Minhaj-ul-Quran International and Minhaj Health Care London welcomed the community to a free Community Family Day and Health Fair/ Mela on Saturday, August 18, 2018, at its UK Head office in Forest Gate.

Many community organizations, including the Barry Mcguigan Boxing Academy, Newham Clinical Commissioning Group, Community Links, Aanchal (who support women affected by abuse), The Alzheimer's Society, Social Action for Health, Stratford Circus, MTC Learning, National Careers Service, Aston Mansfield, Faithful Friends, Charity4Humanity, Newham One Stop Shop, Newham Community Neighborhoods’, and the health professionals from different fields of expertise in the health sector collaborated to offer free health screenings, blood pressure, and many other health services including informational advice and guidance on all aspects of health and wellbeing.

The purpose of the health fair was to bring face-to-face the healthcare providers and related organisations with the community and thus help establish direct communication in informal surroundings. Health checks, dubbed health MOT, provided opportunity for an individual to get blood tests for blood glucose and cholesterol and then seek confidential one to one health assessment and advice from a health professional. It thus empowers the individual to take control about his health. Several health related stalls provided advice and information relating to various common ailments and resources available to any individual should they have concerns about themselves or a family member.

Shahid Mahmood Community Development Manager for Minhaj-ul-Quran London explained that the fair was just a precursor to long termed sustained support for the whole community, not only in Newham but for all areas, He said Minhaj Healthcare is committed to providing the best healthcare available, to anyone in the community free of charge particularly those disadvantaged groups who often do not have the opportunity or access to health care. This will include the Homeless and Refugees.

Shahid said that Minhaj Healthcare would work with its numerous partner organisations as well as Newham Council including Newham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to provide holistic health care and signposting service which will benefit everyone. The event was attended by the Newhams Councils Health and Care Lead Susan Masters who was overwhelmed by the great work and vision of Minhaj Healthcare to support all the community and compliment the whole range of health services provided in the borough.

Shahid also explained that Minhaj Healthcare would support the CCG and NHS to reach out to communities often unfairly described as ‘Hard to reach groups’ to enable them to provide awareness, education and support to help tackle some of the illnesses which are most prevalent in Newham such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, respiratory disease, Diabetes and Child Obesity.

The Community event also supported people with employment, training, work experience, work placements and educational opportunities as being unemployed and having a lack of opportunities is often a huge factor to poor health.

The fair also promoted the Mayor of Newham Citizens Assemblies that puts local people from all communities at the heart of everything that happens in Newham.

Shahid welcomed the Mayors initiative and promised he would encourage all those who attended the centre as well as the various partner organisations of Minhaj-ul -Quran to play an active part in the assemblies. He said that just as the case with health when often people in different communities found it hard to access healthcare services and Minhaj-ul-Quran had brought the services to the people in the same way he would like to encourage the mayor to bring the assemblies deep into the heart of the communities.

As well as this the fair recruited students to the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) course as well as Mathematics, Information Technology for beginners, keep fit classes, boxing, arts , tuition and many other courses and initiatives all of which are run at the Minhaj-ul-Quran Community Centre.

Those attending took part in the face painting, henna decoration, and bouncing castles, yoga. Indian head massage, martial arts Karate and boxing. There were also a number of food and clothes stalls.