45. Noreen Bukhari - supporting women from ‘BAME’ communities

Wild Card - Whose Shoes?

Health inequalities are in the news at the moment, with NHS organisations setting out to understand and address them, with a strong focus on the needs of people from different cultural backgrounds.

But where do third sector (community) groups fit in?

How do you build trust with women and families from Black and ethnic minority communities and design services that are flexible enough to meet people’s needs?

It is not a quick fix.

They seem to be doing something right in Coventry but it is a formula that has been built over many years and involves a holistic, integrated approach.

Today I am talking to Noreen Buckari, who tells us about the work of FWT, a community-led organisation helping women fulfil their dreams and contribute fully in life and work. The work thrives because of close relationships with maternity and other statutory services in Coventry, working together to support families, and specifically now as we emerge from the pandemic.

When I tweeted saying I was looking forward to talking to Noreen, there was an outpouring of love. Noreen is making such a difference to women, and particularly those from Black, Asian and ethnic minority communities, and I’m proud to have her on the podcast.
Lemon lightbulbs 🍋💡🍋

• Collaboration is key - statutory and community services working TOGETHER
• ‘MAMTA’ means ‘motherly love’ in South Asian languages!
• Women from ‘BAME’ community have individual needs - there is no ‘one size fits all’
• Building a holistic service, based on trust, flexibility and relationships takes many years - not a tick box!
• Good support is not just health - but the social determinants of health: housing, debt management, parent education +++
• New parents (and staff!) have had a tough time during Covid. The damage can run deep
• Invest in small, specialised organisations; recognise the value they bring
• Empower people to help themselves
• Listen to women - the impact of our Whose Shoes work in Coventry!
• Creativity - Coventry, City of Culture!
• The Symphony of Us – there is more that connects us, than divides us
• Anna Geyer’s visual recordings help the ongoing impact of Whose Shoes events
• Small, flexible community-based organisations are excellent value for money
• Do something specific and do it well
• Integration relies on all the pieces in a jigsaw, don’t take away pieces of the puzzle!
• If it works, keep funding it! Innovation is needed when things are not working
• Don’t mess with people’s lives, to fulfil the needs of your short-term projects!
• Sustainability is key – empower people to support themselves

Links

FWT - a centre for women

Whose Shoes - latest workshop in Coventry

Warwick Uni film - link coming soon

Whose Shoes in Croydon re the needs of ‘BAME’ women using maternity care https://youtu.be/rlfwwT0dvUg

Meet Gaynor Armstrong, Head of Midwifery in Coventry

Symphony of Us
City of Culture carnival
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Kapitel

1. 45. Noreen Bukhari - supporting women from ‘BAME’ communities (00:00:00)

2. Supporting women in Coventry – helping them fulfil their dreams and contribute fully in life, and in work (00:01:00)

3. Collaboration – the name of the game (00:02:11)

4. FWT - an award-winning, needs-led, community service in Coventry (00:02:50)

5. ‘MAMTA’ means ‘motherly love’ in South Asian languages (00:04:45)

6. Coventry is a very diverse city – over 100 dialects are spoken. MAMTA’s aim is to support women in pregnancy and after the baby is born (00:06:03)

7. A very special and long-standing link between the statutory services and the third sector services. An integrated programme!! (00:08:29)

8. Ensuring every woman in Coventry, who is from a ‘BAME’ community, has access to a specialist support (MAMTA) (00:09:40)

9. Building a holiistc service, based on trust, flexibility and relationships. Fantastic partnership work! (00:10:30)

10. Media interest – and awards! (00:10:55)

11. Not just health - accessing other services too such as housing, debt management, parent education (00:12:34)

12. Exploring the needs of parents during Covid – a project with Warwick University. And of a partnership programmes. (00:14:20)

13. Trust and relationships take a very long time to build – his work has been growing for 20 years (00:15:35)

14. Shoutout for Grapevine and other third sector organisations (00:17:18)

15. The importance of invesing in small, specialised organisations, and recognising the value that they bring (00:18:19)

16. Social determinants of health, vulnerability – and empowermen! (00:19:20)

17. Listening to women. The growing power of Maternity Voices Partnership, and other engagement work (00:23:06)

18. Maternity experience – and the impact of our Whose Shoes work in Coventry (00:25:00)

19. Our latest, most innovative Whose Shoes event - how it felt to give birth, or indeed to be a midwife during the pandemic (00:25:35)

20. Coventry, City of culture - funded the Warwick University film about women’s experiences during the pandemic – extremely powerful! (00:28:00)

21. The Symphony of Us – there is more that connects us, than divides us (00:32:20)

22. Diversity – so much in common and all bringing different experiences. Let’s applaud and celebrate that and support women accordingly (00:34:13)

23. Helping the statutory authorities find out the true needs of women from different communities (00:36:40)

24. A masterclass in integration – and it is not a quick fix! Calling Anna Geyer please … !! (00:38:34)

25. Anna’s visual recordings of the Whose Shoes events, and the ongoing impact (00:40:15)

26. Small organisations, being confident about their specialty – doing something specific and doing it well (00:42:20)

27. Small, flexible community-based organisations are excellent value for money (00:43:10)

28. When integration is based on all the pieces in a jigsaw puzzle, don’t take away pieces of the puzzle (00:44:48)

29. If it works, keep funding it! Innovation is needed when things are not working (00:47:10)

30. Make sure you don’t mess with people’s lives, to fulfil the needs of your short-term projects! (00:49:02)

31. But sustainability is key – empower people to be able to support themselves (00:49:49)

32. In summary, … (00:52:25)