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River Place Mosaic Bench Project

May 2025

The exciting River Place Mosaic Bench Project, led by Dr Sophy Wollaston and Julia Burrett combines both NHS staff wellbeing and social prescribing.

The ugly concrete Health Centre Benches have been decorated with flower mosaics designed by Tessa Huskin of the Hackey Mosaic Project enhancing the neglected urban environment. Find out more on the Hackney Mosaic Project website.

Funding came from the Whittington Health Charity, along with donations from patients and local businesses on Essex Road.

The popular mosaic making workshops ran weekly from November 2024 to February 2025.

Find out more about the project here.

This project built on our first mosaic, completed in 2023, which was part of the award-winning River Place GP Practice wellbeing program. This had involved all Practice staff and brought team cohesion, wellbeing, respect and understanding across the team which is crucial for delivery of patient care. River Place Health Centre Combats Staff Burn-Out Through Art Project

The new 2024/ 2025 Mosaic Bench Project was designed to include patient participation and broad involvement across the community including River Place Health Centre staff, District Nurses, CAMHs and Health Visitors.

About 100 people took part, ranging in age from 4 to 88 years old, also involving friends and family of the GP practice, medical students, community pharmacists and even staff from the local cheese shop!

Patients were recruited in different ways. GP practice staff nominated patients they hoped would benefit from joining the mosaic workshops including those with mental health problems, long-term conditions, the vulnerable and isolated. We also invited our patient participation group (PPG) and those who had expressed interest in our first mosaic mural.

Staff and Patient groups merged, all discovering the magic of mosaic making together. Mosaic making epitomises mindfulness with some preferring to work in silence, others enjoying company and reflecting on the therapeutic benefit of art and creativity in our lives.

Interestingly there was virtually no discussion about illness during the workshops and staff and patient conversations focused on commonalities and shared interests including families, local politics and football.

Some patients had experienced loss and some were lonely and appreciated company and the absorbing creative distraction. Staff enjoyed the opportunity to chat with colleagues which is rarely possible in the busy working day, fostering team building and collaborative working.

Many patient participants were eager to continue with creative activities and have been signposted to other local community art projects by our social prescribing link worker.