One Voice Blackburn delivers a programme of activities which raise awareness of health inequalities faced by local communities and tackle key issues that particularly affect our ethnic minority residents through co-produced campaigns and engagement activities. Our health programme, ‘Baiter Sehat’ (Better Health) was awarded the Excellence in Health Award by the Department of Health for its engagement of communities in improving their own health and wellbeing.
Dementia Friends
One Voice, through the Baiter Sehat programme, aim to create 2000 Dementia Friends by 2025.
A Dementia Friend learns a little bit more about what it’s like to live with dementia and then turns that understanding into action – anyone of any age can be a Dementia Friend. You usually become a Dementia friend by attending a face-to-face Dementia Friends Information Session delivered by a Champion. Dementia Friends is about learning more about dementia and the small ways you can help. From telling friends about Dementia Friends to visiting someone you know living with dementia, every action counts.
One Voice has delivered Dementia Friends sessions in schools, community settings, workplaces and care homes. As of February 2024, 1800 Dementia Friends have been created.
Dementia Awareness in the Community’ has been funded by The National Lottery Community fund.
Stem Cell Awareness
One Voice works with the Anthony Nolan Trust and NHS Blood and Transplant to raise awareness of stem cell among the BAME communities in East Lancashire. The charity has successfully worked with NHS Blood and Transplant since 2015 to promote education and awareness of blood and organ donation.
More donors are urgently needed because the shortage of donors from Black and Asian communities means patients from these communities can have worse outcomes. People from the same ethnic background are more likely to be a match.
One Voice conducts ‘Drive events’ in further and higher education establishments to encourage more people to join the stem register. In 2024 the charity also aims to produce a video which will be released nationally.
Mental Health in the Workplace
One Voice works with the Anthony Nolan Trust and NHS Blood and Transplant to raise awareness of stem cell among the BAME communities in East Lancashire. The charity has successfully worked with NHS Blood and Transplant since 2015 to promote education and awareness of blood and organ donation.
More donors are urgently needed because the shortage of donors from Black and Asian communities means patients from these communities can have worse outcomes. People from the same ethnic background are more likely to be a match.
One Voice conducts ‘Drive events’ in further and higher education establishments to encourage more people to join the stem register. In 2024 the charity also aims to produce a video which will be released nationally.
A Sense of Belonging…
Social inclusion affects many important aspects of someone’s life, including health, housing, employment, leisure activities, relationships, and sense of community belonging. One Voice is working with men and women with serious mental illness of South Asian heritage and from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds to help them build back their connection with wider society as part of their whole life recovery process and gain the confidence to take part in mainstream activities and opportunities along with everyone else.
We deliver an 8 week programme of support with separate women’s and men’s groups running each week.
HPV Vaccine Awareness
One Voice is working with IntraHealth and Blackburn with Daren Council’s Public Health in supporting awareness of HPV Vaccine in schools. The HPV vaccine is given to children in year 8, this vaccine is for both boys and girls and there is only one dose needed for full protection.
The HPV vaccine protects against several strains of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which can cause some cancers. In 2023 NHS England pledged to eliminate cervical cancer by 2040.
Vitamin D
One Voice and Baiter Sehat (Better Health) promote vitamin D use in all communities of Blackburn with Darwen, and in particular those form a BAME background.
- Vitamin D is crucial to support bone and muscle health
- Over time a lack of vitamin D, can lead to bone deformities in children and painful bones in adults
- The best way to make vitamin D is from direct sunlight on the skin
- During winter up to 40% of UK adults may have low Vitamin D levels (NICE 2022)
- All adults and children over 4 years should consider taking a daily Vitamin D supplement during autumn and winter of 10 micrograms (400 IU)
You may also not get enough vitamin D year round if you:
- Have darker skin e.g. you have a south Asian, African or African-Caribbean background
- Usually wear clothes that cover up most of your skin
- Are not often outdoors or are housebound
- Adults in these groups may wish to take a higher daily Vitamin D supplement all year round. This should be no more than 100 micrograms (4,000IU)
Preventing Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 Diabetes is a preventable and treatable condition that can ead to numerous health complicatins such as blindness, loss of limbs, heart disease, and a variety of mentalhealth issues. through making snall changes to what you eat and your llifestyle, you can help prevent Type 2 diabetes and live a healthier life. In partnership with Spring North, One Voice have created Diabetes Champions to support awareness of diabetes among young people in the community. We work with young people and their families to support lifestyle changes to prevent Type 2 Diabetes.