Welcoming residents and partners to Hub Connections
On Tuesday, the 31st of March, CB Plus, through Barnet Wellbeing Service, welcomed residents, partners and local organisations to Hub Connections at St Barnabas Church for a community event focused on boosting wellbeing through physical activity.
With around 50 attendees joining us on the day, Hub Connections created a warm and welcoming space for people to hear from local services, take part in activity taster sessions, explore what support is available in Barnet, and connect over lunch and conversation.
From the start, there was a lovely atmosphere in the room. Before the event officially began, organisations were setting up stalls and getting ready to welcome attendees, including Barnet Wellbeing Service, Meridian Wellbeing, PohWER, New Citizens Gateway, Cherry Lodge and the NCL CA Lung Cancer Health Promotions Team.
The event was chaired by Kitty Grew, Service Development, Integration, Transformation and Delivery Senior Manager, Live Well, Strategy & Population Health Directorate, NHS North Central London Integrated Care Board (ICB), who did a fantastic job of guiding the day.
Before the event got underway, we caught up with Kitty to hear her thoughts on why events like Hub Connections matter. She said:
“I think events like these are really important just for people to network, people to know what’s in their area.”
She also reflected on how important in-person opportunities have become in recent years:
“I think it can be quite difficult to know what’s going on in your area, especially since Covid, when a lot of us are online or in our houses, so I think it’s really great for people to come together and see what’s available to them.”
It felt like a fitting way to open the day, which was all about helping people feel more connected to their community and more aware of the support around them.
Barnet Wellbeing Service updates and impact
We then heard from Tola Kolawole, Director of Health and Care at CB Plus, who shared updates from the Barnet Wellbeing Service and talked attendees through the journey people take through the Wellbeing Hub.
Tola explained how people are first supported through an emotional health check before being connected to appropriate community services, workshops and one-to-one support. She also shared some of the service’s impact over the past year, including that the Barnet Wellbeing Hub supported 1,088 individuals and connected people to more than 350 community wellbeing services. It was also encouraging to hear that over 93% of respondents said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the support they received. Her presentation gave a really strong picture of the value of Barnet Wellbeing Service and the difference community-based support can make.
Physical activity and mental wellbeing in Barnet
Next, we heard from Luana Tierney, Greenspaces and Leisure Partnership Officer, Greenspaces and Leisure, Communities, Adults and Health Directorate, London Borough of Barnet. Luana spoke about the borough’s work to help people become more active, while also recognising the close link between physical and mental wellbeing. As she put it:
“If you’re physically active, you tend to be more mentally well.”
She also shared some of Fit and Active Barnet’s achievements, including 58,000 residents registered as FAB Card members and more than 5,000 free or £1 swims accessed by children and young people. A key theme in Luana’s presentation was partnership. She said:
“We need everybody to join together to make opportunities.”
She also spoke about the importance of making physical activity part of everyday life across the borough:
“We want to embed physical activity at every opportunity and make it everyone’s business.”
That message felt especially relevant throughout the day. Supporting wellbeing in Barnet is not something one organisation can do alone. It depends on strong partnerships, local knowledge and accessible opportunities for people to get involved in ways that work for them.
Activity taster sessions at Hub Connections
We then heard from Simon Dahl from Onco Move CIC, who shared the work he has been doing to support people with a cancer diagnosis to build manageable physical activity into daily life.
One of the key ideas from Simon’s presentation was a simple but powerful question: how can we attach a good habit to a habit we already have? His talk offered a practical and encouraging way of thinking about movement and behaviour change, especially for people who may be dealing with major changes to their health.
The activity taster sessions that followed were a real highlight of the day. Attendees took part in two parallel sessions: one led by Simon, and another Tai Chi session led by Hoi from Meridian Wellbeing.
Both sessions were very well received. Simon’s room had a lovely light-hearted energy, with participants laughing together as they were encouraged to write their favourite foods in the air, although many ended up following Simon’s choice of jerk chicken. In the other room, Hoi guided attendees through calm, flowing Tai Chi movements, creating a peaceful atmosphere and a chance to slow down, breathe and reconnect.
It was clear from both rooms that people were really engaged, and that simply getting up and moving had a positive impact on the atmosphere. Together, the sessions showed that physical activity can support wellbeing in lots of different ways: through joy, calm, confidence and connection.
Community support and local wellbeing services in Barnet
After a short break and time to visit the stalls, the afternoon continued with further presentations from local partners.
Ryan Bentley, Neighbourhood Manager at Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust, introduced attendees to Barnet Neighbourhoods and The Barnet Integrator, exploring the importance of having a connected neighbourhood around you and the wider shift from hospital to community-based support.
The final speaker of the day was John Truong, Head of Operations at Barnet Wellbeing Hub & Meridian Wellbeing, who shared more about the activities and services available in Barnet.
John’s presentation focused on the importance of offering a safe, welcoming and non-clinical space where people can talk about their goals and experiences. One of the strongest parts of his talk was how clearly he described the accessibility of support:
“You don’t need anything. You need to just want to improve your wellbeing.”
He also said:
“It’s about listening to you. It’s about a non-clinical approach.”
That message really reflected the wider ethos of the day: support should feel approachable, human and available before people reach a crisis point.
Looking back on our March Hub Connections event
The event ended with a complimentary light lunch and networking session, giving attendees, speakers and partners time to continue conversations and build new connections.
Overall, Hub Connections felt like a real success: warm, informative and uplifting, with a strong sense of community throughout. By bringing together local people and organisations around a shared focus on physical activity and wellbeing, the event showed how movement, connection and accessible local support can all play an important role in helping people feel healthier and more connected.
For us, it was also a valuable reminder of how important it is to create spaces where people can come together, find out what is available locally, and take positive steps towards better wellbeing. We hope to see you at the next one!
