AIMS
The project aims were to deliver a Winter Health – Health Creation Programme in collaboration with leaders from Manchester BAME communities to help drive a reduction in health inequalities and enhance communities’ winter health and wellbeing, including through access and equity of vaccination uptake.

9 organisations from the areas of Cheetham Hill & Crumpsall Vale, Ancoats, Clayton & Bradford and Ardwick & Longsight completed the project which lasted for 1 year Oct 1st 2023-Oct 1st 2024.

The Project Plan describes the interventions throughout the year; beginning with the recruitment of the organisations to the final celebration! Please click on the links to get further information for each intervention.

Manchester’s Got Talent Youth and Communities: Flu vaccination
To group raised awareness of the importance of the flu vaccination and adopting a healthy lifestyle using The Framework. VCSE lead delivered a fact-finding session to increase the groups knowledge and identify reasons for vaccine hesitancy. Community consultation was conducted via a survey from the findings (developed by the group) and distributed on-line and in person.

Bolly Fit Active: Holistic approach to Winter Health to tackle Isolation
Group worked on three health topics: self-care, medicine management and diabetes. Three Health Creators shared their stories to build an understanding of their health and health needs and barriers were identified which prevented good health management. This further developed trusting and supporting relationships and allowed the participants to reflect on their own personal health. The discussions led to actions and ideas to improve their well-being; including the creation of three flyers on diabetes, self-care and self-medication that are culturally appropriate for the South Asian women.

Guidance Hub: Tackling health inequalities via empowering volunteers (theme: mental health)
The Hub provided mental health training sessions to the Guidance Hub community/groups by supporting health creators to become facilitators; supported by providing relevant training and experience. The training also included event management.

Hopewell Manchester: Winter Health – Covid and Flu vaccination project
Hopewell worked with a diverse group to identify and dispel COVID-19 vaccination fears by understanding the barriers to vaccination and increasing the health creators vaccination knowledge, this included creation of a new leaflet.

Power-shifting in Practice!

CeeBee Gold: Winter Health – “Get Moving”
Project co-ordinator hired to support project delivery to increase physical activity.
This project focused upon building the health resilience and self-esteem of a class mixture group of individuals aged between 18 to 85 years of age. The project consisted of introducing healthy exercise options to group members which included brisk walking, strolling, gym activity, light aerobic exercise, motivational health topics and shared community meals. Used platform to discuss vaccinations.

Malawi Heritage U.K: Diabetes
Group delivered a diabetes themed project. Newly skilled Health Creators held a research session and shared their findings to the community via the production of their own awareness raising leaflets (and a banner). Drop-in sessions were held at the Malawi Heritage Centre to discuss any concerns/queries regarding diabetes. The Health Creators feel they now have enough knowledge about diabetes including the threat it poses to have these conversations.

New Leaf Foundation: Winter Health – Moving Safely
Their focus was on increasing physical activity by expanding a walking group (bringing added value to an already established walking group). Health Creators researched the benefits of walking and keeping safe during the cold weather/winter season and led on the walks, after gaining experience from VCSE Lead. Accomplished 15 walks in total around Clayton Vale, Boggart Clough Hole Park, Brookdale Park – exploring different areas in large parks.
 
Across Ummah: Diabetes (Healthy eating)
Newly skilled Health Creators conducted their research regarding diabetes and consulted with their groups and community to determine the barriers to diabetes management, including myths and perceptions. From findings, various types of resources were produced to inform their community.

“The sense of achievement for our Health Creation champions we trained up was marvellous. While they are very committed individuals, the programme itself gave them a feeling of getting equipped with knowledge and skills, which they can use to help family, friends and community….the Health Creation programme is crucial for the communities where health outcomes are not great.”

“As a result of Health Creation we relooked at our programme and we changed the contents of our diabetes education. Listening to our community showed that it was diabetes myths that were the biggest issue…it empowered us to deliver best evidenced information by doing research via the NHS website and journals.”

“Health Creation encouraged us to focus on strengthening our community, recognising that everyone has a role to play.”
“It was a very impactful project because not only did we have the opportunity and resources to target some major issues in our communities, it enabled us to create health creating volunteers who provided careful guidance and support in engaging people.”

“The programme offers a framework that gives people confidence. It provides a framework through which we were able to uncover concerns, needs and misconceptions that we then addressed through engagement with the communities, materials and banners.”

“Connecting with others motivates people to do things for themselves, including dancing at home.”

“The framework acts as a great spread mechanism.”

Please click on the link to see the final report. Thank you.