We are delighted to share the publication of our Interim Report for The Abundance Project, marking an important milestone. Since launching in early 2024, our work across Croydon, Kingston and Hounslow has centred the voices of Black, minority ethnic and refugee communities to explore how cultural and green community assets can better support mental health through social prescribing.
Lived experience storytelling
The project’s approach centres lived experience from the outset. The initial phase established a community of practice using lived experience storytelling with 27 Community Voice Champions (CVCs) across Southwest London. The subsequent phase involved focus groups and community-led walks with all five community voice groups in Croydon, Kingston and Feltham to explore their community assets and information systems. This participatory approach positioned residents as co-researchers, allowing them to discuss feelings and relationships across a variety of settings.
Interim findings
The lived experience storytelling phase identified seven interconnected themes:
1. Struggles of migration and impacts on mental health
2. Mistrust of institutions
3. Constricted community knowledge around mental health
4. Safety of place and culturally safe spaces
5. Nature and culture as sanctuary for mental health
6. The importance of community connections and belonging
7. Cultural difficulties in accessing nature and culture
Participants described feeling isolated, experiencing taboo and stigma around mental health, and facing fear of discrimination when accessing some green and cultural spaces.
The community asset mapping phase revealed that social prescribers have low awareness of cultural and green spaces and activities and make few referrals, noting that “nature and the culture is quite far down the list on the whole because there’s more basic needs that need to be met”. Communities rely more on personal networks and trusted sources than official information channels, seeking culturally inclusive representation in promotional materials to assess whether spaces are welcoming. Multiple intersecting barriers limit access including safety concerns, racism, cost, accessibility challenges and feeling that the asset is “not for people like me.” Social prescribers emphasised the need for accompaniment – someone to go with clients or help them “over the threshold” to new activities.
Next Steps
The project is now transitioning to its co-design phase, bringing together CVCs and practitioners from health, creative and public sectors to develop six interventions inspired by the lived experience storytelling and community asset mapping findings. These interventions will address identified barriers whilst exploring how peer-led approaches might be embedded within social prescribing pathways. The project will also generate multiple outputs to support wider application and knowledge exchange, including toolkits, academic publications, policy recommendations and conference presentations. Finally, the evaluation phase will assess both intervention outcomes and the co-design process itself, alongside a national survey, generating learning about implementing community-led approaches within existing health systems.
Our full Interim Report is now available, and we look forward to sharing updates as the co-design work progresses.
Thank you to all our community partners and participants for shaping this vital work!