It seems that people having a common experience often tend to understand each other better. Kalpna has been a longtime member of Goanet, and, whenever she holidays in Goa, she's sure to drop in and exchange notes. Her involvement in social work probably builds another link with a volunteer- driven network like Goanet.
This note is just to say a thank you to her for sending in a copy of the annual report of the 'Healthy Living in Battersea' project. We talked about this during her past visits, and she mentioned it's a project supported by the UK's Lottery Fund.
In a word, the Battersea Healthy Living Initiative is a partnership project between a number of voluntary and statutory sector groups in London SW11 5BB. Kalpna is the project co-ordinator.
It focuses on health inequalities to "improve the physical and mental well-being of individuals". The aim, we're told "is to encourage active partnership from Battersea communities in attaining better health and well being through a range of co-ordinated and sustainable activities".
Their activities include a Sound Minds Creative Arts Project (providing access to arts activities for people experiencing or at risk of serious mental health problems), an Information & Advice Project (community-based advice), a Peabody Trust Health Eating Project (to improve nutrition and diet and reducing social isolation of at risk groups), a physical activities project (safe physical activity opportunities in local settings), young people counselling project (free and confidential one-to-one counselling for 16-24 year olds), generate healthy eating and exercise project, new healthy eating projects, and volunteer support project.
With Goa increasing having to face problems of the aging, out-migration and socil isolation, perhaps this provides some interesting ideas for us. What is particularly interesting is a project which aimds to "encourage Battersea residents with additional support into volunteering activity".
As experience has shown us, Goa has tonnes of skills and energies, just waiting to be tapped. Can we learn from the experiences of others? FN
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Frederick Noronha (FN) Nr Convent Saligao 403511 GoaIndia
Freelance Journalist P: 832-2409490 M: 9822122436
http://fn.swiki.net http://fn-floss.notlong.com