Launch of our Social Return on Investment Study

We’re delighted to launch the results of our recent Social Return on Investment study carried out by S3 Solutions. The research found that the social value of our work is worth almost twice as much as the funding it receives based on the outcomes achieved for stakeholders. This finding highlights the social value of Helium Arts and our success in improving the outcomes for children and young people with long-term health conditions by connecting them with arts and creativity.

The report covers the work of Helium Arts between January 2019 and December 2020. The research found that for every €1 invested in Helium Arts, the organisation generated a social value of €1.98. Social Return on Investment refers to benefits that do not have a clear financial value, and is a means of quantifying the wider social, economic, and environmental impact of an organisation like Helium Arts.

The SROI research was carried out according to a number of established principles, including: transparency; independent verification; use of appropriate benchmarks and external standards; and engaging in comprehensive dialogue with all stakeholders, including children, families, artists, volunteers and the health sector, to arrive at a full understanding of how Helium Arts operates. 

The SROI research was carried out according to a number of established principles, including: transparency; independent verification; use of appropriate benchmarks and external standards; and engaging in comprehensive dialogue with all stakeholders, including children, families, artists, volunteers and the health sector, to arrive at a full understanding of how Helium Arts operates. The study focused on two Helium Arts initiatives: the Creative Health Hub, a community-based initiative located in the outpatient departments of Cork University Hospital and University Hospital Limerick, and the Distance Creates programme, a remote programme set up in response to public health restrictions, following the onset of the pandemic.

The report found that 1,277 children and young people who participated in the Creative Health Hub experienced improved wellbeing with a further 408 benefitting from enhanced creativity. When signposted to the six-week community-based Creative Health Hub programme, 105 children experienced reduced isolation and improved wellbeing, with 117 benefitting from improved creativity and 80 enhancing their capacity to cope with their condition. Meanwhile, 58 families whose children engaged with this programme noted that their family unit was stronger due to the peer support network and opportunity to connect with others in a similar situation.

For those who participated in the Distance Creates remote programme, 60 children or young people experienced reduced isolation, while 65 had improved wellbeing, 42 showed greater creativity and 35 demonstrated an improved capacity to cope with their condition. Among families, 73 families whose children participated in the remote programme reported a stronger, more resilient family unit due to improved relationships and a greater understanding of their child or sibling’s chronic condition.

To read the full report, head over to the Our Impact section of our website.