Launch 2012
The launch of the Caribbean and African Community Health Support Forum took place on the 14th October 2012, at the Ipswich Town Hall. The event was officially opened by the Mayor of Ipswich, Mary Blake. We would like to thank the Mayor and her staff for the time that they spent with us, (very much appreciated by all). In terms of numbers, 163 people from all different communities signed our register during the course of the day. However, we were not able to capture the full numbers of attendees because quite a few people did not sign the register.
AIMS
The aim of the event was to:
Showcase the work of the CACHSF to date
Bring the different generations from the community together
Work with partners to enable them to introduce their services to the community
OUTCOMES
This event was a great success because we were able to engage with a much larger section of the community. The invited organisations in attendance provided information regarding how people could access their services across Suffolk. The launch of the Forum has enables us to form stronger links with other similar organisations such as BME Cancer research (Nottingham) The Barking and Dagenham West Indian Cultural Group (East London). As a result of our collaborative way of working, the East London group are now planning to run health awareness programmes based on the Forum’s work in Suffolk. Since the launch event, we have seen a significant increase in the number of people (not just from the African and Caribbean Community) coming through our doors seeking information on a range of major health concerns. The event also gave an opportunity to some local entertainers by giving them a platform to show case their individual talents.
