Guestbook Archive Comments recieved online before and during the Brighton and Hove Rocks event.
Please note that these comments do not reflect the opinions or policies of Brighton and Hove Rocks, the Health Improvement Programme or SCIP
Our Questions We asked:
- What do you think are the social causes of ill health in Brighton and Hove?
- What changes would make the biggest difference to your health and the health of your community?
- What community projects would make the biggest impact on your health and the health of your community?
(1) Poor environment, violence/anger in society, ignorance/lack of education due to the low-standard in the state education provisions, where there is low emphasis on moral education, respect for others, moral values, etc. Also public services are not delivered effectively, i.e. there is no independent watchdogs for social services, education, and other vital mainstream services, which enable these service providers to run their services as they please without taking individual views, and needs into account, leaving clients with particular and perhaps complex needs in limbo. Certainly the monitoring - evaluation mechanisms in social services have been failing for such a long time, leaving people badly in need of support and practical help. Minority ethnic groups will be left with so much stress because of unmet needs which were supposed to be filled by traditional public services. Also ill health in Brighton and Hove can be explained by the poor quality of life felt by its residents. Drug addicts and people with drink problems are left in the street, making people feel ill themselves. Many streets in Brighton & Hove are apocaliptic due to litter, graffiti, vandalism, and the council departments turning blind eyes to these social problems without taking any actions, or setting any viable strategies, leaving parks in the town centre bleaker, leaving over-mature shrubs go forever, etc. There is no environmental strategies apart from hanging baskets, which the council is forced to do in order to keep the town more attractive for tourism. Yes, this tourism oriented thinking is actually killing the town for residents who have to live in this town.
(2) Look out for other countries including far afield such as Japan. Japan is an island country like Britain but their use of recycling, community policing, conservation, community actions are far more economical, and effective. For example, police persons go around streets to say hello to residents who can perhaps express her concerns and feel reassured that help is at hand. Police man does not need to look scary, but needs to be more approachable. It seems that in Brighton these public servants work because they are paid to carry out certain tasks as a job, but do not necessarily have any empathy, and perhaps aptitudes, hence making their work to be very mechanic to clients, who expects more. People ought to be better screened, selected, and trained, as much as they ought to be properly evaluated by clients and managers, who ought to be subject to evaluations set by the clients. Local support groups ought to be given support, use of local space to meet, funding and partnership work with public services.
(3) Self-help support groups for minority ethnic women, which plan for their health promoting programme themselves rather than individuals go to a designated 'support group' within local organisations, i.e. voluntary groups. Individuals options to be made available rather than being 'fixed into' existing support groups, which do not meet cultural and language needs. Quality food should be made available easily and cheaply, while food with additives and colourings etc. is overflowing. Alternative medicines ought to be made available to minority ethnic groups, who are used to their traditional methods of treating illnesses. Promotions of cow's milk ought to be stopped for people on dietary restrictions based on their culture. It's only for the best to stop Soya Infants milk to be prescribed to pre-school children, who have lactose intolerance probably due to their traditional diet without cows' milk. Natural food ought to be promoted, but it would be only the best to run any programme within the cultural context which traditional diet ought to be enhanced in Britain. Inequality ought to be stopped, women's thinking should be acknowledged rather than undervalue these. Education ought to be upgraded: it is most relevant to run a self-help community group, which is independent from public services or any other organisations, who would be able to support the needs identified in different communities. I believe that this will be only the first step, which can be achieved and is feasible. There ought to be more open minded approach as opposed to professionals trying to provide services to certain targeted groups without knowing the needs of targeted clients, i.e. minority ethnic clients with multiple barriers. The council ought to provide more expertise and training to minority ethnic groups to this end, in order to enable these groups to come up with their own solutions rather than solutions given to them. There will be difficulties to overcome in order to achieve this such as lack of safe and relevant meeting place for minority ethnic women in Brighton & Hove. Whilst minority ethnic women should not be perceived/regarded as vulnarable automatically, many of these women are unable to access the community space due to smoking policy, lack of ventilations, racist attitudes of other users, at times perfumes used in these space. Whatever the solutions are, these ought to be formulated by clients themselves. It would be most condusive to hold an all day workshop concentrated on needs of minority ethnic groups. It was useful to see many other ethnic minority groups today, and one realises incredible, unmet needs in the communities. Our group, Japan Women's Group meets regularly for a lively discussion, organic/macrobiotic lunch, organic 'kuki' tea, which many women enjoy. Presently we are looking to find a space for our regular meetings with a kitchen facility in the Community. Please let know know if you have any suggestions or if your house can be used for an hour or two either one off, or sporadically and otherwise of course. We are also planning to make Japanese food products absolutely organic and macrobiotic such as miso, tofu, amasake, etc. Our vegetable allotment plans are moving ahead gradually supported by Professor R. Azuma specilised in community allotment movement in Japan. We feel that our health is dependent upon the environment where we live. If the environment does suffer, so do we. Young children need to be motivated into actions for recycling by schools in order to develop an awareness of the environment. Education ought to be upgraded so that many minority ethnic children would not need to go to fee paying schools in order to raise these children properly without racism, lack of spiritual values promoted, poor quality of life, lack of disciplines, too many unruly children in class, etc. Teachers ougtht to be more sensitive to cultural needs rather than expecting minority ethnic people fitting in to their norm. There ought to be more options/choices in education for children with minority ethnic background. These things do impact on our health, as we are surrounded by no choice. Professionals need to listen to our needs better rather than the other ways round. Hopefully people would not need to raise their voice in order to be listened, and to get services given to them. Flexible attitude is most important.
Moriko Kondou: 21/09/99 14:36
(1) socially excluded and marginilised services! Ironically the Social Excusions Unit's concern with problematising young people and youth culural lifestyles, merely distances those services supposedly targettting and supporting young people. Lack of access and awareness has become in itself a cause of ill heakth.
a/ No suitable or appropriate serveces for young people(under 25yrs) who hav substance using lifestyles abd problems;
b/ GP practices which are based in neighbourhoods having no community profile, or responsiveness to neighbourhood needs.
(2) More funding for detahced youth work initiatives which are making contact with and working directly with the so called 'marginilsed'.
Improved collaboration then between primary health delivery and neighbourhood/grassroots based projects.
: 21/09/99 13:00
(1) For older people with physical mobility problems accessing transport is dificult. Little core funding is put into services like community transport. Service users depend on reliable wheelchair accessible transport.Many say that their disability makes it difficult and time consuming to use anything other than a purpose built vehicle,where assistance is also available. Providing health facilities that are inaccessible to older frail people does not help, however not all services should be provided in the home. Many health crises can be prevented by regular interaction with the outside world.
(2) Longer term funding for local services identified by small locality communities. Groups need the financial resources to purchase services of their choice. A lot of despondency and apathy has been created by things being talked about but nothing being done. Action must be tangible, with specific reults, so that an improvement can be seen. This is often a qualitative measure.
(3) Projects that look at a holistic approach. More access to health services for older persons and those with disabilities could be provided if longer term funding is allocated. At the moment there is a culture of threatened iminent withdrawal (cutbacks). Older people need the security of having reliable community transport. This cannot be achieved unless the neccessity os subsidising this service is recognised by the statutory sector.
Brighton & Hove & Area Community Transport: 21/09/99 12:57
(1) For older people with physical mobility problems accessing transport is dificult. Little core funding is put into services like community transport. Service users depend on reliable wheelchair accessible transport.Many say that their disability makes it difficult and time consuming to use anything other than a purpose built vehicle,where assistance is also available. Providing health facilities that are inaccessible to older frail people does not help, however not all services should be provided in the home. Many health crises can be prevented by regular interaction with the outside world.
(2) Longer term funding for local services identified by small locality communities. Groups need the financial resources to purchase services of their choice. A lot of despondency and apathy has been created by things being talked about but nothing being done. Action must be tangible, with specific reults, so that an improvement can be seen. This is often a qualitative measure.
(3) Projects that look at a holistic approach. More access to health services for older persons and those with disabilities could be provided if longer term funding is allocated. At the moment there is a culture of threatened iminent withdrawal (cutbacks). Older people need the security of having reliable community transport. This cannot be achieved unless the neccessity os subsidising this service is recognised by the statutory sector.
Brighton & Hove & Area Community Transport: 21/09/99 12:56
(1) In Brighton and Hove, social causes of ill health:- housing which is not damp proofed. The fact that many people in winter especially elderly or those not in middle income bracket are unable to afford heating. Other causes of illl health are through lifestyle i.e. lack of healthy 'nutritious' meals and excercise. Living in a very stressful environment - pollution whether it be on land sea or in the air,
(1) poverty and social deprivation, lack of opportunties for people
(1) I agree, poverty is the main cause of ill health and everything is related to that; diet, housing, fitness, ability to use leisure time etc
(1) Poverty
Poor housing conditions, overcrowding & damp
Poor diet, poor access for people on outlying estates to cheap fruit & vegetables.
Poor access to community facilities & activities
Poor access to affordable transport links
(2) Ensuring that people are not left in poverty whether that be resource based or monetary and that the responsible authorities listen to the needs of communities and act on the actual needs of people when developing local policy.
It would also help if there was a healthy living Centre (not neccesarily in a building maybe mobile) for women and also healthy living Centre for all sections of the population where access to information, health information, organic produce, etc.
(3) Developing the Brighton OWmen's Centre and Unemployed Centre so that all aspects of people's health could be improved through there participation. These communtiy projects are always trying to run things on shoestring budgets. They need to be developed as viable healthy alternatives for some sections of teh community. Between them they work on issues round health, sexual, physical, mental, work on developing care for children, develop self esteem, provide space for self help groups and yet are quite inaccessible to some sectors of the community.
Michelle: 21/09/99 07:28
(1) Poverty. Isolation. Huge burden of elderly care.
(2) Shared working between NHS and local council
(3) Old people day centres and adopt a granny. Free cookery and parenting classes for struggling parents.
I can't come to the interactive open dey but would like the updates. 21 Islingword road, Brighton BN2 2SE.
Emma Drye: 16/09/99 10:56
(1) For the Traveller community (both traditional and new) residing or resorting to the area, the social causes of ill health are:
negative stereotyping
social exclusion and institutional racism on both a social and organisational level
ignorance of client group needs resulting in inappropriate and inaccessible service provision
low or zero toleration policies that result in high levels of evictions which hinders access to basic services
inappropriate and often environmentally dangerous sites
(2) proper consultation with client group to ensure a better understanding of needs
improving access to suitable and secure land
improving understanding of client group by promotion of positive images to the public and authorities
(3) increasing the number of secure sites, whether permanent or transit, authorised or tolerated
Projects that are run by members of the client group to address the expressed needs of the client group via appropriate and accessible training and information material
Susan Alexander: 15/09/99 12:52
(1) Capitalism! The pursuit of profits regardless of human consequences.
The dominant ideology that assumes that competition is somehow natural -
that the law of the jungle rules - it's eat or be eaten. This is not true, since
history began, we have had to learn how to co-operate in order to survive
- this is no less true today.
(2) I'm not sure what my community is - but I enjoy buying my organic food from
a local co-operative. I would like to see a consumer co-operative for bulk-
buying of environmentally sound products such as energy-conserving light-
bulbs, or solar panels. A healthy living centre - where you can get advice on
leading a healthy lifestyle, to help us get out of bad habits such as convenience
foods & telly-watching & find out about sports, yoga, swimming, dancing...
(3) Where I live there is a constant stream of traffic. I think it would be useful to get
people's views on how to control the traffic in Brighton & Hove. Also initiatives
such as community transport schemes, car-sharing, bike-sharing!
kate whittle: 08/09/99 11:06
(1) poverty and social deprivation, lack of opportunties for people
(2) JObs and opportunities; a chance to have a say in how cahs is spent in the public sector
(3) Supproting self help organisations whatever they are.
PS fantastic web site!!
clare: 06/09/99 19:37
(1) I agree, poverty is the main cause of ill health and everything is related to that; diet, housing, fitness, ability to use leisure time etc
(2) For the responsible authorities to spend more time listening to the people who are affected by or experience the result of their policy decisions. To acknowledge that ordinary people have expertise about their own health and the health of their community.
(3) Organic food delivery scheme. Activities going on locally.
John: 31/08/99 15:19
(1) Poverty
Poor housing conditions, overcrowding & damp
Poor diet, poor access for people on outlying estates to cheap fruit & vegetables.
Poor access to community facilities & activities
Poor access to affordable transport links
(2) More useful information written in non jargon
More holistic approach to health
More appreciation of how community activities & facilities contribute to health improvements & resources made available to fund innovation
(3) More arts initiatives both short and look term
I believe that community development projects run by the communities they sevre have the biggest impact on the health of the community. There are many local examples of this in Brighton & Hove
Anna: 25/08/99 13:18
