A FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND new community connections health project tackling social isolation is being trialled in North Berwick – and is on the lookout for people to get involved.

Carol Stobie is project officer for North Berwick Coastal Community Connections, an initiative set up through North Berwick Coastal Health and Wellbeing Association.

Led by Deborah Ritchie and Tillie Baird, the association identified the need for this kind of project to help tackle social isolation and loneliness in the town.

The project was officially launched in the summer in the community centre, with almost half of those attending signing up to volunteer.

Similar projects exist in other places called ‘Community Links Projects’ but the team in North Berwick wanted to do something on a different model.

Community Connections uses members of the community to introduce others to groups and sports clubs, emphasising community development and outreach.

The project is helping tackle social isolation by encouraging GPs and other health professionals to refer those at risk of isolation to “social prescribing” rather than provide medication.

Members of the public can also refer someone.

Carol said: “People who refer someone at risk of isolation to me may have medical problems that they need attended to, but social prescribing means that they are also trying to recommend other things that will benefit their wellbeing.

“It might be to do with meeting other people, exercise or all those non-medical things that might make the biggest difference to improving their health and wellbeing overall.”

Carol then meets the referred person to discuss their likes and dislikes, what is important to them and what the barriers are to taking part in community groups.

She then puts the individual into contact with one of her ‘community connectors’ related to a certain activity.

Community connectors are volunteers from a variety of local groups and clubs, and people who are willing to help out in a variety of the initiative’s smaller projects.

“We are not pushing them into it,” said Carol.

“The connector could give them a realistic sense of what the group is like.”

Connectors can also volunteer their time to accompany someone, for example, to the gym on a one-off basis.

Others can meet someone over a number of occasions, providing them someone to talk to over coffee.

Carol has also set up smallscale cafe meetings for those who would like to meet new people.

She highlighted it was not only older people who were at risk of social isolation, referring to her own experience of losing her dad and becoming a new mother soon after.

She explained how the experience left her “completely wrecked” and thinking that everyone around her was coping very well.

She said: “There are a lot of reasons people might feel isolated at some point.

“If you have been through something that is a huge setback then your confidence is that much lower.”

As well as mental health, other reasons people could use Community Connections could be due to accident, illness or being new to the area.

The project is being funded by the area partnership for one year and is actively looking for more funding to allow it continue.

Anyone keen to get involved should contact Carol on 07940 203380 or nbc-communityconnections@outlook.com