Reach and Connect Engage Local Community At Holcombe Market

During the month of August, Reach and Connect ran an Age Well Information stall at Holcombe Market. They spoke to over 100 residents about their health and encouraged more than half to participate in the Open University’s Take 5 Challenge, which involves making one small change to one’s lifestyle and maintaining it for 30 days. 

This is just one example of the work Reach and Connect are doing in the run-up to this year’s inaugural Age Well festival. The festival aims to raise awareness of the benefits of making positive lifestyle changes and to promote a wide range of activities and services designed to enhance the health and well-being of older adults. Additionally, the festival will serve as a platform to campaign for better health outcomes for the elderly population in Haringey. 

A key objective of the festival is to ensure that the message of healthy aging reaches communities most at risk of long-term health conditions. Many of these communities currently do not engage with mainstream health services. To bridge this gap, Reach and Connect has partnered with the Haringey GP Federation Health Inequalities Team. Together, they are taking the message of healthy living directly into neighborhoods, actively listening to residents to better understand the barriers they face, and the incentives needed to encourage healthier lifestyles. 

Statistics from the 2023 Haringey Public Health Report highlight significant health disparities within the borough. The report shows that the most diverse communities in Haringey reside in the eastern part of the borough, where there is a higher prevalence of diabetes and hypertension compared to the central and western areas.  

Currently, 16% of Haringey’s population lives with a long-term health condition, and nearly 6% are living with two or more long-term conditions. Notably, communities in the east have the highest diagnosed prevalence of diabetes (8.4%) and hypertension (12.6%), both of which are significantly above the GP Federation average for these conditions. 

The festival promises to be a significant event for Haringey, offering a variety of workshops, health screenings, and opportunities for residents to learn more about the services available to them and how they can take proactive steps towards a healthier lifestyle.