BarkingandDagenhamFaithForum.jigsy.com

Faith Forum Supports

 Barking Rotary's 

 Kid's Day Out in

Barking Park

 June 2010

 

A team of 20 people attended Barking Park for the Barking Rotary Kid's Day Out on 9th June 2010.  This picture shows Neeta Kanagaratnam, The Mayor and Mayoress of Barking and Dagenham Councillor Gill and Health Representatives from the Forum Daljeet and Ben.

 

 

2010 

Karl Schultz (Faith Forum Health Trainer)

Completes London Marathon

Raising Money for Richard House Hospice

 

This is our Health Strategy.

The strategy is built on five key principles:

 

·         Engaging Faith Communities as settings for delivery of PCT and LAA key health priorities in the same way other communities and settings have been used

·         Faith communities will be encouraged to identify and engage with the health issues for their communities

·         Faith communities will be encouraged to work with other partners to address these

·         The NHS and Local Authority will be encouraged to work with faith communities to improve health of those not accessing health services, and encourage access

·         Faith Communities provide a key setting for this work to be undertaken, reaching some people they may not otherwise reach

 

This strategy is a first, brief document. It is hoped that as the capacity of faith communities to work on health improves, the Strategy will become more sophisticated and work within faith communities more clearly embedded.

 

Barking and Dagenham is a borough in rapid transition. That change is already being experienced within our Faith Communities. The Local Authority and Faith Forum recognise that new faith communities, especially those geared around the needs of new populations, develop in Barking and Dagenham on a monthly basis. Faith is an important factor in the lives of many people in our Borough. The Census shows that 73% of the population identify as being of a faith. The English Church Attendance Survey showed a disproportionately high number of new churches and people attending those compared to the national and London average.

 

Available evidence indicates that some Faith Communities within the Borough experience a disproportionate burden of ill-health and inequalities in health. This strategy identifies what is already being done in the short term (1 year), what further needs to be done in the short term ( 1 year) and what will be taken further.

 

Existing work includes:

 

·         Work on ‘flu vaccination

·         Networks and Events

·         HIV and TB events

·         Health Champions in South Asian communities working through the Mosque

 

Planned work includes:

 

·         A detailed needs assessment (part 1 of which has already been funded by the Local Authority)

·         Faith Communities Health Champions

·         Mental Health Project

·         Awareness and Skills seminars