Health and Wellbeing – Hand and Heart

My experience in the UK has taught me a lot.

15 March, 202215 March, 2022 by Wardeh Al Nasir

Having been in the UK for only three years; what I have done feels massive. The first three months were so difficult because I had no relatives or friends. I felt lonely and uncertain. Things got worse for me because I was not eligible to join colleges or courses funded by the government. That made me feel excluded and marginalised.

I started looking for chances to improve myself. Meeting Lisa from Forever Manchester was a significant incident in my journey. Forever Manchester funded me and my friends to make the Syrian Cuisine Group which had a great impact on improving our cooking and socialising skills.

A Brighter Future

10 March, 202210 March, 2022 by Len Grant

Back in May last year I reported on a new community initiative that had just been set up by a group of local woman.

The Dynamic Engagement Project (DEP), I was told, was a way of sharing the group members’ knowledge and skills with others in the community. It sounded like a great idea with lots of potential.

Today I’m on a Zoom call with Mo and Alison, a couple of its founding members, to see if everything has gone to plan.

“Yes,” says Alison, “we’ve put on lots of activities since then and have really put ourselves out there. We’ve had a lot of fun and, I know, helped a lot of people.”

“Macrame was my escape route.”

9 February, 20229 February, 2022 by Len Grant

“Are you okay sweet,” asks Janet, “do you need some help with your string?”

There are usually seven or eight ladies around this table in the West Gorton Community Rooms on a Wednesday afternoon. But today Yusra and Gloria have Janet to themselves.

The club no one wants to join

12 January, 202212 January, 2022 by Len Grant

“I get to download everything that’s been stressing me for the last week,” says Elizabeth. “They’ll all give me suggestions – or just a big hug – and it makes me feel better about whatever I’m going through. This group is definitely the highlight of my week, it gives you hope.”

I’m sitting with Elizabeth and her friend Zoe on the corner of a large table in the church hall. Between them is Zoe’s two-year-old son, Tommy, strapped in his buggy and 100% focussed on the video game he’s playing on his mum’s phone.

“He was diagnosed with autism last month,” Zoe tells me. “I kind of knew before and did some research but if it wasn’t for this group, I wouldn’t have a clue.”

“Yes, I do get passionate and I do get angry.”

29 November, 202129 November, 2021 by Len Grant

“Would you like a drink?” asks Colin as I wheel my bike into the café.

“Ah, yes please. Tea, no sugar. Quite milky please.”

I’m back at the Coverdale and Newbank Community Hub on Stockport Road. At the beginning of 2020, just months before the first lockdown, I reported on their community grocers project and today I’m back for an update.

Brunswick Village has it all

16 November, 202122 November, 2021 by Len Grant

“Nice to see you all down here today,” says ‘Bingo Balls Dave’. “Are you ready to play?” He starts up his machine and a coloured ball pops out. “Okay, your first number today is seven and nine, 79.”

Bingo dabber in hand, I’m in the lounge of Brunswick Village, a 60-apartment extra care scheme for older people, completed earlier this year.

“Boris’ den, number 10,” says ‘Bingo Balls’.

The eyes and ears of the community

3 November, 20215 November, 2021 by Len Grant

We’re in the back room of ARMR, the busy plant-based café run by Raph Swaby, opposite the O2 Apollo on Stockport Road. The place is heaving with people today and more like a local community centre.

I’m here for a meeting of the Ardwick and Longsight Mutual Aid Group (ALMAG) and it’s a weird one. Although it’s been going for 18 months this is the first time the group has formally met in person.

A new community hub for Longsight

28 October, 202129 October, 2021 by Len Grant

Sue and Phil are busy in the bright, sunny kitchen of 422’s café. I’m told it’s Phil’s first day and already this morning they’ve prepared homemade celery soup. “I like cooking,” he says with a big smile, “and helping out.”

422 is a new community hub on Stockport Road, in an historic building previously home to Longsight Youth Centre. Over the last eighteen months it’s been renovated by Manchester Vinyard to provide a whole range of opportunities for local residents.

Serving the community with passion and joy

5 October, 20215 October, 2021 by Ehinor Otaigbe-Amedu

Its ten years since Ehinor Otaigbe-Amedu and other women set up Wonderfully Made Woman in her living room. Since then the group has worked hard to promote healthy marriages and confidence building, and to raise awareness of the effect that domestic abuse and violence has on women and their children in the community. Ehinor tells Hand & Heart how her inspiration to help other women started back in Nigeria:

When I was growing up, domestic abuse was experienced by many women, and in most cases their children would witness the abuse, unable to intervene. Domestic abuse was the norm really.

“Our door has always been open.”

29 September, 202129 September, 2021 by Len Grant

“We’ve been open throughout and that’s been important for us, says Mo. “It’s shown our community that, despite the pandemic, we’re still here for them even though we haven’t been doing things in person.”

From previous stories on this blog, I know that Community Resources Manager Mo Blue and her colleagues at Brunswick Church offer a great range of activities for local people as part of their Positive Steps programme. And, with a good-sized kitchen on site, food is often at the centre of what they provide.

Category: Health and Wellbeing