14.04.2023
Over the last three months, we delivered weekly health workshops of particular interest to the BAME community whilst also including health advice on wider health conditions to which ageing communities are more susceptible.
The workshops were delivered to our Raunchy Rockers group at Chalkhill Community Centre encouraging the engagement from those of Black African and Black Caribbean heritage on the health issues impacting them.
The project was partly funded by Brent’s Love Where You Live grant. Health topics such as Sickle Cell Anaemia, diabetes, bowel cancer, prostate cancer, thyroid disorders made the list as did oral, dental and aural health, shingles and coping with cramps and restless leg syndrome. We reminded the community to attend their annual health checks and keep up to date with COVID and flu vaccinations and that we are always available to help people manage the increasingly digital nature of the GP appointment system, hospital appointments and encourage the community to become more confident in managing their health care.
We were very happy to receive a note of thanks from Shane Lawrence Brent Councils Community and Social Infrastructure Officer,
“Thank you for the detailed report on your LWYL Health and Wellbeing for Black African and Black Caribbean Heritage Communities. I have read this and I would like to congratulate you for the work you have done with the target community.”
From the group perspective, the targeted health talks were a much needed and welcome addition and the group were very positive in their feedback too and felt the health workshops offered good and appropriate advice and information on a range of medical conditions which impact upon older and more vulnerable people.
Raunchy Rockers is a community group established over a decade ago (with support from Ashford Place). It has an average membership of 55 members and all are aged over 60yrs. They meet weekly for a two-hour session at Chalkhill Community Centre in Wembley and attend regular social events at Ashford Place. These weekly meetings help to build social and community cohesion, educate people on how to manage their health conditions independently, give advice on how to build and maintain their physical fitness through regular exercise, while also fostering and maintaining their cultural heritage in relation to music and the arts; the aim of which to ensure service users have a meaningful and valued place within their community.
The weekly gathering also helps maintain people’s emotional and mental wellbeing, as well as receiving guidance on how to manage smooth connections to GP’s and other health related services and offering advice on how to avoid scamming and other financial irregularities.
Enquiries to [email protected] or by telephone 0208 2088590