Healthy Communities Together co-lab

New ways of working together for fairer health in Gloucestershire

The HCT co-lab is a development programme for people from different walks of life keen to collaborate with others in Gloucestershire to grow fairer health.  

The first HCT co-lab programme will run from September 2024-March 2025.  It will include a combination of face to face and virtual group sessions and an offer of one to one coaching, shadowing or mentoring.

By health we don’t just mean the absence of disease or infirmity but a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being.  Health requires the right building blocks to be in place - stable and good quality jobs, housing, health, social care and education as well as active communities and access to the natural environment – these all contribute to how we can stay well and withstand life’s shocks and challenges.

Unfair and systemic differences exist in the care that people receive and the opportunities they have to live healthy lives.  Some people are dying years younger than they should as a result.  Changing this in Gloucestershire can’t  be done by a single person, organisation or sector so success comes down to how well we can work together.

We are pleased to introduce the participants who are coming together to emabrk on the programme.

Meet the Participants

Amy Aiken

Throughout my time working within the NHS, colleagues often describe me as being an authentic, passionate and approachable individual who can communicate effectively across a wide range of contacts.

In my current role as a Locality Inclusion Lead, I actively engage with community groups and work in partnership with a diverse range of internal and external stakeholders to help reduce health inequalities. I also work very closely with our Trusts Experts by Experience programme.

I will always go out of my way to actively listen to people’s views and through my natural gentle nature and humble curiosity, I am able build good rapport with people. I am a graduate with a BSc in Food and Nutrition, who is passionate about preventative healthcare and find fulfilment when working together in partnership to make positive differences.

Sophie Ayre

I work in the NHS in Gloucestershire, and volunteer in my community. I’ve joined the colab to think about the whole range of things in our lives which contribute to health.

I’d like to reflect on things which work well, and things which could be better, where perhaps we could all benefit from some change.

I’m hoping to explore the stigma (both internal and external) that can sometimes prevent us from taking steps that would improve our health. Sometimes, the power imbalances between organisations and people can get in the way of progress, and I’d like to work on ways we might bring about change. I’m looking forward to linking with other people who are involved in activities in their communities that impact positively on their lives, and getting to understand more about what it is that those activities bring to them.

Anna Bonallack

I work with communities in Gloucestershire, with a focus on inclusion, empowerment and sustainability. My role as CEO and various trusteeships have led me to believe that true equitable partnership working is needed to shift power to communities, to create and maintain healthier, happier and connected society.

I hope to learn more about how we can amplify community voice and participation together, through genuine and deep engagement and evaluation practices and using a whole system approach for sustainable and resilient partnerships across the county. Partnership working is hard, and I’m so pleased to join in this adventure to find how we can do it better, and not least have more fun doing it!

Tia Callum

Hi, my name is Tia Callum, also known as Figure ATE. I’m a Gloucester-born singer, songwriter, and producer. I work with Chispa a youth led organisation as a freelance producer; and am the cofounder of sing, share, heal ‘SSH’ that focuses on our personal connections to music and the voice. My work is deeply rooted in encouraging healing across past, present and future generations.

From musicians and CEOs to the NHS, fashion designers and models to the homeless, The county and city council to freelancers and etc… my work allows me to engage with a range of individuals and communities. Therefore allowing my passion to advocate holistic health and wellbeing to continue.

I joined the HCT course because it enables me to collaborate with like-minded individuals, enhance my abilities I wish to develop eg. resource-leveraging skills and self promotion, and to create impactful strategies that increase public access to holistic health services, improved mental health support, and inclusive, community-driven health initiatives across Gloucestershire.

Jason Dunsford

I work for Gloucestershire Gateway Trust, the community development charity that co-created Gloucester Services. For twenty years I have worked with people and communities in Gloucestershire through projects that may say “employment” and “skills” in their titles, but we understand that lives are complex, determinants of health, wealth and self are intertwined, and ‘services’ are more impactful when we work together.

The employment and social inclusion project GEM was a great example of the county’s voluntary sector working collaboratively to create impact greater than the sum of its parts. GGT wants to continue and develop our support for bringing people and organisations together to make sustainable and locally impactful change.

Audrey Harris

Hello I am Audrey Harris I’ve worked at GL11 Community Hub in Cam for five years (wearing multiple hats during that time!).

GL11 is a thriving Community Hub offering everything from Knit & Natter to Peer Support for Chronic Pain and a million other things.  I’m passionate about partnership working both between community organisations and between different sectors.

As well as being an Area Facilitator for Stroud District, I am a representative for the community sector on various boards across the NHS and statutory sectors. I’ve joined the colab because I believe we are much more powerful together.

Suzie Lane

I work in Public Health in a county wide role as well as volunteering for a charity in my local community. I’ve joined the co-lab because I’m really keen to expand my network and in doing so, my perspective of issues affecting Gloucestershire communities. I believe by working together and listening to each other we will be better able to address the wicked issues we are all grappling with.

Reyaz Limalia

My name is Reyaz and I work for Fair Shares. I am also a trustee of the Friendship Café and Barnwood Trust. I have been a community worker for 20 years working directly with people to create a space where we can come together to share skills and experiences and together create a supportive community where everyone can flourish.

For many of us working on the ground in small community organisations we soon come to understand there are barriers and challenges we face as organisations and more importantly our participants face that we have no control or influence over. We have to work within a system that is often unfair at best and incredibly damaging at worst. There are limits to what we can do individually and so we need to recognise that if we want to change the system we have to work together differently - We cannot just continue as we were. I think this programme offers an opportunity to think differently and work differently and that’s why I’m interested in taking part.

Simon Price

I’m participating because of my commitment to peer development. I want to meet with others in Gloucestershire who believe in developing systemic, ethical and connected ways of working within and between local mental health, addiction and wellbeing services.

I’ve recently recovered from an illness/relapse brought on, in large part, by the Darwinian climate, marketplace competitiveness and brutal ways of ‘being with’ that dominate all too often locally in the VCS.

I hope that these sessions will help us to learn how to work together & develop a model for how we can do things differently going forward. My current project Mycelium is about connectivity & developing the space between us to enable better community health and wellbeing. Mycelium aims to encourage connections and collaboration in service development in the Forest of Dean. With Mycelium we wish to develop a counter-narrative to ‘siloed working’ and the overwhelming competitiveness between people, organisations and within emerging systems.

I hope that, through building trust (& being with like minds), the sessions will bring lasting change, will give me confidence, resilience, strength, new connections & a renewed hope in the sector as I build the Mycelium approach.

Miranda Eeles

I work for Gloucester Community Building Collective CIC, that works with people in Gloucester to help them make meaningful connections with one another, to discover and pursue their passions and interests, share their skills and be valued for their contributions. We encourage people to take action where they live, and support them to gain power, resources and funding which in turn helps to build resilient, strong communities where everyone can thrive and have a good life.

I am keen to deepen my relationships with people from different sectors and explore and test ways to address widening inequalities in health in collaboration with others. I would like to be able to share my own knowledge, experience and connections with others in order to build stronger relationships across the system and at the same time explore different ways to devolve power and decision making to communities.

Alan Inman-Ward

My work at Age UK Gloucestershire provides me with the opportunity to work with older people across the county. I'm excited to be a part of the co-lab.

A key part of our strategy is to change the narrative of ageing, especially through elevating the voice of the older people to influence the development of services and policies.

This involves building a range of new relationships and partnerships across the health sector, for which I believe the co-lab will provide me with new skills and resources to achieve this.

Misha Law

I am the health lead at The Music Works, working with young people from challenging circumstances in Gloucestershire, particularly with people experiencing mental health struggles. I’ve joined the colab because I want to work innovatively and collaboratively with diverse groups and organisations in order to make access to services more equitable and accessible for all young people.

I hope to better understand the barriers that are faced and to work on dismantling them in a real and meaningful way. I’m excited to work on how new paths can be forged and real change can be achieved.

Viva O’Flynn

Hi! I’m Viva O’Flynn: a writer, entrepreneur, events specialist, and all-around creative spirit! Born in the Philippines and now calling the UK home, I’ve brought my love for baking, crafts, and sharing joy through Love Viva Cakes and Crafts. From handcrafted cakes, organising events to hosting lively craft fairs, my mission is simple: sprinkle creativity and happiness into people’s lives! When I’m not whipping up something sweet, I’m rolling up my sleeves in the community. As Secretary of the Filipino Association of Gloucestershire and a former Neighbourhood Connector for GL Communities, I’m passionate about making a positive impact and bringing people together. These days, you’ll also find me diving into my latest adventure as part of Gloucester’s City Growth and Development team, helping shape an even brighter future for Gloucester. Whether I’m crafting, connecting, collaborating, or celebrating, I’m always looking to inspire positivity, creativity, and a sense of belonging. Life’s a bit sweeter when we create it together!

Aysha Randera

Hi, my name is Aysha. I work in Gloucester City, with women of all ages and nationalities.

I am joining the colab to work collaboratively and learn more about how I can work better and creatively with other local groups and organisations to better understand statutory providers,  so that services are equally accessible to women and those in minority communities and beyond. a fair and accessible service should be for all including those who may experience barriers to access them. ethnicity, language, age  or other barriers should not equate to  inequality in care. I am keen to learn and open to change to new or different ways of working.

Oonagh Wilson

I manage the Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust (GHC) Outreach Vaccination and Health Team (OVHT) and liaise with system partners to plan and deliver community-based pop-up vaccination sessions, basic health checks and advice in areas with low vaccination uptake and underserved communities.

The activity of the team is to support the wider national reducing health inequalities agenda as part of the CORE20plus5 approach as well as Making Every Contact Count (MECC) in relation to the national vaccination strategy. By engaging with local communities, faith groups and voluntary and charity sector partners we aim for our outreach activity to be ‘place based’ to support the needs of local communities and groups. We also review service user feedback and themes of health conversations to further support our placed based offer.

I am really looking forward to working and liaising with a colleagues from a variety of clinical and non-clinical backgrounds to widen my networks and develop new skills.

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