It was an immense honour and a great privilege to have three of our esteemed local councillors inaugurate our "Community Freebies Day", highlighting Public Health Promotion, Cancer Awareness and Detection, Health and Wellbeing, Community Cohesion, and Community Champions on 20th October 2024.
This unique day, initiated and encouraged by our current church pastor, Dr Micheal Mbui, who coined name of the event, marked a significant moment for Hanwell Seventh-day Adventist Church. Although we have held similar events in the past, this time we organised one on a larger scale in collaboration with approximately eight local community agencies, as follows:
Councillors and the Cabinet Member for Health and Equal Lives, Hanwell Broadway Deputy Leader of Ealing Council, Cabinet Member for Safe and Affordable Homes, and Ward Councillors for North Hanwell Councillor for Ealing Central Greenford Ward, also Managing Director at Maxis Healthcare Centre Phlebotomy and Training Specialists, Hanwell, and a trustee for Hanwell2Hanwell Ealing Council Public Health Lead / Community Champions Lead Doctors in Gynaecology and Oncology, focusing on awareness and detection of gynaecological and prostate cancers Mental Health and Wellbeing Doctor Local General Practitioner (GP) President of the LAAC (London Adventist Advisory Council) Area 6D - Pr. Berhanu Tsehaye
The councillors hosted our distinguished doctor guests in an inspiring and empowering atmosphere. Among them were Councillors Polly Knewstub, Cabinet Member for Health and Equal Lives (Hanwell Broadway); Louise Brett, Deputy Leader of Ealing Council and Cabinet Member for Safe and Affordable Homes (North Hanwell); and Dr. Shahbaz Cheema, a councillor for Central Greenford Ward and a long-standing friend of Hanwell SDA Church. Dr. Cheema is also the Managing Director at Maxis Healthcare Centre and a trustee for the local charity Hanwell2Hanwell.
The councillors were joined by Ealing Council Public Health Lead / Community Champions Lead Stephanie Leane, local GP Dr. Janet Bolaji, and Dr. Annique Clopon, who emphasised that "There is no health without mental health." Other notable participants included Hanwell2Hanwell Trustee Chair Dukal Daley and Ashaki Ogbogu of SugarShaks Nutritional Therapy. Pr. Berhanu Tsehaye, President of LAAC Area 6D, led the opening prayer, inviting God's presence to the event.
Guest speakers on Cancer Awareness and Detection, Dr. Ojone Illah (Gynaecology) and Dr. Gloryanne Aidoo-Micah (Oncology), shared expert insights on gynaecological and prostate cancers, generating a lot of interest and questions, some of which were answered by GP Dr. Janet Bolaji, who was present. Stephanie Leane, the driving force behind Ealing Community Champions’ events, also provided one-to-one guidance at her booth on community cohesion and the role of Community Champions, distributing leaflets on joining the initiative.
The hosting church ministries – Community, Health, Children, Pathfinder, and Personal Ministries – actively engaged with attendees, promoting the church’s role in the community through free health checks, children’s character-building activities, and food and non-food services. Two guest doctors even expressed interest in having their children join the Pathfinder Club as well as volunteering with the Community Ministry.
In total, approximately 60 individuals attended. Thirty-five registered for awareness and detection health talks, 17 children enjoyed the bouncy castle, 22 adults registered for health checks, 30 attended the food and non-food freebies booth, and another 30 visited SugarShaks Nutritional Therapy.
Councillor Polly Knewstub, Cabinet Member for Health and Equal Lives, Hanwell Broadway, sent an empowering message, saying, "Thank you for organising such a successful and important event for our community."
Dr Micheal Mbui and the organisers would like to thank everyone who supported and attended, making this event a success. It wouldn’t have been possible without you all.