The Forest Bus health project is a response to the findings and the recommendations of three research reports, commissioned and supported by The University of Lancashire (UCLAN), New Forest Primary Care Trust (NFPCT), Care Services Improvement Partnership (CSIP) and Funded by the Department of Health (DH) Section 64.

The aim of the project is to take healthcare and health care information to Gypsies and Travellers using a variety of health awareness raising activities and informed preventative measures.

Current initiatives include...

Fix my Ride: Fix my ride was born of an awareness of the fact that a significant proportion of young persons who attend Forest Bus youth sessions are riding bicycles that do not have adequate brakes, reflectors or lights. We work with many young persons, and from a variety of back grounds, which for what ever reasons are unable to maintain their bikes to a safe standard.
We have in light of this devised a special project aimed at providing cycle maintenance and cycle awareness, culminating in an opportunity for young persons to engage in nationally recognized road safety awareness and cycling proficiency training courses.
This project is not just about fixing bikes, it is about getting young persons to think and learn about maintaining their bikes and in the context of road safety.
Forest bus will however, be providing free at the point of contact the necessary parts to render young persons bikes safe, to include lights, brake cables/blocks etc.
The first workshop was delivered at Milford Youth, where we assessed the extent of work needing to be undertaken. We used a form not unlike an MOT to record what was needed for each bike. Sessions are initially planned to happen once a week at Thorney Hill on a Wednesday and on a Thursday at Milford Youth. Sessions will then be delivered in the areas that require these services the most.

Blood pressure monitoring, stroke awareness and screening for Osteoporosis: Forest Bus has made arrangements to provide free blood pressure monitoring and workshops on the topic of stroke awareness. Forest Bus piloted this session at one of the Gypsy and traveller sites, it was very well received by residents; resulting in those who had above average blood pressure making appointments to see their GP.
The stroke awareness was very well received too, resulting in long conversations about all sorts of health topics. This was very useful in the sense that, the overall project seeks to stimulate awareness raising dialogue in the field of health per se.
Forest bus also aims to provide screening for Osteoporosis and has already made some arrangements to meet these aims.
Smoking Cessation: Forest bus has enlisted the help of Its Your Choice (IYC). IYC come to Forest bus youth sessions to deliver work shops on smoking cessation, IYC also deliver drug and alcohol awareness.

Sexual Health: As part of an ongoing programme, Forest bus staffs have received basic training in the provision of postal test kits for Chlamydia. We are now able to distribute these postal kits free to the communities we work with.
Orange Apples: Orange apples are an organisation that has worked with Forest bus before. They feature the mediums of Storytelling, Poetry, Drama and Community Arts to raise awareness about health. This will be delivered to the Gypsy and Traveller communities that Forest bus works with.

Forthcoming: The topics outlined above are just some of the preventative health initiatives currently being undertaken by Forest bus. Future topics aim to increase the uptake of immunisation for (MMR) and (HPV) and to increase compulsory NHS screening and to work with statutory agencies to develop strategies in the area of mental health.