About the Project

Established in 1990 to address the obvious inequalities in service provision for the black and ethnic minority communities in Wolverhampton. The lack of information available to the client group and inadequate health service provisions prompted the formation of the Project.

The Sickle Cell & Thalassaemia Support Project has been addressing these issues for the past 17 years, which emerged from the community it seeks to serve. Individuals from various backgrounds are invited to contribute to the work of the Project including voluntary and community groups as well as individuals from the public.

We have continued to strive to exist as a vital health provider in Wolverhampton providing services, which includes: counselling, support, screening, and information, training, advisory sessions and awareness raising activities

Current team

• Sutinder Herian - Project Co-ordinator
• Valerie Davis - Nurse Counsellor
• Alexis Reid-Hamilton - Community Development Officer
• Ravinder Raj - Information Officer
• Jerome McIntosh - Administrative Assistant
• Yvonne Bannister - Volunteer

Services

The Project promotes public and professional awareness of Sickle Cell, Thalassaemia and related blood disorders in order to enable the development of an effective and efficient service for individuals, their families and the Community as a whole

• Increase awareness by developing and providing comprehensive education and training programmes for carers, community groups and relevant professionals.
• To offer counselling and advice to people living with Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia and their families or carers.
• To co-ordinate and support both universal and voluntary screening programmes for those 'at risk'.
• To provide support, advice and co-ordination of care to individuals and families where there is a major haemoglobin disorder.
• To develop robust community development activities to promote and support the affected communities.
• To encourage the development of networking in order to obtain support for clients.
• To establish links with regional and national bodies involved in the development of Sickle Cell & Thalassaemia services.
• To ensure social and psychological support is accessed for the benefit of the affected individuals and their carers.
• To work closely with relevant Local Authority Departments, Primary Care Trust, other local voluntary and statutory bodies, and seek to establish links with regional and national bodies involved in the development of Sickle Cell & Thalassaemia services.