Having Faith in Faith: the Power of Partnership between Worshipping Communities and Social Prescribing

Yusuf Patel is having a pretty good few months. He became the UK’s first ever Faith Social Prescribing Lead in September. And Arsenal, his beloved team, are flying high at the top of the Premier League. Not bad at all. Whether it’s social prescribing or football, it became clear as I spoke with Yusuf that he is an immensely passionate person. He’s also someone who really wants to make a difference. An MBE in the 2020 New Year’s Honours List tells you all you need to know.

In terms of his CV, Yusuf has a long history of community campaigning. He’s also worked in local government, where he was involved in the Covid vaccination rollout in one of the country’s most religiously diverse areas. Synagogues, mosques, gurdwaras, churches - they were all present in the London Borough of Redbridge. Yusuf worked closely with faith leaders there to tackle vaccine misinformation, and deliver immunisation clinics inside their places of worship.

“Faith institutions are often that trusted community anchor,” Yusuf told me. “I don’t see this as about creating something new; it’s been done. For me, it’s about recognising and properly connecting to what’s already there.” He’s right. Faith communities are home to an incredible intersection of people, across age, race, class, and gender. All sorts come in. This represents a golden opportunity for collaboration and partnership.

It’s worth giving some context at this point. Yusuf’s role is an ambitious one, never done before. It came about as a result of research published by Theos and the Good Faith Partnership which called for a Faith Lead to be appointed in the National Academy of Social Prescribing. Ahead of the report launch, the Bishop of London (and soon to be Archbishop of Canterbury) Dame Sarah Mullally, convened a roundtable in partnership with GFP and NASP. This meeting advocated for a much stronger relationship between faith communities and health-based interventions: whether that’s a friendship cafe, community gardening, or hosting health clinics, financial advice sessions, or exercise classes. The case was made, the Halley Stewart Trust provided the funding, and the rest is history.

“My role is a direct result of that roundtable,” Yusuf said. “Ultimately the aim for me, for NASP, for Good Faith Partnership, and everyone involved, is to create a system level change so that the value of faith-based community work is properly recognised, and embedded in preventative health and wellbeing approaches across the country.”

That’s no mean feat. Yusuf acknowledged that whilst there’s “tireless” work on the ground, that doesn’t always translate into actual referrals to the things faith communities are doing, or perhaps, creativity in exploring what they could do. Often that’s not deliberate, but therein lies part of the problem: a lack of appreciation for just how much the faith sector can contribute to health and wellbeing, especially in more deprived areas. “When we look at the data… It’s quite clear there’s enormous untapped potential that needs strategic coordination to realise it,” he admitted.

So where to start? Well, professionalising the relationship between the faith sector and health system would be a good start, according to Yusuf. There’s nothing wrong with ad hoc local arrangements, Yusuf said, but they won’t lead to the wider, system-level change we’re all working for. More specifically, he’s hosting a roundtable in the next few months in collaboration with the Good Faith Partnership and chaired by Professor Sir Sam Everington OBE, a GP in east London and national expert on social prescribing.

The roundtable will form the launch pad for Yusuf's work over the next few years, as he seeks to work in partnership with those who are already forging connections between faith groups and social prescribing. With a new role comes the expectation of results. Does he feel the pressure? “As the CEO at NASP always says to me, you’re the world’s first Faith Social Prescribing Lead. So there’s no pressure, but it’s also really fascinating. This role is pioneering in nature, and that brings excitement and a responsibility.” Come 2026, it could be a double win: one for faith-led social prescribing, and one for the Gunners.

Find out more about faith and social prescribing from our research, produced in partnership with Theos, Creating a Neighbourhood Health Service: The role of churches and faith groups in social prescribing. For advice on your next steps to engage in social prescribing and faith, take a look at our accompanying 'how-to' guides for faith leaders and Social Prescribing Link Workers.