Building a Functional Care Economy Through Social Prescribing

We’ve been revisiting social prescribing—because the cracks in the system are becoming too wide to ignore.

In one conversation, Karen Pilkington got to the heart of it: “If there’s no community group left, then there’s nowhere for link workers to send people!”

It’s a reminder that social prescribing depends on an ecosystem. And that ecosystem can’t run on goodwill alone.

We’ve started calling it an ‘economy of care.’ One where local organisations are funded properly. One where support doesn’t dry up the moment a grant ends.

We’re also looking at how referrals are made, how trust is built, and how community-led groups can shape—not just receive—the system.

This isn’t about fixing social prescribing. It’s about reimagining the whole foundation it rests on.

Because real belonging doesn’t come from a referral form. It comes from relationships. And relationships need time, care, and resources to grow.