Testimonials
We have been privileged enough to work work with and provide support to a huge range of service users and organisations.
Read more about the impact of our work on those in our communities below.
"YOU ARE SO LOVELY. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING, I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL YOUR HELP"
ANONYMOUS CLIENT
“THANKS FOR YOUR EMAIL AND EVERYTHING YOU HAVE DONE FOR ME. I WILL MISS YOU BUT IT MAY WELL BE A RELIEF TO YOU. TAKE CARE. YOU HAVE BEEN SO KIND.”
ANONYMOUS CLIENT
"THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING AND FOR BEING THERE FOR ME!!!!"
ANONYMOUS CLIENT
“THANK YOU SO SO SO MUCH, YOUR SUPPORT HAS BEEN INVALUABLE. I WAS SO STUCK AND I AM NOW GETTING HELP IN MORE WAYS THAN I COULD HAVE IMAGINED.”
ANONYMOUS CLIENT
JANE'S STORY
(NAME CHANGED TO PROTECT IDENTITY)
Jane was referred to the Social Prescribing Service by her GP. She is 70+ years old and has two adult children and a number of grandchildren and great grandchildren. She has been married to her second husband for over thirty years who is now her carer. They used to live in a property provided by his employer, but since he retired, they have had to move to a flat in the town centre and Jane says she misses the space and the garden.
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Jane suffers with depression and a number of health conditions that affect her mobility. She describes herself as ‘obese’ and says that she is no longer able to get into the car and moves around the flat in a wheelchair.
Jane told one of our Social Prescribing Link Workers that she finds it really hard to motivate herself to exercise or eat healthily. However, her grandson is getting married soon and she really wants to attend the wedding but knows she will need to make some changes if this is to be possible.
During several in-depth conversations with Jane, the Link Worker was able to discuss a referral for a physio home visit service and also one to a digital weight management service which Jane agreed to. In the course of these discussions, Jane opened up to the Link Worker about some emotional trauma she had experienced earlier in her life but had never spoken about. The Link Worker suggested counselling and although Jane was reluctant at first, she agreed to give it a try. The Link Worker made a referral to a free counselling service that provided telephone and online counselling. Jane said she would also like to get her teeth sorted out before the wedding, so the Link Worker provided information about local NHS services.
In the follow-up call, Jane said that she had made some changes in her lifestyle: she was now trying to eat more healthily and was seeing some weight loss. She had attended a residents’ coffee morning which was a big step for her and had also been out of the house for the first time in years, allowing her husband to push her in her wheelchair to her dentist appointments. Jane told the Link Worker that she was now having weekly counselling sessions and had found this to be deeply beneficial to her emotional and mental wellbeing. Jane thanked the Link Worker for her sensitive and gentle approach which had enabled her to begin to make these changes in her life.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR CALL TODAY. WAS LOVELY TO CHAT. I SOMETIMES THINK TALKING TO PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTAND MY ODD WAYS IS THE BEST THERAPY! VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE REFERRALS. WILL HAVE A THOROUGH LOOK AT THE INFO YOU'VE PROVIDED OVER THE WEEKEND.
ANOYMOUS CLIENT
I NEED TO SAY THAT I AM VERY GRATEFUL FOR ALL YOUR HELP AND SUPPORT, YOU HAVE BEEN THE SHOT THE ARM THAT I HAVE NEEDED. I WAS VERY IMPRESSED BY THE WAY THAT YOU TALKED WITH ME AND ENCOURAGED ME TO SEE LIFE IN A VERY DIFFERENT WAY THAN I HAVE BEEN FOR A LONG TIME. I WILL MISS YOUR WISDOM! I WOULD LIKE TO SAY A FINAL THANK YOU BY LEAVING YOU WITH A HUGE HUG! IT'S TIME TO TURN THE NEXT PAGE IN MY LIFE.
ANONYMOUS CLIENT
“JUST WANT TO SAY THANKS ONCE AGAIN AS YOUR PROFESSIONALISM, DEDICATION, PEOPLE SKILLS AND PROACTIVENESS ARE WELL APPRECIATED AND AN ASSET TO THE SERVICE YOU PROVIDE.”
ANONYMOUS REFERRER
THANK YOU FOR REFERRING THE ABOVE CLIENT TO DOSE OF NATURE. THE CLIENT WAS SEEN FOR THEIR INITIAL ASSESSMENT APPOINTMENT. THE CLIENT IS KEEN AND MOTIVATED TO JOIN OUR PROGRAMME AND WILL SOON BE MATCHED WITH A DOSE OF NATURE GUIDE TO BEGIN THEIR DOSE OF NATURE PRESCRIPTION.
ANONYMOUS REFERRER
JUNE'S STORY
(NAME CHANGED TO PROTECT IDENTITY)
June was referred to social prescribing by her GP to encourage her into appropriate social activities. June is in her twenties and has physical disabilities. She is quadriplegic and is supported by a full-time carer and her mother.
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June requested that the communication between herself and the Link Worker be via email as this is easiest for her. In conversation with a Social Prescribing Link Worker June said that she felt socially isolated and lonely and was concerned that her physical disabilities would restrict what kind of life she could have. She said that she often felt trapped in her body and her house.
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She said that she had tried many activities over the years but felt that they had often ended up being unsatisfactory and she was left with a feeling that nothing would ever work. However, she also said that she knew that if she didn’t give things a chance then her life would never get better. She also told the Link Worker that she had experienced trauma in her life and often the support suggested to her would trigger high levels of anxiety connected to this trauma. Together, June and the Link Worker were able to explore the types of activities June might be interested in, excluding some of the organisations she had already had bad experiences with.
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The Link Worker suggested a six-week course being run by the Wellbeing Garden and June was very keen to try this. The Link Worker had already visited the Wellbeing Garden and ascertained that it would be suitable for a disabled person and a wheelchair to avoid disappointment further down the line. A risk assessment session at the Wellbeing Garden was arranged for June. The Link Worker also attended and was able to meet June in person and support her through the assessment.
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June mentioned to the Link Worker that she had been part of a LGBTQ+ group before the lockdown but it had been stopped during the pandemic. She said she had really enjoyed being part of this group. The Link Worker found an online LGBTQ+ group and June agreed to a referral being made for her.
June expressed an interest in book clubs and the Link Worker mentioned one run by a local charity but unfortunately June had previously had a disappointing experience with this organisation and did not feel able to give it another chance at this time. The Link Worker found an online debating group for disabled people run by Surrey Coalition for Disabled People which was of great interest to June and a referral was made on her behalf.
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June's hopes in being referred to social prescribing had been to improve her social life; find activities that she felt safe doing; to feel less lonely; to meet new people and try new things. By working at June's pace and being sensitive to what was difficult for her, the Link Worker was able to gain June's trust and introduce her to new activities and people in a way that felt safe enough for her to manage. In this way social prescribing was able to help improve her wellbeing.
"THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING UP WITH THIS - GOING TO REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND YET AGAIN ALL DOWN TO YOU ... YOU HAVE REALLY MADE A DIFFERENCE TO MY LIFE AND I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH - YOU'VE DONE IT AGAIN."
ANONYMOUS CLIENT
‘’YOU HAVE REALLY HELPED WITH FILLING THE GAP WHEN MY LIFE HAS BEEN TURNED UPSIDE DOWN. EVERYTHING HAS BEEN VERY COMPLEX AND YOU HAVE BEEN VERY KIND AND IT IS SUCH A RELIEF. KEEP UP YOUR GOOD WORK, IT’S BRILLIANT. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING.’’
ANONYMOUS CLIENT
"THANK YOU FOR OUR PHONE CALL TODAY, I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF HOPE WHICH IS NOT TO BE UNDERESTIMATED! WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU."
ANONYMOUS CLIENT
"THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR CALL AND EMAIL. IT MEANT A LOT TO ME. I WILL LOOK OUT FOR CHARITY SHOPS ON THE HIGH STREET AND ALSO CHECK OUT THE LINKS YOU SENT ME. THANK YOU SO MUCH."
ANONYMOUS CLIENT