Primary care teams in Swansea have joined forces to help educate and inspire communities to improve their health and wellbeing.

Staff from City Health and Penderi Local Cluster Collaboratives (LCCs) teamed up to host a health and wellbeing event in the city centre.

This event, which was also in partnership with the Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust and Swansea Council, featured a variety of organisations, community groups and healthcare professionals who were able to share information with the public.

Pictured: Staff involved with City Health and Penderi LCCs.

Penderi LCC, which covers the Brynhyfryd, Blaenymaes, Fforestfach, Gendros, Manselton, Penlan, Portmead, Ravenhill and Treboeth areas of Swansea, has hosted several events in recent years.

However, it was the first event of its kind for staff from City Health LCC, which covers the south-east and central areas of Swansea.

Dr Sowndarya Shivaraj, GP at Fforestfach Medical Centre and Penderi LCC lead, said: “Our free community event aimed to bring together a diverse range of health, social care and third sector stakeholders.

“They were able to share valuable information and knowledge with our local community in a welcoming and inclusive environment.

“The focus of the event was to improve health literacy and empower individuals to take charge of their own health and wellbeing.

“This time, we were proud to partner with City Health LCC, the Welsh Ambulance Service and Swansea Council. The event was very well received, with wider participation from across the community."

Members of the public could interact with the numerous stallholders who attended and learn more about positive health and wellbeing changes.

Health board staff from a range of services also provided information and advice at the event, held at the Collaboration Station.

Debbie Curtius, speech and language therapist with the health board, said: “We attended to promote early years development, specifically how to support children in their early years with communication and development.

“We were able to advise and signpost parents who had questions about their little ones, while promoting how to access our service.”

Alexandria Gutteridge, senior project support officer, represented the health board’s Waiting Well service.

This provides health and wellbeing support for patients who are waiting for treatment by signposting towards a range of tailored advise, self-management resources and community-based support services.

“Attending health and wellbeing events such as this one is a fantastic opportunity to promote our service and connect with the public and other services,” Alexandria said.

“Many of the other stakeholders at these events offer services that are incredibly useful for the Waiting Well team when it comes to signposting our patients to the appropriate resources.

“We want to be able to reach and support our patients who are waiting for treatment, so they are in the best shape possible for their surgery."

Pictured: Alexandria Gutteridge, senior project support manager for the Waiting Well service.

Staff from City Health LCC also provided mini health checks for the public.

Rhys Jenkins, City Health LCC lead, said: “We were happy to combine with Penderi LCC at the wellbeing event.

“As cluster leads, we realise that working collaboratively with other clusters can make our interventions more impactful to our population.

“Our involvement was fuelled by an upcoming health screening project that will be run by City Health LCC under the clinical leadership of Dr Rebecca Jenkinson.

“The wellbeing event has given us the opportunity to expose people to services and resources they may not otherwise have been aware of.

“This is important to us, as by creating understanding of services and improving health literacy we hope to combat the health inequities that our diverse population experience.

“We very much look forward to building on the success of this recent project by running more events in the future. We look forward to working collaboratively with Penderi LCC again.”

Sowndarya added: “A heartfelt thank you to all the organisations and stallholders who contributed their time and resources to support the event.

“I would also like to extend special thanks to the Indian Society of Southwest Wales for helping to promote the event within Swansea’s BAME community and ensuring wider community engagement.

“We look forward to organising more events like this in the future and hope to see even broader participation from all parts of the community.”