Mental health and heritage - planning ideas?

Hiya,

I've just tweeted a blog piece by Liz Ellis, a policy advisor with Heritage Lottery Fund, with whom we are working on exploring the health benefits of heritage to inform their future planning.

One aspect which particularly captures me is the potential of heritage, especially local heritage, to improve mental health and wellbeing, through its power to connect people and place, and potentially combat issues of isolation, exclusion and lack of identity. 

Liz's blog references one project in Ipswich, they have also supported work at Bethlem, and I am keen to see how we at CSH might use our relationships with NHS sites and heritage partners, to build on this and offer an alternative package to our sites and networks.

Does this heritage-led approach ring bells with any of our network subscribers? Are there any good case studies out there or other evidence that I'm not aware of for this heritage/place/identity/wellbeing thread that I am theorising? And also if we were to get back to Heritage Lottery with a proposal, would network members be interested in participating.

Thanks all.