Connecting a community 

However, this isn’t just another craft session. It’s a bold reimagining of what social care activities can be. Connect & Do workshops are powered by a talented team of artists and creative facilitators who bring not only skill but lived experience of learning disabilities or mental health support. Their leadership turns a simple creative meetup into a powerful act of collective expression and purpose.  

Connect & Do was launched by Certitude 10 years ago. Popularity continues to grow because of one simple belief - that inclusive communities are built by bringing people together through their shared interests and an opportunity to connect.  

For this reason, daily workshops are free and open to all thanks to the support of donations and community partners such as the Daisy Green collection. What started in 2016 as a 10-week course has transformed into an energetic creative community that mentors it’s peer facilitators to provide accessible activities both online and in local neighbourhoods.

“There are no referrals, no paperwork, no sign-ups – just people dropping in to have fun doing creative stuff together because they want to – it’s the essence of community, and we’re so lucky to have community partners who just get it”   

Jake Meyer, Connect & Do’s Community Development Practice Lead

Connect & Do’s success lies in the uncomfortable truth that, sadly, not all community activities are inclusive, and not all activities that are inclusive are open to the community. So, with over fifty sessions available each month, the programme attracts an incredibly diverse community of creatives who might never have met.  

Connecting in this way has led to the development of significant relationships, friendships and life skills for people. This is not only important for the health of our communities, but Certitude’s research shows that it plays an important role in supporting individual mental health. 80% of attendees say it has improved their wellbeing, confidence and connection with community.  

As one facilitator explains; “It helped me regain my confidence and trust in working with other people. The reason it works for me is because I’m treated as an equal where my needs are understood and accommodated.”

As pressure on social care budgets continues, community partnerships are a lifeline for programmes like Connect & Do. This is the second season of workshops at Holland Park Café, which builds on 2025’s ‘Inspired by Nature’ series. Designed to spark creativity using materials found outside in Holland Park, people experimented with gel printing, jewellery-making, stone painting and more. In 2026, this experimentation continues and every session is still free and open to all.  

As Daisy Green co-founders, Pru Freeman and Tom Onions explain  

“As an organisation, we’re committed to supporting diversity and inclusion, so this is a wonderful opportunity for us to work with Certitude as a trusted partner to continue our contribution in building a society that we can all enjoy.”   

You can join Certitude’s Connect & Do sessions at Holland Park Café on the last Tuesday of every month.  Click here to see the full programme. 

An edited version of this article was also published in the March edition of Daisy Green Café’s Green Pages.