CONTEXT 183 : MARCH 2025 17 WELLBEING and HERITAGE which translates to a cost of approximately £400 million to the health service. Although emerging as a concept from the 1980s, social prescribing really took off in the 2010s. The Social Prescribing Network was founded in 2015, and social prescribing was integrated into national health policy in the 2019 NHS Long Term Plan. Social prescribing, now a key element of the universal personalised care approach, relies on collaboration and local community (non-medical) resources. In 1948 the World Health Organisation defined health and wellbeing as ‘a state of complete physical mental and social wellbeing and not merely absence of disease or infirmity.’ The two shifts identified above – in a policy and a health context – have definitely led us to a place where considering the impact on health and on wellbeing, including the social determinants of wellbeing, are now everyone’s concern. Intrinsic qualities Quality of place and the role of the historic environment in this is a deep and broad topic. It can, however, be divided into objective and subjective factors. Objective factors include location (fixed) and provision of local infrastructure such as green spaces and benches (not fixed), and social characteristics of place such as crime rates. Subjective factors include perceptions of safety, social trust and satisfaction with local amenities. These subjective factors, which can be influenced by the fixed and non-fixed factors, can lead to wellbeing-related concepts such as sense of belonging, civic pride, mental health and resilience. The research in this area is a mix of quantitative and qualitative. The former is dealt with in more detail elsewhere in this issue of Context but the evidence in this area includes: 1. Recent research by Historic England has shown that a modest but significant boost to our life satisfaction results from living close to cultural heritage. The research controlled for other factors identifying the specific role of heritage in the formation of individual wellbeing. 2. Urban green spaces have been shown to reduce morbidity and mortality in urban residents. 3. Design and layout of historic towns and cities contribute positively towards levels of physical activity. 4. Blue and green spaces – core parts of our historic environment – can make us happier. 5. The built environment – as a source of constancy – plays a key role in the development of individual ontological security. Freely accessible, quality and safe historic environments are valuable contributors to wellbeing. Instrumental benefits As other articles in this issue show, the idea of designing projects using archaeology and the historic environment is not new. Operation Nightingale (see page 29) has been running since 2011 and there are now many wellbeingorientated projects that use heritage as the catalyst for change. Over time this change has evolved and developed, becoming ever more refined. Some of these projects are designed primarily as wellbeing offers, while others are activities (such as community excavations) that have wellbeing benefits. Here are some key examples of evidence-based ways in which heritage helps mental health and loneliness: 1. Historic England’s Project Rejuvenate built – with delivery partners Wessex Archaeology and Isle Heritage – a new model of using archaeology and heritage outdoors to improve the lives of young people experiencing disadvantage, or being disengaged from school or involved in the criminal justice system. 2. Research has shown that there are particular wellbeing benefits to volunteering with heritage – core benefits of purpose, being, capacity, sharing, self-nurture and self-actualisation are underpinned by the experiential offer of working to save historic sites. 3. Connecting with historic landscapes can create a cycle of transformation that supports recovery of people with complex mental health needs. 4. Place-based heritage, creative and cultural activities support people with mental health needs, building their resilience and addressing social isolation and loneliness. 5. Heritage-led work can address the drivers and results of loneliness. 6. Visting historic sites has clear subjective wellbeing effects due to increasing happiness and reducing anxiety. Recording finds for the Heritage Link Worker project at Arminghall Henge (Photo: The Restoration Trust)
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