Nurtured
Nurtured is a community project that focuses on empowering Black community members with health confidence, promoting well-being, and addressing systemic disparities. They do this through providing and signposting our community members to accessible and actionable resources for enhancing their well-being and fostering personal growth. Nurtured was founded by Victoria Balogun, a medical student currently pursuing an MSc in Public Health. The team consists of incredible individuals, including Fay Appiah Salome, a policy advisor, as well as Esther Akinyele and Osas Ogbeide, both final-year medical students.
Why did you think your project was important to address health and wellbeing in your community?
The project was focussed on creating spaces for empowering Black community members with their wellbeing. This was key in creating an empowering environment for learning. It began with conducting an initial survey to understand the needs of our community (Southwark). 68% of participants mentioned that their job could be having a direct and negative impact on their health and wellbeing. Stress, managing a difficult workload, poor nutrition, and lack of physical exercise were all cited as key reasons. Since Covid-19, 72% of survey respondents reported not receiving any information that supported you to improve your health and wellbeing on a day-to-day basis. Ultimately, this provided a great opportunity to hold the one day full workshop. The event was a three-part affair, including: networking and interactive stalls, workshops in finance, nutrition, fitness, and a Q&A session with health care professionals.
What's something that's surprised you in this process?
Organising this event was a huge learning opportunity and came with its fair share of challenges as a new founder of a social enterprise. Key Takeaways: - Community Involvement: Involving the community in the planning process was invaluable. It became clear that understanding their desires and expectations is crucial for achieving the best outcomes. Their insights and feedback helped shape the event in meaningful ways. - Delegation and Transparency: As a founder, I learnt the importance of delegation and maintaining transparency within the team. Regular updates and check-ins were essential for keeping everyone aligned and ensuring progress. Sharing responsibilities not only lightened the load but also empowered team members and fostered a sense of ownership. - Adaptability: One of the most practical lessons was the necessity of accounting for delays and unexpected occurrences. Flexibility and adaptability were key; being prepared for the unexpected and responding quickly were crucial to navigating unforeseen challenges.
What change would you like to see so that more people can be empowered to make decisions on the issues that affect them?
We are really keen to ensure Black individuals in the community feel empowered - and this is all about creating spaces where they can network and make the most out of their community. During the workshop we had a panel that had doctors, physicians and medical students and it was enriching to see how people engaged with them. I think people just need the resources to be able to engage - but importantly these resources need to be shared in a culturally sensitive manner. Nurtured are keen to embed health principles more deeply into our initiatives and ensure ongoing community engagement - community co-design is key!
Feedback from the My health and My Career event
We held our first Nurtured event, “My Health and My Career” in autumn 2023, attended by over 50 people. From enlightening workshops to heartwarming discussions, it was all about empowerment and growth, equipping people to not neglect your health whilst striving for a better career!
Our post event survey results showed that prior the event:
53% expressed a strong desire to improve their health knowledge
26% were drawn to the workshops as they combined both health benefits and focussed on their career.
60% participants reported NOT being confident about how they would navigate networking.
One attendee stated that “I often find it difficult to network which is quite important in the profession I want to pursue”.
A notable portion of participants were new to workshops of this nature, with one individual describing it as a 'rare blend' of sessions. This combination proved motivating for many to attend, and the feedback we got was so positive. You can see the impact video for the event here.