Live Longer Better: empowering Lambeth residents with vital health and care support.
The Neighbourhood and Wellbeing Delivery Alliance (NWDA) are working with Age UK Lambeth and Guys and St Thomas’ Hospital to reach more residents, break down barriers in accessing healthcare, and ensure all communities can age well.
In a series of events between March and June 2025 attendees were offered a holistic health assessment to support them to stay healthy and independent with age. These events brought services direct to residents in supported housing, community food pantries, and local organisations. Delivered across the Fiveways Primary Care Network—which includes five GP surgeries in Oval, Stockwell, Brixton, and Camberwell—in response to health inequalities affecting older people in the area.
Specialists in attendance included geriatricians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, clinicians from community rehabilitation and falls, social prescribers and representatives from Age UK. Visitors were able to access ageing well initiatives, as well as other activities and support specific to their local area and needs. At the Indoamerican Refugee and Migrant Organisation (IRMO) event in April the team took action to address language barriers faced by Lambeth’s Latin American community, with Spanish and Portuguese translators accompanying them.
An attendee at the IRMO event, Oscar M V, commented that it was a ‘very helpful opportunity’ to address treatment and next steps for a condition with his arm.
Another local resident, Fortunata said that “It was useful to have conversations about my health with a translator, because normally it is difficult to communicate with healthcare professionals due to the language barrier.”
Dušan Jovović, Health Promotion Lead for bowel cancer screening in South East London, praised the potential of these community days for addressing difficult questions in approachable ways, particularly for those who aren’t able to visit their GP: “It’s all about empowering and engaging the community in a relaxing atmosphere.”
Josepha Reynolds, Alliance Director said: “Our work aims to find people in our communities who are frail and assess and support all their physical, social and mental health needs. These events are vital in helping us reach individuals who may not be registered with a GP or who might not realise that early signs of issues like loneliness, declining mobility, or even undiagnosed conditions such as cancer are worth talking about. It’s about catching things early and offering the right support at the right time.”
A Lambeth Together Priority
We’re working in partnership across the NHS, the Council, local organisations and residents to deliver local and modern ageing health services that meet needs, respond to challenges and support people to live healthily. Learn more about Ageing Well.
Find out about help available
For support specifically catered to the Latin American community on legal, education, employment, family, healthcare and advocacy matters, visit IRMO
For further resources and support for ageing well, visit Age UK
If you work with a community organisation interested in hosting an ageing well event, please email jack@ageuklambeth.org
