The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Women’s Health is a cross-party group of MPs and Peers in the UK Parliament of Westminster. The group aims to empower women to ensure that they can make an informed choice about the best treatment for them and that they are treated with dignity and respect.

The group has launched an inquiry into whether women are given informed choice about the treatment options available for particular conditions. They aim to publish a report that will assess their findings around informed choice and provide recommendations on the improvements that need to be made.

Fibroids is a condition that they would like to shine the spotlight on and they would like to hear from women about their experience of living with and accessing treatment for fibroids. They are asking women with experience of fibroids to complete a survey which you can find here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/fibroids-informed-choice

If you’ve been affected by fibroids we strongly encourage you to complete the survey so that any issues that exist can be identified and addressed to ensure that the diagnosis and treatment pathway for all women is improved.

If you have any questions about the survey or about the work of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Women’s Health please  email  appgwh@pbpoliticalconsulting.com or call 020 7735 6963

If you would like help completing the survey, please get in touch with The Lake Foundation by emailing us

OpenMinds is a new not-for-profit, specialist mental health organisation based in Croydon which makes recovering from a mental health difficulty the main focus of their work. Their core values are recovering, advocacy and changing mindset.

OpenMinds will be hosting their launch event on Tuesday 22^nd November at the Croydon Voluntary Action Resource Centre, 82 London Road, CR0 2TB from 5pm to 8pm.

The purpose of this event is to promote the work of OpenMinds’ floating support service, but more importantly, to stimulate conversations that will challenge and facilitate change in mindsets, with the goal of reducing stigma and discrimination in mental health service and provision.

All are welcome to attend and for more information please contact: info@openmindssocialcare.co.uk or you can find out more about OpenMinds by downloading their brochure below.

This week, supermarket giant Tesco announced that it will make further reductions to the amount of sugar in its soft drinks and these newly reformulated drinks will be available in-store from 11^th November.

This reduction in sugar is a direct result of the government’s sugar tax and is part of Tesco’s ongoing commitment to reduce the sugar, fat and salt content of the products the company makes.  This reduction in sugar content means that Tesco’s soft drinks will now have less than five grams of sugar per 100ml meaning that the average Tesco customer will be consuming 20% less sugar than they did in 2011.

Tesco is working in partnership with Diabetes UK and the British Heart Foundation to improve the nation’s health and so far they have reduced the salt, sugar and fat content of over 4,200 products.

Matt Davies, Tesco UK’s CEO said of this recent reduction in sugar:

“This is just one part of our plans to make the food on our shelves healthier by reducing levels of sugar, salt and fat in our own brands”

This reduction in sugar can be seen as a success of the government’s sugar levy (sugar tax) which will apply to drinks with a total sugar content above 5 grams per 100ml. A higher rate will be applied to drinks with more than 8 grams per 100ml. The levy won’t be applied to milk-based drinks or fruit juices. The levy will come into effect from April 2018.

The money raised from sugar levy will be used to double the funding available to primary schools for PE and sports programme. The government has estimated that the sugar levy will raise £320 million a year for primary schools to support healthier more active lifestyles in children. The funding will not only go towards expanding PE and sports programmes but to also expand breakfast clubs in primary schools ensuring that children have access to a healthy breakfast every week day.

The Lake Foundation is happy to hear that Tesco has taken this step to reduce the sugar content of its soft drinks and if more companies follow suit this can make a significant contribution to improving the health of the UK’s population.

On 8^th November 2016 Target Ovarian Cancer will be holding an event called Being Together in Hertfordshire. This is a free event for all women with ovarian cancer and will take place at the Jurys Inn Hotel in Watford from 10am – 4:30pm and will include lunch and refreshments.

Feedback  from previous Being Together events have shown that these days are extremely beneficial in helping women feel less isolated and more knowledgeable about ovarian cancer:

“The whole day has been brilliant. The hospitality was superb and the quality of the event was excellent”

 The event is an ideal opportunity for women to meet those with similar experiences and put their questions to a panel of experts. Women will also have the opportunity to take part in workshops surrounding living well, such as nutrition and relaxation. Although the event is free booking is essential.

You can book a place at www.targetovariancancer.org.uk/hertfordshire or by calling Target Ovarian Cancer on 020 7923 5475.

Voices for Autism host coffee mornings every month in a warm, relaxed environment. Families are invited to come along for two hours to enjoy some refreshments and conversations surrounding autism, or not.

Voices for Autism has been created to raise awareness of autism as well as create a community for parents/carers to feel a part of. Being an autism parent/carer can sometimes feel like a lonely place and we want you to know that you are not alone; autism affects approximately 70,000 people in the UK alone.

Voices for Autism is striving to create a haven where those affected by autism can come together to share advice, ideas, good news stories and so on. They want to echo the message that young people with autism are unique and they should be able to access the same services and opportunities as those without a disability or additional needs.

The organisation is a friendly bunch who have a mixture of skills, knowledge and experience. They are not medical professionals but walk and breathe autism on a daily basis.

Do pop along to one of their coffee mornings if you can. No booking required. Details are posted on their website www.voicesforautism.co.uk or alternatively you can drop them a line on info@voicesforautism.co.uk

Their next coffee morning is on Saturday 12^th November at The Vaughn Room, Christ Church Southwark, 27 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8NY

This week researchers from the University of Otago in New Zealand published the results from their study which showed that taking a short walk after a meal may be effective in controlling the blood glucose levels of type 2 diabetics.

The researchers conducted this study to expand on the current advice that regular physical activity is effective in diabetes management. They wanted to determine whether the timing of  physical activity in relation to meals enhances the benefit of physical activity.

How did the researchers explore this?

To explore this, researchers conducted a study with 41 adults with type 2 diabetes. Participants either took part in 30 minutes of physical activity every day or were advised to walk for 10 minutes after their main meal. Both of these scenarios met the t physical activity guidelines for people with type 2 diabetes.   The blood glucose level of participants was then  measured 3 hours after each main meal.

What did they find?

The researchers found that  blood glucose levels were 12% lower when participants had walked after their meals compared to if they had just carried out physical activity once a day.  They also determined that the improvement was enhanced after the evening meal (22%), as this is the meal where the most carbohydrate is eaten and when people are more inactive.

What were their conclusions?

The study concluded that

“The benefits relating to physical activity following meals suggests that current guidelines should be amended to specify post-meal activity, particularly when meals contain  a substantial amount of carbohydrate.”

The importance of this research

The black community is three times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than their white counterparts and the African and Caribbean diet tends to be quite rich in carbohydrate so this research is helpful for black type 2 diabetics in understanding how they can manage their condition.

As well as following your doctor’s advice on the type of diet you should be consuming, as a type 2 diabetic, make sure you are engaging in enough physical activity and from the results of this research, taking a short walk after your main meal appears to be of benefit.

Reference

Reynolds, A.N., Mann, J.I., Williams, S. et al. Diabetologia (2016). doi:10.1007/s00125-016-4085-2

We are delighted to announce that Noire Wellness has selected The Lake Foundation as its charity of the year.  This means that over the next 12 months Noire Wellness will aim to raise £2000 for our charity. One of the ways that they will achieve this is through their Fibroids Wing Walk in June 2017!

On 17^th June 2017, representatives from Noire Wellness, including their very brave founder, Candice Bryan, will take to the skies with this daring fundraiser to experience the thrill of a wing walk thousands of feet up in the air (wow!), all for a good cause.

All the money raised by Noire Wellness will go towards our work to continue to develop a fibroids awareness, information and support programme.  Specifically we hope to develop an engaging, interactive, digital information hub, expand our outreach work and create a  support programme for women affected by fibroids.

You can support Noire Wellness in this wonderful fundraising activity by:

• Making a donation on their Go Fund Me page
• Sharing their Go Fund Me page with your contacts and asking them to make a donation
• Or, if you are brave enough, you could also take part in the Wing Walk! Email us for more information.

About Noire Wellness

Noire Wellness is an organisation that aims to improve the health and wellness of the African and African-Caribbean community through the offer of local wellness clubs, community consultancy services and a newly created network of professionals.

Currently Noire Wellness is running a 12-week pop-up club which started on 1^st August and will run until 24^th October. The pop-up club sessions are a health and fitness club, spa lounge and workshop zone all rolled into one. It features the talents of wellness professionals who have been inspired by the traditions of Africa and the Caribbean to deliver fitness, rejuvenation and nutrition services.

The next pop-up session will be on Thursday 13^th October from  7pm -9pm and will start with a one hour Afrikan Yoga (Goddess Edition) session followed by a fibroids awareness presentation delivered by The Lake Foundation’s founder, Abi Begho.  For more information and to book a place please click here

Find Out More About Noire Wellness

You can find out more about Noire Wellness by following them on Twitter, liking their page on Facebook or signing up to their newsletter here

Last week, NHS Digital, NatCen Social Research and the Department of Health Sciences at the University of Leicester published the latest results of the National Study of Health and Wellbeing (sometimes referred to as the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey).

The National Study of Health and Wellbeing Survey  is carried out every seven years and has been running since 1993. It aims to determine how everyday stresses, strains and joys affect the health of people living in the England.  It focuses on common mental disorders which are disorders that cause emotional distress, interfere with daily function but do not usually affect insight or cognition. Common mental disorders include types of depression and anxiety. Depression occurs when a person experiences low moods and a loss of interest in everyday things and experiences. Anxiety disorders include panic disorder, phobias and obsessive compulsive disorder.

The current survey focuses on data collected in 2014 and is based on interviews with 7,500 adults over the age of 16. It explored a range of areas including wellbeing, disability, physical health, pain, lifestyle behaviours, work and stress and life events. The results of the survey can be used by those working in the health field to get a clearer picture of the public’s health and wellbeing so they can plan their services accordingly.

What does the study tell us?

The study revealed that one in six  (17%) adults have a common mental disorder and more women were affected by mental illness than men with one in five (20.7%) women having a common mental disorder compared to one in eight men (13.2%).

Other disorders were also explored and it was found that one in a hundred adults were affected by psychotic disorder and autism each.  Also, one in fifty people experienced bipolar disorder and one in thirty people were drug dependent and a similar proportion of people were found to be alcohol dependent.

The study found that young women were particularly at risk of developing a mental disorder having high rates of common mental disorders (28.2%)0, self-harm, post-traumatic stress disorder and bipolar disorder.

The survey also found that common mental disorders were more common in Black women, adults under the age of 60 living alone, women living in large households, adults who were not in employment or were in receipt of benefits and in those who smoked cigarettes.

When the researchers looked at ethnicity they found that in men common mental disorders affected all ethnic groups similarly but when they looked at women there was a difference. In women, common mental disorders were more common in Black and Black British women (29.3%) compared to non-British White women (15.6%) and British White women (20.9%).

The survey suggested that depression was more prevalent among Black women and panic disorder appeared to be more prevalent in Black, Asian and mixed ethnic groups.

Conclusion

Common mental disorders are a significant issue in England and the survey reveals that these are more common in Black women and there is a need to understand why this is and provide Black women with the appropriate support to address this. As a charity we will do what we can to address this issue.

You can download the National Study of Health and Wellbeing below.

‘So You Think I’m Crazy?’ is an emotive drama that explores the UK’s mental health system, told through the eyes of a young black man. It uses music, poetry, rap and dance to take audiences from the streets of London to the secure wing of a psychiatric hospital. The play highlights the issues surrounding mental ill-health in the black community and questions whether the mental health system in the UK is effective. The exploration of the issues raised in the play continues after each performance with a panel discussion made up of mental health professionals.

‘So You Think I’m Crazy?’ is written and directed by Ekanem Hines, the co-founder of Know My Mind which is a Croydon-based community group which aims to highlight mental health issues from the perspective of service users and carers.

The play was launched in 2014 and has featured in theatres and events across the UK and has been endorsed by the Mayor of Croydon, Mind and Royal College of Psychiatrists, and has also received excellent reviews.

Know My Mind started in 2013 when the co-founders decided to capture the stories of users for a report on the UK’s mental health system. This report entitled ‘Tell it like it is Mental Health in the Community: Opening Pandora’s Box?’ was published in 2014 and aimed to address the fact that the voice of service users tends to be lost in academic and professional jargon. Therefore the reality of the experience of mental health patients is not fully understood. The report addressed this by challenging the system and putting forward a set of recommendations to improve the system. Following the publication of this report Know My Mind put together the script for ‘So You Think I’m Crazy’ with assistance from consultants.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to see ‘So You Think I’m Crazy’, there will be performances on Saturday 8^th October at 2:30pm and 8pm at  The Broadway Theatre in Catford, tickets are £10.

The Macmillan Information Centre in St Georges Hospital, Tooting has teamed up with the charity Thrive to support cancer patients in Wandsworth through a gardening group.

Thrive is a charity that has been in existence for 35 years and they use gardening to bring about positive changes in the lives of people with a disability, who are experiencing ill-health,  are isolated, disadvantaged or vulnerable.  This means they help people with a variety of disabilities and diseases such as mental ill-health, stroke, heart disease,  visual impairment, dementia and learning disabilities.

Their work is based on evidence that has shown that gardening improves physical and mental health which has led to the field of social and therapeutic horticulture.  This is where formal programmes involving plants and gardens are used to improve health and well-being and also communication and thinking skills.

Thrive has described the specific benefits and these are:

• Better physical health through exercise and muscle strengthening
• Improved mental health through a sense of purpose,  achieving a sense of peace and tranquillity, restoring attention and stress alleviation
• Reduction in isolation and exclusion through group work and connecting with others
• The development of skills which can lead to improved employment opportunities

Gardening and Cancer Support

As a result of the success of gardening in the above diseases, Macmillan Cancer Support has teamed up with Thrive to organise an interactive gardening group for residents of Wandsworth who are living with and beyond cancer. The programme will be led by a trained horticulturist and is available in all weather conditions as there are facilities for indoor gardening work across the many greenhouses in Battersea Park.

Each programme will last for 8 weeks and those who are interested just have to complete a very simple registration form.

More information

For more information please download the flyer below, call Macmillan on 0208 725 2677 or email  cancer.information@stgeorges.nhs.uk