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Better Connect: Creative Health Programme

Ongoing

Better Connect supports the wellbeing of residents living in North Tyneside, and encourages connection through creativity.

Image by TyneSight Photography.
A group of people sit around a large table covered with colourful paper, pens, and craft materials during a creative workshop. They appear focused on their projects, with a facilitator seated at the far end guiding the activity in a bright, plain room.

Contexts:

Arts and Health / Carers

Key Partners:

North East Museums

North Tyneside Libraries

VODA

Sporting Wallsend

People:

Jos Forester-Melville / Katie Jayne Appleyard

Tags:

Better Connect is Helix Arts’ Creative Health programme.

It offers regular creative opportunities and approaches across North Tyneside that improve health and wellbeing.

Our Creative Health programme improves the health and wellbeing of participants by creating projects that work with experienced, professional artists to respond to their needs.

We are the leaders in Creative Health in North Tyneside. We offer evidence-based activities.

We’re interested in developing new opportunities for people who self-refer and are open to referrals from health professionals.

Better Connect sessions are suitable for families and anyone aged 18+ living or working in North Tyneside.

See below for current activities.

Our Better Connect Offer

A group of five adults stand around a table during a papermaking workshop. They dip wooden mesh frames into a water-filled basin and press pulp onto the screens. Craft materials and colourful decorations fill the background.

Better Connect Creative Wellbeing Workshops

Ongoing

Check out our over 18's Creative Wellbeing Workshops for Better Connect.
In a bright room with white walls and ceiling, a young individual wearing a white and blue striped sweater adjusts a tripod-mounted device, possibly a smartphone or camera with a green case. Another person stands nearby, observing. On the table in front of them are two vertically stacked glass containers filled with colourful liquid.

Better Connect Family Wellbeing Workshops

Ongoing

Plug into Family Time - create together, connect together - digital fun for all ages.

A group of older adults stand in a bright, spacious room, participating in a lively group activity. Each person holds their hands in circles around their eyes, playfully mimicking binoculars. They wear casual, comfortable clothing suitable for movement. The room is filled with natural light from large windows, and chairs and other participants are visible in the background, suggesting a communal, recreational setting

Better Connect: Falling on your Feet

Ongoing

Do you want to get moving, dance and have the opportunity to meet new people?

Come and try Falling on Your Feet Segedunum.

In a community workshop space, two individuals collaborate on a woodworking project. One person operates a power drill while the other positions a wooden piece. The table is covered with tools, screws, and partially assembled wooden structures. The background includes chairs, jackets on a coat rack, and a door with signage, suggesting a welcoming, shared environment.

Better Connect: Men’s Creative Health

Ongoing

Check out our over 18's Better Connect workshops for men living in the North West of the borough.
Here’s clear, helpful alt text for the image: **Alt text:** A child films a science experiment using a smartphone mounted on a small tripod. In front of them, another person uses a pipette to add liquid to a tall glass filled with bright blue solution. The scene is set on a table with a checkered cloth.

Better Connect Holiday Programmes

Ongoing

Check out our holiday offer for young people and see what they have previously got up to.

Impact of our programme 25_26

543 new people took part in our creative health work

543 new people took part in Better Connect.

49% of our work was Creative Health

49% of our programme was Creative Health.

189 Creative Health Sessions

189 sessions took place in the last year.

2068 people attended our creative health sessions

2,068 took part in Better Connect.

All stats are from 1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026

Check out what our participants had to say about the programme.

Creative Health workshop with people doing printing'

“I really enjoy the sessions as it is the only thing me and my partner do during the week.
It is important to me to do these groups and have a chat with other people as my main interaction pryor to these was with my friends at work, but since leaving work I do not have that any more so for my mental health these courses are very important.”

Creative wellbeing participant
Creative Health dancing workshop with the Falling on Your Feet participants doing contemporary dance shapes.'

“Being part of FOYF has been vital in helping me stay physically, and mentally healthy and socially connected. As I live alone the social connection is so important.”

Falling on your Feet participant
A table full of fused glass arts from a creative health workshop'

“Meeting other people and trying something new, which I wouldn’t have done if the session wasn’t on offer to me”

Winter Wellbeing Participant
Workshop image with a facilitator and a young child making clay art'

“It gave my daughter something to look forward to in the summer. Her friend also attended and they got to see one another and work together on projects. It did spark her interest at home with my daughter wanting to do different arts and crafts at home. She managed to do some animations with her teddies using an app that she used in a session.”

Well Summer Parent 2023
a family playing a piano at a creative health workshop'

“Trying new skills has been very therapeutic to my healing and discovering activities I wouldn’t previously had the confidence to do. So very grateful to have these new opportunities thanks.”

Better Connect Adult Participant

Check out Better Connect over the years.

Better Connect 25_26 Projects

2025 - 2026

Check out some of our highlights from Better Connect in 2025_26.

Better Connect 24_25 Projects

2024 - 2025

Check out some of our highlights from Better Connect in 2024_25.

Want to get involved?

If you would like to find out more, get involved as a partner, volunteer or refer someone to the programme please contact us

Contact

Katie Jayne Appleyard

Creative Producer

0191 241 4931

katiejayne.appleyard@helixarts.com

Related Projects

Falling on Your Feet Holding A Candle Session at Segedunum part of Better Connect Photo by Nigel John

Better Connect: Social Prescribing

May 2021 - May 2022

A social prescribing project aimed at connecting 350 young and adult carers with arts and culture to transform experiences after COVID-19.

HeArt of Care 2023

April 2023 - January 2024

HeArt of Care took the conversations about care away from the hidden rooms of domestic settings and place them at the heart of our public spaces.

Here to There

Ongoing

Here To There is an exciting programme of cultural experiences and events for people aged 55+, including wellbeing walks, visits to museums, exhibitions, theatres, dance performances, and buildings and places with interesting histories.

Falling On Your Feet

Ongoing

A dance and health programme, co-curated with people aged 65+ who are living independently.

Thanks to our Project Funders

This programme is funded by Arts Council England and Legal & General Health Equity Fund.

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