Healthy Steps

The Sunderland BME Network Healthy Steps Project was an 18-month project that aimed to inform, encourage and support members of the BME Community of East Sunderland to:

• Increase Access to Information and Services – Understand and correctly access public and statutory resources and facilities
• Reduce Health Inequalities – Improve health, personal wellbeing and mental health in BME women in the East Sunderland by addressing inequalities
• Encourage participation in non-BME Community Hubs – Create and deliver opportunities to integrate people in the East Area of Sunderland by signposting BME people into community life.
• Raise awareness of different cultures – Support non-ethnic communities and organisations to better understand the BME East Area Community.

Initially intended to be delivered by 4 outreach staff the BME Management Committee made an early decision to ensure that as many of the Networks diverse communities could be supported through the programme. To this end 5 outreach staff were engaged to maximise the project’s reach and impact.