Dozens of health-based charities in Leeds have come together in Kirkgate market to host their annual self-care exchange for the local community. The people of Leeds are able to come and access their resources completely free of charge. Their aim is to break down the stigma surrounding access to all types of healthcare.
Source: Ava Yiannakou | All Rights ReservedThe event features a wide range of stalls covering everything from prostate cancer awareness to blood pressure checks, sexual health matters and housing support. Community based charity Forum Central partnered with event organiser Dominique Burley who said, “the organisations we work with expressed to us that they really wanted a marketplace event so they can actually get their services out to people in the community so that’s what we did”.
Source: Ava Yiannakou | All Rights ReservedReports by Healthwatch Leeds have shown the shift into online appointments and phone apps for healthcare has left groups like the elderly or people with a language barrier digitally excluded from accessing healthcare.
Source: Ava Yiannakou | All Rights ReservedThe self-care exchange gives people the opportunity to easily access help with any healthcare issue they may be facing. A staff member at Leeds sexual health service stall said, “We get to meet people who wouldn’t ordinarily come to our service, either because they don’t know who we are or maybe because it’s scary”.
Source: Ava Yiannakou | All Rights Reserved