The theme for this year's Black History Month is 'Reclaiming Narratives' and, throughout the month, we are delighted to be bringing you the personal stories of some fabulous Action Together members.
These people are paving the way for change and challenging the system in their communities. We want to ensure that their voices are heard, their experiences are acknowledged, and their contributions are celebrated. This week, we're pleased to bring you the story of Real Vision Community Group, an organisation supporting men in Oldham, and surrounding areas, to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Can you tell us a little about your group?
The REAL VISION COMMUNITY GROUP CIC was set up in June 2019 to encourage and support men in Oldham and surrounding areas to lead a healthy lifestyle by maintaining physical fitness, good mental health, and general wellbeing. We do this by providing affordable services of virtual and face to face exercise every day throughout the week.
What prompted you to get involved and support your community?
We, as directors of African descent, we have firsthand experience with mental health issues, isolation, and a lack of social connections. We believed it would be beneficial to establish a group where men could gather to manage their mental health through exercise, promote awareness and create a sense of belonging, and share their life experiences. Furthermore, as mental health professionals, we wanted to use our knowledge and experience to benefit our community.
We sought to promote health by providing different activities for our community with focus on exercise sessions because evidence suggests that most health issues, such as obesity and diabetes, are linked to lifestyle, which in turn impacts their mental health.
What does Black History Month mean to you?
To us, Black History Month is a celebration of how far we as black people have come in eradicating the shame associated with our identity and oppression. Also, Black History Month represents the enjoyment and recognition of Blackness and how it pervades all sectors of society. Recognition of people and cultures transcends racism. It is a call to action to continue advocating for and uplifting people who are typically marginalised in society.
What change would you like to see in your borough that would benefit the Black community?
We would like to see our borough develop programs or support projects that address social inequalities faced by young Black men, with the objective of ensuring that Black boys and young men have the same results and health as the general population.
Furthermore, we would like our borough to support the black community by listening to their needs and acting accordingly. This includes actively listening to their concerns, understanding their points of view, and collaborating to bring about meaningful change and answers.
And finally, what would you say to Black people in Greater Manchester to inspire them to make a difference in the community or wider?
Through experience of working with our fellow black community, we have observed that black communities are often hesitant to participate in or engage with the larger community for a variety of reasons, including cultural differences, language barriers, and putting heavy emphasis on shift employment.
We want to encourage black people to participate in community projects and activities. Additionally, we would like them to comprehend that it is always beneficial to contribute to the community and to become involved.