Ambia

Shakira

Diversity & Inclusion – Manchester/Salford/Trafford

Ambia: inclusion@beingthere.org.uk

My name is Ambia and I am currently working in Greater Manchester to help raise awareness of Being There services. I am also promoting the importance of early cancer screening and winter vaccinations. Through my role I am working with our communities to encourage talking about cancer and other illnesses in order to to start to normalise these sometimes difficult conversations so that we can support one another.

Social media allows us to reach out instantly to various audiences. I am using our Being There Instagram and Facebook platforms to raise awareness on many issues from how cancer screening can save lives to the importance of winter vaccines in reducing hospital admissions for the most vulnerable members of our local communities.

I also work with diverse communities in Salford, Trafford, North and South Manchester. Through our diversity and inclusion work we are trying to bridge gaps in provision. Being proactive in the community is helping us to understand and remove the barriers people face in accessing help and support in health care settings. We are working with professionals, bringing them to our community groups to raise awareness on important health issues and how to access support.

I am always on the hunt for Bi-lingual volunteers who have some time to spare to offer their valuable time and language skills to our diverse clients.

Diversity & Inclusion – Tameside

Shakira: diversity@beingthere.org.uk

My name is Shakira and my role is to reach groups and individuals from diverse communities in Tameside, providing a bespoke service of small group activities and wellbeing sessions.

I offer, health related workshops in different languages, to encourage individuals from different cultural backgrounds to attend. Running these sessions regularly raises awareness and encourages active partnership with clients and other local services.

Quotes from attendees of our groups:

Coming to all the sessions has made me more relaxed and happy, I enjoy coming and meeting people otherwise I am all alone at home.

Thanks you for making this happen and they are really good sessions.

The gatherings are really enjoyable and meeting different people from the community is really good, the staff are very friendly and joyful. Hope these sessions go on.

Very good Party and sessions are always well and very kind staff that listen and help. We should have these more and have more celebrations.

Very good sessions enjoyable and fun meeting new people. Good awareness sessions too.

Wellbeing sessions are very beneficial to everyone and they all enjoy it and come back. Hope this continues and we have more sessions.

I look forward to coming to the sessions on the Wednesday and meet people and chat to them, everyone is kind and staff are very welcoming and take time to talk to you. Hope this continues and we get to come back.

I enjoy coming to the sessions every week and it makes me feel good. Keep the good work going and keep doing this.

I have a regular group on a Wednesday at the Indian Community Centre on Union Road Ashton from 10-12pm called the Being There Wellness Club. We have range of activities and this is a really good opportunity to meet people and learn new information and awareness of different health matters related to the community. The group will run right up to Easter holidays 2024.

I work very closely with partner organisations and have done many sessions with Answer Cancer, TOG Mind, Tameside Health and Public Health Tameside. I also have Active Tameside involved and they provide popular chair base exercise sessions for our clients.

All people participating either have a life limited illness or are carers and they can access the group. If they need further support then they are referred to the Tameside Manager who will conduct a full assessment and get them supported in the area they need.

If you would like to attend one of our current groups or would like us to attend an existing group please get in touch.

We are also interested in setting up a focus group about wellbeing and diversity. Please contact us if you would like to join or have some comments or feedback about this.