Community Research and Support 2024 - 2025
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Healthwatch Islington hosted 27 health Information workshops for residents from communities experiencing health inequalities. These events took place in community settings, were delivered by clinicians and health professionals, and emphasised prevention and empowering participants to take charge of their own health. 431 residents attended. Each workshop covered a specific topic. These included cancer awareness, diabetes, hypertension, the menopause, mental health, and winter wellness.
136 of the 142 participants of cancer awareness workshops said they were more confident about checking for signs of cancer, and 103 said they had changed their attitude towards screening, or were making changes to their diet and lifestyle, as a result of attending.
89 of 91 participants of winter wellness workshops felt more confident about accessing support. All 92 participants of the menopause and mental health workshops said the same.
42 of 43 diabetes workshop participants and all 26 who attended the hypertension workshops said they were making lifestyle changes as a result of what they’d learned.
The overriding message from our partners was that this model of engagement was both more popular with residents and more impactful than previous survey-based research. Building on the educational element of this approach and its reach will be of great benefit, not only for communities (workshop participants and, through word of mouth, indirect beneficiaries) and voluntary and community sector professionals, but also for statutory organisations providing and commissioning health and care services. Additional topics requested by partners and residents for future workshops of this type included:
- Bowel cancer screening
- Neurodiversity, autism and ADHD (particularly how families with children with these conditions can be supported.
- Mental health support around managing stress. This was identified as a particular problem for minicab drivers.