Spreading the word at summer festivals: Mela and Pride 2024
Newcastle Mela is the annual festival that celebrates the rich heritage of Pakistani, Bengali, Indian and other South Asian cultures here in the North East.
The event took place in Exhibition Park, where Engagement Officers and Involvement Nadeem and Cheryl with Volunteers Randa and Ahmad spoke to hundreds of people from across the region.
"It was a great day, blessed with kind weather! We spoke to so many people, introducing them to Healthwatch and the help we provide. In particular we talked to several healthcare professionals who were glad to add us as a resource in their toolkit, as somewhere they and their colleagues can direct service users towards."
- Cheryl Wright, Engagement Officer
The team were also successful in directing many people towards the BIG Conversation, a recent survey across the North East and North Cumbria aimed at capturing the experiences of women and girls, and improving their experiences of health and social care.
We also took part in two major LGBTQ+ pride events: the Out Northeast Family Picnic in Gateshead's Saltwell Park and Pride in the City at Newcastle Civic Centre.
Both events had massive footfall and were incredible opportunities to engage with the local community. As well as speaking to LGBTQ+ people about their experiences of health and social care, and the challenges they face in accessing care, we had a lot of interest from families about us as their local Healthwatch and about our services.
We ran an engagement activity at each pride event, asking attendants what they thought were the 'missing links' in health and social care. Across both days, we received 91 responses ranging from 'better gender-affirming care' and 'representation of local LGBTQ+ charities in decision-making' to 'better data sharing across NHS services' and 'creating programmes of care with people, not just for them'.
Festivals like Pride and Mela represent a special opportunity to engage with the general public and underrepresented communities amidst an atmosphere of solidarity and joy. In terms of raising the profile of Healthwatch Newcastle and Healthwatch Gateshead, this summer was a big success!
