Hounslow Public Health, Imperial Healthcare, and the NWL Engagement lead held a highly successful cancer screening awareness event in partnership with the West London Ghanaian Association on Friday 19 July. The event, hosted in a local restaurant, attracted around 60 attendees from the Ghanaian and wider West African community and focused on the importance of early detection and preventative health measures.
The event featured:
- Blood pressure checks
- Information on breast, bowel, cervical, prostate, and testicular cancer
- Clarification of the difference between screening and diagnosis
- On-the-spot sign-ups for breast screening appointments for women of screening age who had not attended in the past three years
- Resources on long-term conditions and how to access local health service
- 100% reported an improvement in their knowledge, with 90% saying they learned a lot
- 100% said the information will help them make positive changes to improve their health
- 100% said hosting the event in a familiar, community setting, such as a local restaurant rather than a GP surgery or hospital, made them more likely to attend
Resident feedback highlighted how tailored, and meaningful engagement is a great way to connect with the community:
“I haven’t been to a health event like this before — it was an eye-opener.”
“This is better than GP. GP doesn’t have such a wide range of information and they don’t have time for you to ask questions.”
“Very positive day. We should do this again.”
“After today’s event, I’m going to see my GP.”
“This is so good — I never go to the GP, but I came here.”
Bringing health information directly to the community in a familiar, comfortable setting can make a real difference. Plans are already being discussed for more health-focused events in partnership with local communities, with the goal of promoting prevention, early detection, and reducing health inequalities.