Health Equity
Connecting charities and community organisations to health services to improve digital inclusion, mental health support and social prescribing.
At Connected Voice we are passionate about championing equity and creating fairer health outcomes. Our Haref project has been working to reduce health inequalities for ethnically marginalised communities for almost 20 years. Our Advocacy service has been supporting people to access health services and understand their rights for more than 27 years. Now we are expanding the health focus of our work to include aspects of digital inclusion, mental health and social prescribing across all communities in Gateshead and Newcastle:
Gateshead VCSE Health Alliance
The VCSE Engagement Coordinator, supporting the Alliance, is funded via Community Mental Health Transformation. The role is to enable the VCSE to influence and benefit from changes in NHS provision.
The VCSE Health Alliance has been developed with smaller-sized voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations in Gateshead. The Alliance recognises that health is influenced by many factors; by working together we will be more effective in using our strengths and assets to improve opportunities, tackle inequality and empower people to thrive.
For more information about the aims of the Alliance and how to get involved, visit our webpage VCSE Health Alliance | Connected Voice or contact Julia.Perry@connectedvoice.org.uk
We will be sharing more information about this work in Gateshead through our monthly e-bulletin health bulletin, which you can sign up for here https://connectedvoice.org.uk/newsletters
Digital Inclusion in Health and Social Care in Gateshead
Digital inclusion is now recognised as a social determinant of health. This brand new project works across Gateshead, collaborating with local NHS partners, Gateshead Council, voluntary and community organisations, academics and tech firms. Read a short blog by Alessandra Mondin about her new role as Digital Inclusion, Health & Care Project Manager for Gateshead. If you would like to share any projects, best practice, needs, and gaps regarding digital inclusion and accessibility in Gateshead or if you would like to know more and have a chat, you can reach Alessandra at Alessandra.Mondin@ConnectedVoice.org.uk
We will be sharing more information about this work in Gateshead through our monthly e-bulletin ‘On the Hoof’ health bulletin, which you can sign up for here https://connectedvoice.org.uk/newsletters
Social Prescribing in Newcastle
Social prescribing connects people to activities, groups and services in their local community to support their health and wellbeing. This project focuses on building relationships between voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations and health services to support social prescribing in Newcastle. We will also be working closely with our social prescribing partners in Gateshead to share information and link services across the two cities.
We will be sharing more information about the work in Newcastle through our monthly Health bulletin, which you can sign up here for https://connectedvoice.org.uk/newsletters
Haref – health equity for ethnically marginalised communities
Our Haref project continues to play a vital role in connecting ethnically marginalised communities to health services to reduce health inequalities. We will be linking our Haref Network members and Haref Allies to the above projects, where appropriate, and sharing our findings so we can work collectively to improve health and wellbeing in ethnically marginalised communities across Newcastle, Gateshead and beyond. We will ensure that the voices of marginalised and minoritised communities are heard and included in all our health equity projects.
You can sign up for the Haref monthly e-bulletin to find out more about our work: https://connectedvoice.org.uk/newsletters
