Our Health Navigators recently attended the Benhill Community Fun Day, organized for Benhill residents, by a group of partners across Sutton including Start Well Sutton, Community Action Sutton, Sutton Housing Partnership, Sutton Council, Sutton Health and Care, and Sutton Primary Care Networks.

The Health Navigators are a group of trained volunteers who provide free health and wellness checks for residents, as well as supporting residents to use the NHS App. They attend regular sessions across the borough at settings such as GP surgeries, community groups and events. At this event, we provided 22 health and wellbeing checks to residents, and supported 10 residents with setting up and using the NHS app.

Now in its second year, the Benhill Community Fun Day is a great day out for families with free food, activities and fun! We were one of many local organisations attending so that Benhill residents could find out more about what’s on offer in the local community. The event was also attended by the Mayor of Sutton.

We were very proud of three of our Health Navigators, who are all aged 16-18 years old, and are new to volunteering with this project. These committed and passionate young people are all aspiring to be doctors! It is great to see how volunteering can really help young people develop their skills and experience, and follow their dreams!

As well as our Health Navigators, Michelle and Paige, our two Community Health and Wellbeing Workers were there for the whole event, meeting residents and sharing more information about this project, run in partnership with Benhill and Belmont GP Centre.

Brigitte Sims, our Community Health (Core20PLUS5) co-ordinator  was also there, meeting residents, and recruiting potential Community Health Ambassadors!

Thank you to our partners across Sutton for organising such a fantastic day.

If your setting (GP surgery, community group, community event, organisations) might benefit from a session with our Health Navigators, please get in touch with the project lead Lisha Varghese at lishavarghese@vcsutton.org.uk.