The Community Health Champions
The Mosaic Community Trust was commissioned to deliver the Community Health Champions Programme in Church Street by Central and Westminster NHS Foundation. The role of the Community Health Champions is to increase their communities’ knowledge and understanding of health and well-being and access to local health services.
In 2012, The Mosaic Community Trust recruited and trained 10 Bangladeshi women, from the Church Street community, as Community Health Champions. The Community Health Champions are local volunteers who inform, signpost and promote health and well-being within their communities. Each Health Champion is responsible for health promotion to 30 families, delivering key messages in a way that is applicable to their local community encouraging residents to not only listen but also act on these key messages. The Mosaic Community Trust provides ongoing training for the Community Health Champions whilst promoting and actively recruiting more volunteers to take part in the Championship programme.
As a result of the Health Champions’ work in the Muslim community, the demand for an expansion of their work was voiced by many more community members in Church Street and in 2013, The Mosaic Community Trust recruited and trained a further 15 women as Community Health Champions. These women, from different cultural backgrounds, have now successfully completed a series of health and well being training programmes, including the Royal Society of Public Health Level 2 exam, receiving their awards at a high profile graduation ceremony in November. (See our Events Page).
In recognition and appreciation of the significant impact The Mosaic Community Trust is making in improving the health and well being of the communities in the Church Street Ward, Tri-borough Public Health Service of City of Westminster, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Hammersmith & Fulham, have extended our contract to deliver the Community Health Champions Programme in Church Street until 2016. This will enable The Mosaic Community Trust to strategically plan and develop its activities in Church Street on a long term basis.
The Mosaic Community Trust provides ongoing training for the Community Health Champions whilst promoting and actively recruiting more volunteers to take part in the Championship programme.
“We are proud of the Champions’ achievements so far. These are ordinary, local women, but their determination and passion for changing things for the better in Church Street really sets them apart”.
Lena Choudary-Salter, Director of The Mosaic Community Trust.