Sparkhill is listed amongst the 4% most deprived UK communities and is listed on the IMD Ranking as 2.24. with the 2nd highest under 5's living in poverty Narthex seeks to fulfil its mandate of Encouraging Cohesion, through Education, Social Action, Families, Children's and Young People’s Work
The impact is informed by the pilot Families & Community worker. The results have been astounding, since her appointment •We have started our Parent and Toddler group on another day and have an extra 10 Mums and 14 children. •We have run pilot Family Education and Fun weeks, had 150 adults and children and two separate weeks in Summer where our programmes were more defined and limited to 12 families (12 adults and 39 children). •We held a health and employment fair in partnership with Pertemps Lone Parent worker, Victim Support, Heart of Birmingham Pulmonary Breathing Team, Jobcentre Plus, Community Police, Surestart and our Parish Nurse. Over a two hour period we had more than 120 people from the community drop in for free blood pressure checks, diabetes tests, asthma advice, support on stopping smoking, help finding employment and support for ladies facing domestic abuse. •We have run healthy lifestyles sessions for parents and children including healthy school lunch boxes, exercise and new baby support, offered community language support for marginalised young mothers. •Home support for families, needing help with finding childcare and special needs education including our Parish Nurse support •We have set up home visits and support for senior citizens. •We have provided, cots, prams, pushchairs, baby supplies etc for 70 single mums and couples who are refugees or asylum seekers, taken single mums to clinics, we have taken them into hospital to have their babies and supplied a little goody bag with all they would need for the new baby, also feminine hygiene products, little treats such as a small bottle of perfume, flannel soap, toothbrush and paste and reading material for mum. Most of this is only possible because the worker is a community language speaker and exceptionally qualified for the work we need her to do. In partnership with our volunteer Parish Nurse we are offering holistic family health, diet, emotional, physical and mental health support and where invited and welcomed, spiritual support, “whole person support and education”.