Upstream Healthy Living Centre, Crediton
Well- being- Health Maps

Upstream is an established  organization that has been recognised locally and nationally:
• Cited as an example of good practice by Department of Health & former ODPM;
• Big Lottery HLC Development and Support Programme Pathfinder status
• DH Social Enterprise Pathfinder status
• Key pilot in Devon CC POPPs and Link Age Projects.

We have proved to be innovative (initiating concepts of Devon Healthy Living Community, and Voluntary Sector representation on GP multi-disciplinary teams) and sustainable – individual Upstream projects have been sustained by participants themselves; the Upstream model of mentoring is being adopted by Devon CC.

We work closely with other voluntary sector organisations, Primary Care Trust, Social Services and District Councils.

The new Health Maps project will instil good health practice by engaging with those who are older and less able, in order to prevent them from falling into ill-health and requiring more serious and costly intervention at a later date.

Targeting older people in rural mid Devon, Up stream mentors will help people to map and modify their lives to improve opportunities for personal health and well-being.

Mapping daily routes at home and around, using a range of creative media (drawing, textiles, photos, etc), produces practical, imaginative representations of people’s lives. People share simple actions to improve their health and well-being and chart their own progress. Participants create maps of their environment and behaviour, raising health awareness, tackling health and social inequalities thus achieving a change in behaviour through new techniques, with the ability to clearly communicate needs to mainstream and voluntary services.