Eda Deramchia, Shoebury – Sponsored by Shoebury Residents Association

This week I met up with Sara who runs the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) program. The COPD Community Connectors Programme is a volunteering opportunity for people living in Southend who have COPD who want to help improve care services and reduce health inequalities so that everyone can live well together.

This project not only provides vast information and helpful advice on the COPD condition but also offers help to alleviate the condition & its effects, including active exercise classes which are tailored to the skills and abilities of people suffering from COPD. These classes are provided by ActiveHealth who offer a tailored, friendly and excellent service to complement the COPD project.

The project also helps people in different ways such as reducing isolation, making friends, gaining and increasing confidence, learning about other services in the local community and much more. Sara who has been the driving force behind this project is passionate and determined, and talks very fondly about how the project has grown in a short amount of time. I went to meet her last week at her weekly Thursday drop-in session where the connectors heard from Jenny Gates and learned about the benefits of Pulmonary Rehabilitation.

In less than a year of this service being available, there are already 10 COPD community connectors. Sara remembers when she first started the project and had to approach people to talk about it and now with the awareness she has helped to raise, people come to her and are eager & interested to share their experiences and ideas about how the service can benefit more and more people living with the same condition.

There is a Thursday drop-in at Shoebury Youth Centre and two Stretch and Breathe Classes running due to more and more demand for this helpful & beneficial service provided by the project.

Get in touch with Eda:
Mon-Fri
07534 337503
EDeramchia@Savs-southend.co.uk

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Chiquitta Bruce, Milton – Sponsored by Milton Community Partnership

Chiquitta attended a Community Dinner event hosted by the Ironworks Southend which is the first of many planned community dinners, showcasing the diverse people of Southend City.

This family event was launched by Jamme Masjid of the Muslim community, showcasing a plethora of different cultural aspects including prayer, henna, clothing, Islamic songs and of course traditional food, providing a full experience of the Muslim culture. Spectators were filled with awe as a young choir of boys and young men sang their traditional native songs and translated passages of scripture into English to create an inclusive learning experience.

Chiquitta and many others had their hands designed using Mehndi also known as henna, a popular form of body art, as well as being treated to a card with a letter illustrating the first letter of their names corresponding to the Islamic alphabet. The evening was a great experience and a way for people to learn and understand different cultures within their wider communities. Keep a look out for the next community dinner coming soon, which are being held every month at the Ironworks Southend.

If anyone has a good news story that they would like to be considered for showcasing the Milton area, please get in touch with Chiquitta….

Get in touch with Chiquitta:
Mon-Fri
07534 312867
cbruce@savs-southend.co.uk