The Social Prescribing Youth Network (SPYN)

SPYN is a free network for anyone interested in social prescribing for children and young people. New members can join SPYN here to receive future updates about the expanding world of social prescribing for children and young people. The newsletter will bring you the latest research, resources, events, training and more – all directly to your inbox.

Social Prescribing – the means by which people of all ages can find their way into local, wellbeing-boosting initiatives, with the help of a link worker, or community navigator – is now thriving, and delivering fantastic results for people all over the UK. Traditionally used to help adults and older adults find non-medical ways of combating loneliness and stress, research has shown that social prescribing has multiple health and social benefits for young people too, with dozens of compelling reasons why this work should begin as early in life as possible.

SPYN was founded by StreetGames in 2018 with the ambition that every Primary Care Network in England should have at least one Link Worker dedicated to working with children and young people. SPYN has since grown to over 1,300 members, including Link Workers, voluntary and community organisations, social prescribing coordinators, commissioners, funders, GPs, youth workers, police officers, teachers and researchers. Its achievements have included winning the ‘Children & Young People Now’ Award 2021, delivering a £900k pilot in Sheffield, Southampton, Luton and Brighton & Hove in 2019-21 and publishing numerous resources including principles for developing an accessible, all-age social prescribing model. In December 2024 it was announced that the team at UCL’s Social Biobehavioural Research Group would be the new hosts of the network.

You can find out more about SPYN on the Social Biobehavioural Research Group’s website and join SPYN to stay up to date with news, developments, resources, funding and training and receive priority invitations to youth social prescribing events. Membership is free and open to all those interested in bringing social prescribing and its benefits to the younger generations - whether you are a Link Worker, social prescribing coordinator, voluntary and community worker, commissioner, funder, health professional across primary or secondary care, or a researcher.

Contact SPYN at: spyn@ucl.ac.uk.