Initial work focused on mapping community resources, creating a directory, and developing initiatives such as the Talking Café and peer support groups.

This highlighted a need for one-to-one support, and in 2015 the service expanded from a single role into a wider team supporting practices across Mendip.

Health Connectors now work across the Mendip area, supporting patients in all local practices. They are trained in a hybrid role, combining both Social Prescribing Link Worker and Health Coach approaches.

The service is currently funded through a combination of NHS Additional Role Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) funding and support from the Somerset Integrated Care Board (ICB).

The model has been widely shared across the UK and internationally.

During lockdown, we introduced Talking Benches, which have continued due to their success. These provide a regular outdoor “anchor point” where people can access information, connect with others and speak to a Health Connector in an informal setting.

Our Talking Cafés provide informal spaces for connection and signposting. We also offer healthy lifestyle programmes focused on topics such as sleep, movement, healthy eating and social connection, known locally as Habits for Health or Be Healthy, Be Happy.

In some areas, we run On Track groups for people who want to set and work towards goals with others, as well as condition-specific programmes including menopause support, healthier weight support, and a women’s group.

Over time, this work has focused on peer support, helping establish groups such as a Macular Degeneration group, Leg Ulcer club, dementia cafés, and condition-specific support groups. Some of these continue to run today, while others have evolved or led to new initiatives.

Where wider community ideas emerge, we collaborate with partner organisations to support development—for example, working with Frome Town Council on the creation of Frome Community Cars.

This team explored new ideas, tested small-scale projects, and helped develop the Connector programme. While not all initiatives continued, each provided valuable learning—recognising that success can depend on timing as well as the idea itself.

Some projects, such as Talking Benches and the Postcard Project, became a lasting part of our offer, while others influenced how the service has evolved. The Connector training programme, now recognised internationally, remains an important part of this legacy.

Connector training was developed in 2013, inspired by similar work in Harlesden, London, and remains a key part of the Health Connections model.

Connectors are community members trained to help others find local support and opportunities through simple signposting, helping more people know what’s available when they need it.

Over 2,000 people in Mendip have been trained as Connectors, with the programme expanding to include Digital, Green and Heritage Connectors. We have also supported other areas in the UK and internationally to develop similar programmes.

Although Frome has received a lot of attention, Health Connections works across the whole Mendip area, where similar approaches are in place. Teams such as Health Connectors and Complex Care work closely together to support patients.

We share our learning with other areas in the UK and abroad. While this way of working isn’t unique, our model is often more developed because we started earlier. Much of what we share focuses on how the service has grown and developed over time.