• WHO WE ARE
• SERVICES
  • Bilingual Health Advocacy
    • Advocacy Link
  • Diabetes
    • Diabetes Education
    • Diabetes Befriending Project
  • Maternity and Children’s Health
    • Antenatal Education
    • Breastfeeding Welcome Scheme
  • Audiology
  • Health in old age
    • Older Somali Women's Project
    • Somali Elder's Health Project
• RESEARCH
• WORKING WITH US
• CONTACT

Services

Older Somali Women’s Project

For more than eight years WHFS has been working with older Somali women enabling them to develop healthier lifestyles and increase their feelings of independence whilst reducing their isolation in the community. Over 120 older Somali women have benefitted from the project and a small representative group of women have been trained and supported to become a user forum.

The women want to feel more integrated into life around them so mother tongue classes and English for Speaker of Other Languages (ESOL) have been very successful. They also want to be able to use services in the borough in order to stay healthy and active. Keep fit sessions are popular and the regular slots for health promotion sessions and other agencies coming to introduce new initiatives or consult with the women. There are also regular trips and cultural events organised and planned with the women. The four venues across the borough attract a different group of Somali women living locally in the neighbourhood and are much valued by each group of women.

“I am a severely disabled person, I had a stroke 10 years ago and I can hardly walk. This is the only place I come to meet my friends. And have a laugh, all other days apart from Fridays I am just sitting on my chair staring out the window”.
(Older Somali female client)