Healthier Minds Festival deemed a great success for breaking down barriers

The festival, held earlier this year invited different groups from across the local area to the at the Telford Cultural and Leisure Centre in Hadley to establish any barriers to accessing services. It also aimed to find out whether people know what support is available locally and where they could go for help.

Community leaders, NHS teams and stallholders from a wide range of voluntary community and social enterprise sector organisations and groups took part, meeting members of the communities, discussing with them what is working well and findong out the reasons why people might not be coming forward and making contact with services.

Throughout the day, a wide range of demonstrations and taster sessions that support and promote a healthier mind such as arts, crafts, music and much more were held.

Those who attended the festival gave their thoughts as to why there might be barriers to accessing the services on offer. The most common responses were language barriers, little understanding of NHS offers, concerns over privacy and confidentiality, taboo in the community, lack of trust, tradition, and culture.

Suggestions to break down barriers included better language connections and a clearer way to find the services available as many people didn’t have access to the internet.

There were calls for more black representation in services that services need to reach out more to mosques and temples where people gather as they familiar settings and faces would help put people at ease.

Mayor of the Borough of Telford & Wrekin, Raj Mehta said: "The Healthier Minds Festival was a great success. It showcased what can be done when different members of the community come together, listen, and learn about each other’s experiences. The day itself was fun, engaging, and informative for all. I hope that this is the first of many events and we can encourage more people from a variety of communities to come forward and talk about their experiences."

Sherrel Fikeis from NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin’s Assuring Involving Committee said: “The event drastically improved the community’s confidence in the NHS from the people that I spoke to. Everyone that attended the event went above and beyond to listen and engage with everyone’s thoughts. One lady, in particular, spoke to Simon Whitehouse chief executive of NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin about a particular issue and she was so happy that not only did he listen to her on the day, he phoned her back later in the week to discuss the matter further.

"She said it was amazing it is that we managed to bring the NHS to her doorstep."

"Going forward I think this event has built a foundation of trust which will help us engage with these communities and create a better understanding of what services are available to them.”