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NIHR Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) Bradford was launched in 2023 with funding from the NIHR. The aim of NIHR HDRC Bradford is to sustainably transform the council, so it becomes evidence-led, and data driven, at all levels of decision-making to improve the wider determinants of health and reduce health inequalities.
Working with and for the communities and citizens of Bradford is a central objective of the HDRC. As part of this, they have co-funded a Youth Ambassadors programme, alongside the Policy and Safer Bradford Teams. Through this funding, HDRC Bradford is exploring different approaches of gathering young people’s perspectives on their experiences of health, and things that influence their wellbeing. This will enable their needs to be better understood, so that local services can adapt to improve the outcomes and livelihoods of children and young people in Bradford.
Hasan is one of 11 Youth Ambassadors funded through by Bradford Council. He has supported a number of projects, including co-producing information and awareness videos of how women feel when they are harassed or cat called, and projects to improve the local environment for young people.
Hasan has also worked directly alongside the HDRC Bradford team to explore how the wider determinants of health affect young people.
The HDRC Bradford team delivered a session to the Youth Ambassadors about the building blocks of health and the standard of living and quality of life in different areas of Bradford. I was shocked that the life expectancy changed from one area to another by about 10 years. That was just because some people lived in a more affluent area where they have better access to services, better homes, better standard of living, and better food. Others living in more deprived areas having lots of takeaways, pollution and less services. This was something I did not know. I am more likely to advocate for better access to healthcare, education, and healthy living conditions in my community now.
As part of this discussion, the Youth Ambassadors took part in a creative activity to explore their priorities for a sustainable city.
We then did a Lego building exercise and were asked to build a sustainable city or town. As we built the towns, we spoke about what we wanted in our ideal place and made sure we had a police station, fire station, hospital, supermarket, road safety, parks and affordable homes of a good standard.
Hasan describes how this session has influenced his outlook on the wider determinants of health.
This awareness has 100% changed my outlook. I don’t live in an affluent area. We have takeaways all around us. We don’t have access to lots of other services. If I’m hungry and with my friends, we just go and get a cheap takeaway. Even though our environment makes it easier for us to get a takeaway, I am trying to be more mindful of the choices I make regarding my own health and environment in the long term. I’m not saying I’m not going to have takeaways now, but this knowledge motivates me to be more informed about public health policies and to support initiatives that aim to reduce these effects.
I’m more likely to advocate for better access to healthcare, education, and healthy living conditions in my community now.
- Hasan, Youth Ambassador
HDRC Bradford and the Youth Service teams will continue to work with Hasan and the Youth Ambassadors to promote, and discuss, the wider determinants of health with the young people they work with and to help identify key priority areas that are most important to children and young people living in Bradford, to influence strategy and services.
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