It has been a busy start to the year for the Trowbridge Future Community team, with a full programme of activities in their Shires and Seymour Hubs. They have been running weekly craft groups for up to 20 attendees and hosted partner events such as glass fusing and silk painting, supported by funding from Sir George Earle Benevolent Fund through the Wiltshire Community Foundation.
The community fridges continue to thrive, focussing on feeding bellies not bins, and feeding up to 180 people per week.
Amongst the usual activities Trowbridge Future are focussing on health inequalities.
They have been hosting pop up health clinics with the NHS in The Shires shopping centre, Studley Green community centre and the Seymour community hub, helping to reach those who struggle to access public services for a variety of reasons such as social isolation and mobility issues. Visitors to the pop-up clinics have received vaccinations, blood pressure readings and general health advice including diet and nutrition.
Also, the team have been working with Wiltshire Council to host accessible and manageable fitness sessions, which have been gratefully received by the residents, with plans to continue these activities throughout the year as the demand from local residents has been high.
One resident said, “I find going to the doctors’ surgery daunting and it causes me extreme anxiety, meaning that I find excuses not to go, even if I am feeling really unwell. Having my blood pressure read at the Seymour pop up clinic led to me discovering that it was high. The lady running the clinic was really nice and she encouraged me to make an appointment at my surgery, which I did. Once I had been to see the doctor I felt supported, and I will feel so much more confident about going in the future”.
