Reducing Health Inequalities in Ipswich

Our Health Inequalities project, funded by Public Health Suffolk plans and runs community events to reduce health inequalities of Ipswich residents - specifically to:

• reduce social isolation, 

• raise awareness of local health and wider services, 

• encourage engagement with local health services, holistic approaches to health and wellbeing and 

• service users feel more connected to their local community

  
  

The project allows us the opportunity to invite our service users along to community events, where we provide them with support discussions on their health and wellbeing, giving them advice on services that are available for them to access for their support needs. They get advice from their peers experiencing similar situations which they find extremely helpful. We provide signposting leaflets giving information about local health and wider services available to them, for them to take home and refer back to. We follow these community events up with feedback phone calls where we ask our service users what local health and wider services they have been accessing and what services they would like to know more about from us. 

We’ve run events that were attended by The Green Light Trust, Realise Futures, Suffolk Wellbeing, ACT employment and training service, Thrive who all talked to our service users. Some of our service users then felt able to sign up to use these services and have achieved outcomes like completing a course with Green Light Trust or being supported to enrol on a college course. We were also able to offer guidance for completing referrals to Suffolk Wellbeing for 1-2-1 support for our service users. 

We hold our events in local spaces such as The Geek retreat in Ipswich, so we can encourage our service users to learn more about what is available to them within their community. Many of our service users now access The Geek Retreat independently on a regular basis. The feedback received is that they would not have known this café was open late daily, and they would never have attended if they hadn’t have been given the support from our project to attend the first few times. 

Some of our events are focused on reducing social isolation, this has seen some service users who have been previously housebound for a long time, being able to come out into their community, with our support, and join one of our events. The feedback we have received shows that giving them that first step in doing this, has led them to feel able to progress further with their mental health recovery and look to attend local groups or wellbeing walks, by themselves. 

Here are a few shots from the social isolation community events we've organised over the last few months. Read all about the benefits of each event too:

Yoga 

We are currently running a 6 weekly course of yoga relaxation, to encourage our service users to look at holistic approaches to their health and wellbeing. 

Week 1, saw us welcome service users from all different ability levels, our qualified instructor works hard to ensure that all service users are getting the most out of the hour long session by supporting each service users individual needs. One service user had originally said she was only going along to watch, but surprised herself with attempting most of the moves and found she really enjoyed it. Week 2, our existing service users were joined by some new faces this week. We worked on breathing and meditation exercises and were shown some new moves to try.  

Our team talked to our service users about how the balancing poses will help them to switch off and concentrate, to make them more aware of being in the present moment. This prevents over-thinking and the concentration and breath work that goes into the yoga practice will leave them with a better sense of wellbeing.

At the end of the 6 week course our service users will be provided with printed handouts of the different moves we have shown them, so they can continue this mindfulness practice at home. We also provide them with information on useful free phone apps for help with sleep and relaxation, which they can download. 

Jimmy’s farm 

We organised a day trip to Jimmy’s farm, following feedback that service users found being around

animals calming, and our keen photographers wanted to have an opportunity to explore a new photo-taking experience. 

We gathered outside and waited for everyone to arrive, service users were excited to be there and some had never been to the Farm and wildlife park before. Each service user was given a box of animal feed and we headed off in groups to explore the farm. Everyone loved the event, service users fed the animals, and we had an amazing walk around the grounds and viewed some beautiful animals. 

The service users were encouraged to share their photos with their friends and families, helping to create those connection opportunities 

Lush Ipswich 

Service users got the chance to make a comforter/bubble bar, and learned the process (very similar to kneading bread), and added the oils and scents and colour. In-between sessions service users were given a generously-stuffed goodie bag, each with some wonderful products, and got the chance to ask about the products , and get samples of anything that they wanted to try. Later everyone then had the chance to complete their bubble bars, the two colours were moulded together and the shape formed.

They were then individually wrapped in Lush paper and had to be left to set and harden for 24 hours.

Service users enjoyed the experience and said it provided a lovely environment to meet new people and establish new friendships within their local community. 

So, although this project provides lots of benefits and great outcomes for the service users involved, it also involves a good deal of fun - we find that’s a key to involvement and makes support a lot more memorable.