Athens Comics Library

Libraries on Prescription programme will engage with more than 30 Libraries and 200 Library and PSS professionals in Greece over a period of 24 months to change the way they work and increase their organisations’ impact, resilience and sustainability.
The organisers aim to connect the health and creative sector through a collaborative approach, in order to design a system that is more collaborative, open, innovative and people-centred and remove stigma around mental health particularly in rural communities. In this respect, they aim to define a social prescribing program for people who have long-term health problems, complex social needs, and mental health challenges.

Objectives:
• Reach and support the whole community regardless of age, gender, socio-economic status or educational attainment.
• Create a Culture of Caring
• Provide space where groups can come together and enjoy activities that are co-designed with local people, to meet their needs.
• Offer local health support services available through ‘community hubs’, bringing together different partners’ offerings in a seamless way.
• Create safe, welcoming and accessible physical and virtual environments freely open to all, which encourage participation, creativity and mutual learning and support.
• Help local government and its partners deliver their strategic objectives, whether linked to community cohesion, health and wellbeing, economic growth, promoting independent living or increasing life chances.

Athens Comics Library will be working in partnership with E.P.A.P.S.Y. aiming to offer an alternative model of psychosocial care to the community based on the principles of Social Psychiatry and Psychosocial Rehabilitation.

For Libraries on Prescription the organisers have selected 4 Libraries across Greece:

1) Patras University Library - target group: young people, students

2) Psychiko Municipality, Athens, Public Library of Organisation for Solidarity, Culture and Sports - target group: people with learning difficulties

3) Rapsani Municipality, Larissa, Public Library - target group: elderly women in rural Greece

4) Ayia, Crete, Prison Library - target group: prisoners

Athens Comics Library will first pilot the Programme working together with Refugee Week Greece, designing and delivering a Programme of "Stand Up Comedy" and storytelling for refugees, migrants and asylum seekers facing mental health challenges.

Through the Programme organisers will ignite the creation of a Libraries of Sanctuary network - a network of librarians, library staff, community groups and book lovers. We will monitor together with E.P.A.P.S.Y. closely the well-being and mental health of all participants including the staff team.