18th Annual Preston Health Mela was held at the University of Central Lancashire, Foster Building, PR21 2HE on Saturday 6th April 2019.
Partnership has always been an ideal at the heart of the Preston Health Mela and it took on a special significance on Saturday as the chosen theme for the eighteenth annual event.
This year’s Mela, itself the product of an evolving partnership between the National Forum for Health and Wellbeing and the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), took place in the University’s welcoming Foster Building. Over 1000 visitors, often in family groups, joined the fun, meeting more than 60 stallholders and a team of health professionals offering on the spot Health MOT’s, information and advice.
The event was opened to the public by Professor Mayur Lakhani CBE, President of the Royal College of General Practitioners in the presence of Sir Mark Hendrick, MP for Preston, Professor Lynne Livesey, Joint Institutional Lead for UCLan, and Cllr. Trevor Hart, Mayor of Preston.
Guests found that, whether their interest was in ambulance services or eyesight, teeth or tonsils, it was easy to find answers to their questions from the friendly experts on hand. In the background the choir and dancers added their own cheerful note to the proceedings. Young visitors developed new caring skills in the ‘Teddy Bears’ Clinic, explored the mighty Inflatable Brain and pedalled away to produce their own nutritious drink on the ‘Smoothie Bike’! It was an exciting day out for the whole family.
Many individuals took the opportunity to undergo the variety of health checks on offer. 113 completed the core package in the ‘Health MOT’. Overall results showed that approaching 25% of those tested showed abnormalities in levels of blood pressure, blood glucose or cholesterol which indicated the need for further investigation.
Many other checks were completed on hearing, sight, oral health etc. and all the individuals involved in the tests received personal and confidential advice and counselling from friendly health professionals.
At the Breakfast Meeting for health and associated professionals which preceded the public event, Chief Guest Professor Lakhani congratulated the organisers for highlighting the significance of partnership in health-care. He identified a number of important changes taking place in general practice which would depend crucially on the development of new partnership working for their success. These included social prescribing and the adoption of digital technology.
‘When our series of Health Melas began eighteen years ago, we believed that there was real positive energy, focused on the promotion of community wellbeing. that could be released by bringing together in the Health Mela, a mixture of NHS, voluntary and community organisations in a joyful and informal celebration of healthy living.
As each year has passed, we have seen this belief confirmed and amplified beyond our imagination.
We look forward to many more years of developing partnership working’.
Photographs giving a flavour of the day can be found on the following link. They are free from copyright restrictions when used to support the work of NFHW.