A new grassroots project is aiming to increase awareness among Slough’s Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities, as well as the wider community, of Covid-19 symptoms and how they can stay safe.
The #OneSlough project will engage with voluntary organisations and faith leaders within communities to share the latest NHS advice so they can pass on the best possible information.
It will also work through English and multilingual platforms, such as Asian Star Radio, to reach BAME people, including those who do not speak English as a first language – and therefore may be missing out on crucial safety messages.
This partnership project is a consortium of Slough Borough Council, the Slough Council for Voluntary Service (Slough CVS), NHS East Berkshire Clinical Commissioning Group working on behalf of the Frimley Health and Care Integrated Care System (ICS), Berkshire Shared Public Health team, Primary and Secondary care partners, and Apna Virsa.
On the ground it will be delivered by both Slough CVS and Apna Virsa, which are voluntary sector organisations.
The project will work with trusted group leaders to communicate essential health messages concerning social distancing, care within multi-generational households, handwashing and wearing facial coverings.
Project manager for Apna Virsa, Seema Kamboj, said: “Following the recent Government report, we know that those from BAME backgrounds are at a higher risk of poor outcomes from Covid-19.
“Slough itself has a significantly sized BAME population, and we recognise the area’s unique challenges, including language barriers and cultural differences. So working in partnership, we hope to help communities to stay as safe as possible at this uncertain time.”
As part of this approach, #OneSlough will stage live, informative interviews with GPs who speak both English and common languages in the BAME community.
Chief executive for Slough CVS, Ramesh Kukar, said: “Using trusted sources of information, including multilingual GPs, we hope to bridge gaps in communication and ensure everyone has the tools to stay safe.
“This is especially important as we come out of lockdown because there’s a danger of people becoming complacent in relation to safety measures.”
Additional messages centered around health and wellbeing, including controlling existing conditions such as diabetes, losing weight and quitting smoking, will be part of the project.
The SANAS charity (St Kitts & Nevis Association Slough) will be helping #OneSlough to engage the Afro-caribbean community.
Executive medical director for the Frimley Collaborative of Clinical Commissioning Groups, Dr Lalitha Iyer, and service lead for Slough Public Health, Dr Liz Brutus, jointly said: “As the Covid-19 pandemic began to spread, it became clear that people from different ethnicities were being affected more than others.
“We are looking at reducing health inequalities and at how we can support our communities in keeping themselves safe by using different ways of reaching out and raising awareness. The #OneSlough project is an integral part of this wider piece of work.”
Images courtesy of Pixabay.com
Information from Slough Borough Council