Community Health & Wellbeing Fair makes instant impact
19 January 2023
A Community Health & Wellbeing Fair hosted at Gloucestershire Cricket on Sunday (January 15) led to 20% of participants being advised to visit their GP regarding their health.
The event, which was organised in collaboration with Accure Health Consultancy, Wesport, Gloucestershire Cricket and Wellspring Settlement, saw more than 50 people attend the Seat Unique Stadium for free health MOTs and advice for improving overall health and wellbeing.
While open to all adults, the dedicated Health Promotion day had a focus on supporting the South Asian and Afro-Caribbean population in Bristol who are keen to find out more about their health.
Of those who attended, almost 50% were either Pakistani or Afro Caribbean. While many walked away happy in the knowledge they have a clean bill of health, around one in five will require follow-ups with their GP after being identified as having signs of undiagnosed hypertension (high blood pressure).
Tabinda Rashid-Fadel, Director at Accure Health Consultancy, said: “This fantastic event was made possible by the sheer will and desire to help the community, from the main organisers, Wesport, Gloucestershire County Cricket Club and Accure Health Consultancy ltd.
“It was delivered to an extremely high standard by all the many volunteers who gave up their Sunday to make this happen.
“For me, the fact that we have picked up a significant number of undiagnosed hypertension and provided a lot of relevant information and support for reducing cardiac risk factors is of the greatest value.
“A very high proportion of attendees accessed the health checks confirming that this was absolutely the right approach and should be on offer in future events.
“It has been an absolute privilege to work with our partners on this event, I look forward to this becoming an annual health event for the city.”
The result of a post-even survey shows that 85% of attendees said they would be interested in future Health and Wellbeing Events for regular screenings and advice on their general health and physical activity.
Pete Lamb, Head of Community at Glos Cricket, added: “We’re really pleased to have played a part in helping members of our local community keep their health in check. We have a great space here in the Bristol Pavilion to host events that benefit local people in meaningful ways.
“Hopefully this is only the start and we can continue to host many similar health and wellbeing fairs events in the years to come.”
