Wandsworth Care Alliance

Pollution: the effects and support available

by

Pollution is the introduction of harmful materials into the environment. These harmful materials are called pollutants. Pollutants can be caused naturally and by human activity. Pollutants damage the quality of air, water, and land and can greatly impact the health of human-beings causing respiratory issues and other diseases.

Air pollution is contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by any chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) data show that almost all of the global population (99%) breathe air that exceeds the WHO guidelines limits and contains high levels of pollutants, with low- and middle-income countries suffering from the highest exposures.

Vulnerable groups include children, pregnant women, the elderly, and those with long-term conditions. The Greater London Authority estimated that in 2019 the equivalent of between 3,600 to 4,100 deaths were attributable to air pollution in the city. More needs to be done to help tackle local air pollution and raise health awareness.

Protecting yourself from air pollution:

It’s important if you are vulnerable to protect yourself appropriately. During periods of high pollution, you should try to avoid extended time outdoors, by limiting your time spent outdoors it can help reduce the amount of air pollutants inhaled and the negative impacts on your health. However, it is important to remember that exercise is important for good health, and everyone should be encouraged to walk and exercise regularly.

There are several services that are available to make it easier to track when it is best to go outdoors and to track when the pollution levels are high or low. You’re able to download the ‘London Air’ app, which is available on iPhone and android. This app will provide a detailed breakdown of London’s pollution levels and gives you alerts on what’s going on.

There is also ‘airtext’ available which is a service you can use for daily air quality and pollution levels in your area. It is a free SMS and online alert system.

Resources:

Hammersmith and Fulham Asthma + Lung UK support group: Make new friends who know what you’re going through and learn more about living with a lung condition.
Learn more.

Mums for Lungs: A organisation who care about air pollution for mums, children, and babies in particular.
Learn more.

Events:

Heart and Lungs Singing group promotional poster

Hearts and Lungs Singing group: A fun, friendly and therapeutic singing group for cardiac and respiratory patients based in Tooting, London.

Help them continue their vital work, donate today.

We live and breathe: An organisation coming together to fight for change and making noise for clean air specifically in the South London area. Learn more here.

Do you have more information or resources we can add to this article? Email communications@wandcareall.org.uk, and let’s support each other.

Can You C Me Project Launch Event

by

On Wednesday 27th March 2024 we attended an event hosted by Croydon BME and Macmillan Cancer Support who have partnered together to create a project called ‘Can You C Me’.

What is this project about?

There are disproportionate barriers in accessing quality health care and support systems for Black and Asian people experiencing cancer. This project aims to tackle health inequalities and improve cancer care for black and ethnic minorities affected by cancer across South West London. Can You C Me aims to address the unique needs and challenges of this group by offering:

  • Counselling referrals and mentoring
  • Peer support
  • Signposting
  • Wellbeing advice and guidance
  • Health promotion
  • Support groups
  • Conferences and seminars

Their passionate and compassionate team goes out in the community to mosques, churches, temples, libraries, and other common spaces to offer their services and encourage early detection. The support they offer is rooted in community and tailored to individuals’ needs.

If you, a loved one, or a community member are interested in Can You C Me, please contact them by emailing macmillanteam@bmeforum.org.

What people working in Wandsworth want for better networking events

by

Our Voluntary Sector Forum was a great time with 43 of us in the room from over 30 different organisations who work with the community. Thank you for those of you who came on the day.

The point of this event was to meet local organisations and ask, how can we make our forum events better? Together, we’re looking forward to build more empowering networks for people who work with the community in Wandsworth.  

In this article we share the results of ideas in the room, and ways you can join in at our community informed events for non-profits, and community projects in Wandsworth.

What do you like about attending networking events in the sector? You told us

Getting out, meeting people, sharing food, and changing up the routine. Hearing interesting stories, catching new ways of working collaboratively, and learning new things.

What are your biggest challenges to attend an event? You told us

Being too busy, location, lack of capacity, lack of purpose, no built-in time to network, no reason to attend, not knowing who will be there, not having clear communication. Start and end of the working day are better times.

What excites you most? You told us

Contact information being shared in creative ways, some reimbursement for travel/time, knowing who will be there. Having targeted relevant and inspiring information. A calendar of options to enable choice. Sharing, valuing and appreciating each other. Time efficiency with a smooth running order. Creative formats with clear benefits like skills, benefits, wellness resources.

Good follow ups!

How can we make events open accessible and inclusive to all? You told us

Good travel links to venues, sharing advance information. Having a mix of online and in-person meetings. Vary the timings, but the end and start of the day works well to get away from the to do list easily. Think about incentives and engaging ways to include everyone.

We’re taking this feedback onboard to create an exciting new set of events and switch up the agenda. Do you want to come along to an upcoming event?

We have a Children and Young People Forum happening on Tuesday 23rd April – 10am

And save the date for our next VSF – Wednesday 5th June – 10am

Mental health: support and events

by

Mental health enables people to cope with everyday life. Our mental health is important to handle stress, ability to learn, work, and contribute to our community. It’s an integral part of health and well-being and impacts the ability to make decisions, build relationships and can shape the world we live in. Having positive mental health or access to resources to help improve our mental health should be a basic human right as it impacts us personally, socially, our community and our development.  
 
Each person has different degrees of difficulty and distress. People may have disorders and psychosocial disabilities or experience significant distress, impairment in functioning, suicidal thoughts, or self-harm.  
 
It is essential that we all work together to destigmatise conversations around mental health, creating a safe place for all individuals to feel empowered to seek help without the fear of judgment or discrimination.

World Bipolar Day is on 30th March 2024. Bipolar UK is a great organisation that provides peer support services to empower people affected by bipolar to live well. Learn more about their services here.

Healthwatch Wandsworth has written a report on mental health and homelessness which shares the community in Wandsworth stories and lived experiences of mental health and homelessness and much more. 

Read the report.

Resources: 
 
Wandsworth Wellbeing Hub: This is a great resource sharing various health and wellbeing services in the Wandsworth Borough.  
To learn more click here.
 
Portus: This organisation is a safe space for understanding self-harm allowing young people to get the right support to help with the difficulties they are facing. 
Learn more here.  
 
Ethnicity and Mental Health Improvement Project(EMHIP): Is an attempt to reduce ethnic inequalities in access, experience and outcome of mental health care.   
Learn more here.  
 
Mind: Mind in Brent, Wandsworth and Westminster. Mind works in the community to provide support, advice and information to empower anyone who may be experiencing a mental health problem.  
Learn more.  
 
Sound Minds: They are a charity helping improve the lives of people who are overcoming mental health issues, particularly from black and minority ethnic backgrounds.  
Learn more.

 
Events: 
 
Wandsworth Warm Spaces: They offer sanctuary to those struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. Learn more here.  


 
Walk Wandsworth: An event hosted by Enable offering a free walk led by volunteers, guiding and encouraging people to build up their physical activity at a pace that suits them. Learn more here.

Home Instead, Sunflower Café: A café that runs every Wednesday from 2-4pm. A free and friendly informal group for over 65’s and their carers to enjoy tea, cakes, and activities. Learn more.

Do you have more resources to share on this article on mental health? Email communications@wandcareall.org.uk so we can share resources and support one another.



 

Volunteer case study: Deirdre’s story

by

Alice met with Deirdre a volunteer for Learn to Love to Read about her volunteering journey and experience using the Wandsworth Care Alliance, Volunteering Wandsworth website.

Deirdre has lived in Wandsworth near St. George’s hospital for near 15 years and has always commuted to central London as a practice nurse, as a result she hasn’t been able to know many people in the area.

Deirdre wanted to do some volunteer work but never really found the time as she worked throughout the week. Having recently reduced her working days and deciding that now would be the best time to connect locally through volunteering. Deirdre, googled volunteering in Wandsworth and found the Volunteer Wandsworth website hosted by Wandsworth Care Alliance, where she got a chance to scroll and see what was on offer locally.

Deirdre knew she cared a lot about children and their education. She didn’t grow up with a lot of money but was fortunate enough to have support from her family with reading stories together and having books in the house. Deirdre has always felt concerned for young children who don’t have the support that their peers do and could potentially fall behind in their education because of this.

She felt that primary school was particularly important, to catch inequality early and make sure children don’t feel left behind as they became teenagers. Deirdre hadn’t heard of Learn to Love to Read prior to seeing the charity advertised on Volunteering Wandsworth, but when she found the opportunity on Volunteering Wandsworth, it seemed the perfect fit.

It took a few months for Deirdre to get through her DBS checks, receive her and partake in an online phonetics training session, before getting started with the children in her school.
Since last November Deirdre has been volunteering and reads with three 8-year-old children every Friday afternoon, and she really enjoys it.

Deirdre say’s ‘It’s a nice opportunity to build a bond with these children each week, watching them grow in confidence each week’.

Deirdre joked humbly that ‘It makes her happy to see them smiling brightly when the teacher brings them out of the classroom to meet her, but they were doing multiplication sums today so perhaps they would be happy no matter what’.

We think she’s just very humble, and that these 3 children treasure their time with her to get this dedicated attention, as well as the chance to get lost in an exciting story. Everyone loves stories and we’re grateful to Deirdre for sharing her volunteering story with us.

Learn to Love to Read are a great local charity in Wandsworth who keep connected with volunteers like Deirdre through special training with phonics, regular emails, volunteer coffee mornings and fundraising events like their upcoming pub quiz! We hope you might like to show them some support.

We asked Deirdre:

What are three rewards you get from volunteering?

  1. Doing something worthwhile
  2. Meeting new people
  3. Getting involved in local community

Would you like to volunteer locally? Surf Volunteering Wandsworth

Latest Updates

Community Voices in Wandsworth