Welcome to the Tower Hamlets CVS health and wellbeing bulletin. 

Welcome to the Health and wellbeing bulletin. We are fast approaching the seasonal holidays which bring both joy for some but not all. It can be a very difficult people who are homeless, suffering from mental health issues, lonely, isolated or adversely affected by debt and unemployment. The voluntary, community and faith sector play a vital role in supporting people and keeping them out of hospital.

Suicide Prevention and Mental Health workshops

Self-Harm Awareness workshop - Thursday 7 December / 1.00 to 2.00pm 

Exploring our own reactions to and perceptions of self-harm, what self-harm is and how it can present, why people self-harm and what it can mean, as well as how we can help and support in the immediacy and what other support exists.

Self-Care and Boundaries Workshop - Tuesday 12 December / 1.00 to 2.00pm  

Explore the concepts of self-care and boundaries, reflect on our needs to create a personalised self-care plan, and explore and understand the impact of different social dynamics on ourselves and how we can set healthy boundaries and limits

Please email safeconnections@mindthnr.org.uk to book onto a workshop or for more information.

1/ Local Events and Opportunities
2/ Get involved - Have your say
3/ Training and Learning Opportunities
4/ Funding 
5/ Jobs

Tower Hamlets Together Integrated Care Awards 2023

Thursday 7 December / 1.30 to 3.00pm / Online

Join Tower Hamlets Together to celebrate the fantastic work accomplished by colleagues across 7 organisations under Tower Hamlets Together – London Borough of Tower Hamlets (LBTH), NHS North East London (NHS NEL), Tower Hamlets GP Care Group (GPCG), Council for Voluntary Service (THCVS), East London Foundation Trust (ELFT), Tower Hamlets Health Watch and Barts Health.

Tower Hamlets Together recognises the achievements, challenges, efforts and successes of its colleagues which is to be rewarded, applauded and celebrated.
This FREE virtual event is not to be missed!

Click here to book your place.

Sunday Strolls: The Banglatown Walk

Sunday 17 December @12pm

The Banglatown Walk is aimed at anybody interested in Bengali migration and settlement in the East End of London.

The participants will learn about the Bengali community’s history, heritage, cultural practices, and the lives of people who are of diverse backgrounds and experience different values and customs.

The experiences of Bengalis in the East End will provide a concrete example of the value of multiculturalism and the tensions it creates. The walk will look at the legacy of the British Empire and how the population of Britain has become rich & diverse through the twentieth century as migration occurred from the colonies.

Click here to book your place.

Get free Healthy Start Vitamins at your Children and Family Centre

Free Healthy Start vitamins for all pregnant, breast feeding and up to 1 year postnatal women. Vitamin drops for babies and young children suitable from birth to 4 years old population. To find out about support for free healthy food and milk click here.

Have your say on the THCVS strategy

In our State of the Sector survey you told us some of the things you wanted from Tower Hamlets CVS. We are now revising our strategy for the next 5 years and we have tried to incorporate your views. Have we got it right?

There is a short survey here where you can feed back about whether our proposed strategic goals represent the right areas, and what the local voluntary & community sector needs from us. The deadline to reply is 15 December.

Identifying barriers to accessing cancer screening services in Tower Hamlets

Cancer is the leading cause of death in Tower Hamlets but the attendance rates for cervical, breast and bowel cancer screening services are well below the national targets with the attendance rate for cervical and breast cancer screening having steadily fallen over the last 10 years.

With this survey, Healthwatch Tower Hamlets seeks to collect feedback to identify barriers that exist to accessing cervical, breast, and bowel cancer screening services.

It is 100% confidential and anonymous and you do not have to answer any questions if you do not wish. The feedback from this survey will be used to create a report of the key findings that will be shared with the local NHS and other stakeholder organisations to help improve services to better meet the needs of the local population.

Click here to find out more and take part. If you have any questions about this survey, please email info@healthwatchtowerhamlets.co.uk or call 0800 145 5343.

NHS North East London Stakeholder Update - Winter planning in North East London

Winter is a time of increased pressure as cold weather affects people with existing health conditions and illnesses like flu and Covid-19 spread. As an integrated care system, NHS North East London are continuously working together to build resilience and plan for how they respond to periods of increased demand.

As part of this work, the new system coordination centre approach involves hospitals, GPs, the London Ambulance Service, community care, and others, and is focused on keeping people well this winter; helping people get the right treatments in the right place earlier; be seen more quickly in an emergency; and get home again promptly when they have had to be admitted to hospital. 

You can read more here.

Lets discuss race...

Tuesday 5 December 9.30am to 12.30pm & 1.30 to 4.30pm (*Only required to attend one session*) / Southern Grove Community Centre, Southern Grove, E3 4FX

Join Tower Hamlets Together (THT)  for a new workshop: "Let's Discuss Race." This interactive session is designed for local Health and Care staff, where you'll engage in conversations that foster a deeper understanding of the obstacles that may hinder open discussions about race. At the end of the workshop, learners would have:

• engaged in discussions that help them to understand some of the barriers that prevent engagement in discussions about race
• engaged in discussions about race and racism – overcoming the hesitancy and ‘fear’ that can inhibit their understanding and participation
• moved beyond discomfort and dealt with resistance and be more able to continue their learning journey

Click here to find out more and register.

Working towards tackling health inequalities

Health inequalities are unfair, avoidable and systemic differences in people’s health outcomes across the population and between different groups. The term can also refer to the differences in the care that people receive, and the opportunities that people have to lead healthy lives – both of which can influence health outcomes.

North east London Integrated Care System have developed an e learning resource that include information on some of the approaches to tackle inequalities, and the action you can take in your sector and level of influence.
What are health inequalities - North East London Health & Care Partnership (northeastlondonhcp.nhs.uk)

The NHS integrated Care System would like to strengthen the involvement of the voluntary, community and faith sector in tackling health inequalities if you would like to find out more. Please sign up here.

London Health Accelerator for Social Enterprise

A free programme tailored specifically for social enterprises working in or seeking to work in London’s health and life sciences sector, covering seven boroughs. The 10-week intensive programme equips participants with the necessary skills, mentorship, knowledge and connections to grow and scale their social enterprise while tackling health inequities in underserved communities.

This exciting new accelerator is a collaboration between MedCity and the School for Social Entrepreneurs and is part of the Boosting Life Sciences Social Economy programme which is funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

The programme consists of a series of in-person and online study sessions, with the first session taking place in January. Alongside these sessions, participants will receive:

• 1:1 mentoring support from experts in the health and life sciences space
• 1 x intensive business review panel (a business needs assessment and action plan)
• Opportunity to apply for a £5,000 granGraduation and dinner networking event

Click here to find out more. Deadline 1pm Monday 18 December.

Please see the THCVS funding page for a full list of funds currently available.

Please click here to access our jobs page where you will find more current vacancies within the VCSE sector in Tower Hamlets.

Evaluator – Tower Hamlets Neighbourhood forum pilot / Deadline Friday 1 December @9:30am

Community Development Officer – Neighbourhood Forums pilot / THCVS / Deadline Monday 4 December @9:30am

Development director VCSE Collaborative North East London / Deadline Monday 11 December @9:30am