New Horizons Somerset is about empowering women from the BAME Communities and their families who are new to Somerset, in particular to Wellington Somerset and surrounding areas. Funded by Somerset Community Foundation.

What we would like to do is to  provide tangible solutions and to create a free flow of conversation, creativity and innovative ways to engage our target group of women.

We provide a confidential, independent service to advise, reassure and educate women of all ages about their gynaecological and sexual health, wellbeing and lifestyle concerns. We offer unbiased information – by telephone, email, printed factsheets, online and through symposia, seminars, meetings and our workshops.

 It is important to appreciate the unique ideas and opportunities for BAME women and their families living and working  in rural areas like Somerset.

 

Empowering and upskilling individuals through peer to peer or self advocacy  is one of the key principles in this project. It is important that advocates are sensitive to this and as with all families, negotiation with and support from the family makes for more effective provision and better opportunities for the service user and ultimately for the community and its cohesion.

In rural areas like Somerset, understanding who makes up our communities will help service providers to assess whether their client base reflects local demographics or whether there are marginalised groups that are not being reached. Compared to parts of the UK, the overall population of Black and Minority Ethnic individuals in  Somerset is small but growing.

 

Our health Project aims to reduce health inequalities experienced by women from communities across Somerset.

We work with women who have unequal access to health and support services due to poverty, ethnicity, disability.

Our outreach work allows us to broaden our reach to a wide range of women who have often found it difficult to work with statutory services.

Through group work, peer support and intensive 1:1 support, we create a safe environment where women can build trusting relationships and begin to recover their health and regain control of their lives.