across the sector.

We acknowledge the unique contributions that our service users can offer, and we aim to create an environment where their voices are central to the ongoing development of our services. Through this approach, we are dedicated to empowering our service users, fostering a sense of agency, and supporting their active involvement in shaping the care and support they receive. Our goal is to ensure that service users feel empowered and capable of contributing to their own journey towards reducing social isolation. We are equally focused on providing opportunities for them to grow, build skills, and gain the self-assurance necessary to navigate life’s challenges with resilience.

We have a variety of roles our service users can get involved in:

Rowan Alba Ambassador

As an Ambassador you will represent the service in a warm, friendly, and approachable manner, fostering engaging conversations with members of the public.

By doing so, we aim to generate interest in the service while actively contributing to raising awareness and enhancing the profile of the organisation.

“Life with Rowan Alba as a service user is a support I have never known before. “

Rowan Alba Lived Experience Consultant

As a Lived Experience Consultant, you will contribute to the learning and development of staff and volunteers by sharing your insights and experiences.

Your input will help ensure the service delivers relevant training, group sessions, and support, shaping the organisation’s approach to meet the needs of those it serves and promoting continuous improvement. You will also have the opportunity to contribute your thoughts and experiences regarding external organisations and services and how these could be improved to support better support individuals.

“I used to hang my head in shame. I’ve now turned things around to be an asset. If I help one person, I’ll be happy. Rowan Alba and Penumbra have been stepping stones for a positive fruitful life.”

Service User Representative

As a Service User Representative, you will work alongside the Community Volunteer Coordinator to recruit and train volunteers.

‘My experience of Rowan Alba is that it is a wonderful community of people who are all supportive of each other, and welcome new friends with open arms’

As part of this role you will share your experiences to provide them with a clear understanding of how the service operates. You will also welcome new clients to the service and Rowan Alba community events, helping to create a supportive and inclusive environment.

Rowan Alba Immersive Art Creator

As an Immersive Art Creator, you will draw on your lived experience to develop immersive art projects that complement our training sessions.

These projects will help enhance the public’s understanding and empathy towards topics such as mental health, addiction, and isolation in an engaging and creative manner.

“Rowan Alba have helped me through my journey, encouraging me especially with on of my passions, art. Being able to express in an artistic way with their help and encouragement has been great and given me the opportunity to work on a project of immersive art, with the hope that it can give inside knowledge back to others. Being able to look at my lived experience of alcoholism, I have worked on making a playable boardgame to show the ups and downs and many problems we encounter every day. Roll the dice, climb the ladders and slide down the snakes, a game of chance – Snakes and Ladders.”

Compassionate Craft Volunteer

The aim of the Compassionate Craft Volunteer is to provide comfort and support to individuals in hospital by creating handmade knitted items and thoughtful cards.

Through their craft, they contribute to fostering a sense of connection and care, helping to brighten someone’s day and strengthen the organisation’s outreach efforts.

“I like that I got to use up lots of materials that I had bought and were not going to be used because I really hate waste. I’m trying to use arts and crafts to help my mental health, get into flow, get mental rest and feel joy. Although I’ve been unsuccessful in that, making the cacti gave me the opportunity to try. I’m very pleased at the thought of the cacti making other people feel good in anyway. It feels nice to be of some use to someone.”

Green Space Champion

Our Green Space Champions play a key role in nurturing and maintaining our plot in the community allotment at Lauriston Farm.

By working alongside others, they contribute to the growth of plants, vegetables, and flowers, helping create a vibrant, welcoming space for everyone. Their efforts not only support the environment but also strengthen community bonds, offering a rewarding opportunity to connect with nature, learn new skills, and make a positive impact on the local area.

“It brings me back to the days I spent with my dad he taught me everything that I know about gardening, plants, nature he was very about the outdoors and how things grow. I’ll never be as good as him, but I love the challenge i know he’ll be there telling me what I’m doing wrong or right – probably more wrong than right but I’m willing to give it a go! Vegetables out of the garden taste so much different better than shop bought. I love the feeling of when you grow something it’s an achievement to see this little seed grow into something that’s delicious to eat, such a satisfying feeling. And not to mention that the fresh air always makes you feel better.”

There is lots of other ways to get involved with Rowan Alba

Getting involved in the recruitment and selection process of volunteers.
Speaking at an event.
Developing training for volunteers alongside staff.
Joining our service user working group.
Coordinating activities at our community events.

Ask your volunteer, or CARDS contact to find out more!

Audio Visual Tools and Resources

Co-producing video/audio/visual tools is a new way to provide information and practical self-management support to isolated house-bound clients. This will share lived self-management experience from clients who are now thriving to increase knowledge and encourage engagement with volunteer support to access community services.

Attending informal art-based conversation events are a new way to address barriers between health professionals and clients by removing distinctions as they participate together in activities. Conversations will increase understanding of client issues; how services can help them self-manage conditions; and reduce future anxiety about meetings in professional settings.

Experiential tools for sharing

We have worked collaboratively with clients, who are now thriving, to create audio, video, sensory objects and images describing their self-management journeys. Issues covered include anxiety, depression, mobility and memory. The content is supported by QR codes linking to further support online.