Innovation Fund Feedback from our friends at Nourishing Qi

The Nourishing Qi was awarded the Innovation Fund to a series of Community Acupuncture Clinics in the London borough of Westminster.

The clinics provided free and affordable acupuncture to those who are unemployed, in receipt of benefits, disabled and elderly. The service was also available to local residents that were accessing the Turning Point DAWS services. The service included:

• Free acupuncture – Auricular acupuncture provided for those who had addictions and mind wellbeing health needs.
• Drop In’s – Auricular acupuncture service was running at two locations twice a week for local residents with addiction needs.
• Further information of services available-connections.
• Body acupuncture provided at an affordable rate of £10 to the unemployed and £20 for the employed.

The clinics enabled local residents to take advantage of the opportunity to integrate acupuncture therapy into their recovery plan and there were some residents who attended both clinics twice a week.

The community centre where one of the clinics were held was able to be fitted with Wi-Fi as a result of the income made from the clinics to provide computer classes to the pensioners of the community which helps reduce isolation.

Part of the innovation fund also supported the two coffee mornings hosted twice a week for isolated members of the community.