Residents across Merton had chance to find out about the new and existing health, social care, charity and community services available to the local community when The Nelson Health Centre in Wimbledon held a special ‘Community Open Day’ last week (6 July).

The Nelson Health Centre in Kingston Road, Wimbledon already plays a vital role in supporting community health with facilities including GP surgeries; mental health services; minor surgery facilities; support services for older people; and a range of specialist outpatient clinics. The centre also provided COVID testing and vaccination facilities but, with pandemic restrictions now easing, a number of existing services are now returning to The Nelson, together with new health and social care services for residents to access.

Cllr Joan Henry, The Mayor of the London Borough of Merton, visited the event and met with residents, volunteers and wellbeing providers.

The Community Open Day on Wednesday 6 July allowed residents of all ages chance to visit The Nelson and find out about the many services available including:

• New and existing health and social care services, including mental health services offered by South West London and St George’s NHS Trust (swlstg.nhs.uk), physiotherapy services provided by Connect Health (www.connecthealth.co.uk ), and the range of services and support offered by the Nelson Medical Practice (nelsonmedicalpractice.co.uk) and NHS Merton (southwestlondonics.org.uk/merton/).
• Local charities offering advice on support is available in the local area to help during the current ‘cost of living’ crisis, including ‘Warm & Well in Merton’ (www.wimbledonguild.co.uk/warm-well) and Merton Community Hub (mertoncommunityhub.org.uk), as well as Bereavement Counselling services (nelsonmedicalpractice.co.uk/services/bereavement-service/).
• Merton pop-up library was available for local residents to use, with details on the wide range of library services available across Merton (merton.gov.uk).

The Nelson Health Centre was built by South West London Health and Care Partnership which brings together healthcare investor Fulcrum working closely with Community Health Partnerships, a key part of the NHS family. Sarah Beaumont-Smith, Director at South West London Health and Care Partnership, said: “The Nelson has grown to become a central part of the local community, supporting the health and well-being of residents across Merton, so the Community Open Day was a great chance to showcase the wide range of new and existing services available.”

Philippa Robinson, Regional Director – London for Community Health Partnerships said: “Health centres, like The Nelson play a vital role in their communities and can facilitate access to a wide range of health and wellbeing services that support improvement in population health outcomes. This is a key aim of our Buildings at the Heart of their Communities initiative, and I am delighted that we were able to once again run events such the Community Open Day post pandemic. It was wonderful to welcome local people into the centre to find out more, have the support of health and wellbeing services in Merton, and to show that The Nelson is more than just a place to go to get treatment when you are unwell.”

AFC Wimbledon Foundation

AFC Wimbledon Foundation were also at the Community Day outlining the weekly health and wellbeing activities they offer to residents of all ages (afcwimbledonfoundation.com).  The Foundation are part of an ongoing project with Fulcrum, and The Nelson have formed a partnership to deliver vital community-based activities and initiatives.  Fiona Sutherland from AFC Wimbledon Foundation said: “AFC Wimbledon Foundation is excited to be partnering with the Nelson Health Centre to help increase the health and wellbeing of football fans and local residents alike. It was great to join the Community Open Day to showcase some of the events and activities the Foundation has on offer to support residents of all ages across Merton.”

How to use CHP buildings for community activities

The Community Open Day at the Nelson Health Centre is a great example of the community activities we support as part of our ‘Buildings at the Heart of the Community’ initiative.

At CHP we support the use of our buildings by registered charities and groups which provide health and wellbeing services.  These would usually include local support groups and patient groups.  CHP also support other organisations which are part of the NHS family or which are set up for public benefit. This would include local schools or community organisations seeking to use our buildings to benefit the public, such as for seasonal entertainment.

Find out more on our ‘Buildings at the Heart of the Community’ page:
www.communityhealthpartnerships.co.uk/about-us/buildings-at-the-heart/