Recently, Re-engage impact and evaluation manager Georgina Everett was invited to speak at a webinar organised by the National Academy for Social Prescribing about how the charity uses evidence to develop and deliver activity groups for older people who are experiencing loneliness and social isolation.  

Re-engage first introduced activity groups in South Wales in 2020, initially online and eventually moving to a combination of face to face and online groups across Wales.  Today we have in-person and online groups in West Yorkshire, and we are developing groups in Birmingham, Bristol and the southwest of England. We’re also exploring needs elsewhere.  

An integral member of the impact and evaluation team, Georgina spoke about the ways in which Re-engage uses evidence from various sources to inform how and where activity groups are developed.  

“As a starting point we might look to existing research to demonstrate the issues we’re trying to address – such as the links between loneliness, social isolation and physical health, for example – as well as evidence of the benefits that activity groups offer.  

“On top of us looking at published evidence of the need for activity groups, especially for older populations, our engagement officers work with local organisations and older people to build a picture of what the community there needs and how best we can help. 

“We also continue to ask older people about their experiences, so we can make sure we’re delivering a service that they want and works. Hearing what people get out of the groups, for instance, builds our understanding of their impact, and that feeds back into the body of evidence Re-engage draws on to deliver and grow our services.” 

What have we learned from taking an evidence-based approach? 

• The importance of building partnerships We work with local adult services and neighbourhood networks to identify needs and gaps in provision, and put together local steering groups of older people, volunteers, potential instructors and partner organisations to develop our activity groups. 

• Recognising the role of link workers Referrers and social prescribers working in local communities play a vital role in connecting older people to our services - almost half of our older people are referred by social prescribers or other health professionals.  People working in these, and similar roles need to understand and have confidence in what they’re referring older people to, so as well as involving them in our plans, we invite them to take part in groups to see it for themselves. 

• Putting socialising at the heart of things – as an organisation, we’re all about building social connections, and we’ve found that building social time into our sessions helps motivate people and builds their confidence. Getting to have a chat with the group can sometimes be more tempting than the idea of exercise alone. 

• Empowering older people as participants – people get more out of activities that engage them, can be adapted to their needs, and involve them in decision-making. We work with instructors who help people to find the right level for them and want our older people to have a sense of ownership over their sessions.