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Museums for Health and Wellbeing: A Preliminary Report from the National Alliance for Museums, Health and Wellbeing

“In recent years there has been a considerable increase in programmes not only to improve health and wellbeing, but also to provide accessible education, boost vocational skills, support people with special educational needs (SEN) and work with some of the most marginalised people in society such as offenders, people living in poverty and refugees… In tandem there is a growing field of research which seeks to understand and evaluate the benefits of museum activities for individual and societal health and wellbeing… This report describes the wealth of activity around health, wellbeing and social care that museums and galleries are

already offering across the UK…” (p.7)

[The aim of the National Alliance for Museums, Health and Wellbeing is to:]

• provide leadership and advocacy for the sector’s contribution to health and wellbeing;

• identify areas of best practice, and gaps in knowledge and training;

• identify areas of best practice, and gaps in knowledge and training;

• provide support, guidance and recommendations on best practice, getting started, partnership work and health commissioning;

• establish a common language for this interdisciplinary field and highlight what works.