WHP Community Foundation

About us

The Waterford Health Park Community Foundation is an independent charity based at the Waterford Health Park (Former Presentation Convent), Slievekeale Road, Waterford City.

The Foundation is our commitment to provide systemic and sustainable improvements in community health. We believe our foundation can be a change agent to shift the goal posts for reactive healthcare delivery to proactive enhancement of health. We believe health to incorporate holistic wellbeing with an emphasis on the interrelated benefits of psychological fitness, emotional wellbeing, happiness, relationship health as well as physical health.

We believe passionately in new understandings of health and wellbeing and believe in thinking outside the box, an example of this new thinking is our commitment to provide art therapy and counselling as means to promote positive mental health in the community. We believe that the best way to improve long term health is via education and empowerment of community.

Our Vision Statement is – Pioneering the next generation of continuous and sustainable improvements in health, health education and health care.

Our aim is that the Waterford Health Park building becomes the change agent for improvements in the health of our community through joined up thinking, linking primary healthcare with education (local schools), sports clubs, environment and our City. In this way we hope to redefine health in a much more inclusive and holistic manner.

What we Do

  • We support educational initiatives to promote health.
  • We commission research.
  • We review and share new ideas.
  • We influence policy makers and the practice of those working in healthcare.
  • We promote positive mental health by providing services such as counselling, art therapy and group support. We add value by improving the health of our community through many free health promotion events

Initiatives carried out to date by WHP Community Foundation

  1. Provision of Art Therapy and other mental health therapies for patients in need
  2. Mens open Art therapy sessions
  3. Health Fair 2010
  4. Community Health Day 2011
  5. Womens Health Public Seminars
  6. Mens Health Public Seminars
  7. Community Art Exhibitions
  8. Mens poetry exhibition

Examples of Research Initiatives carried out to date by WHP Foundation

  1. Patient anxiety and Generative Space- How to cultivate a more generative space in the healthcare setting and how this can lower anxiety
  2. Attitudes of patients to Art therapy