This campaign has now closed

The Reach Leaders Zone (RLZ) is the brainchild of young people living with Sickle cell anaemia. With a tagline – ‘Seeing beyond the present day’, they created various zones to look at ways to improve their self-efficacy, self-esteem, health and well-being mentally and physically.

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Categories

  • Community Support & Development Community Support & Development
  • Health/Wellbeing Health/​Wellbeing
  • Human Rights/Advocacy Human Rights/​Advocacy
  • Other Other
  • Beneficiaries

    Situation

    The main problems are self-esteem, isolation, loneliness, low moods and unhelpful thoughts such as self harming and committing suicide. According to Dr Eugene Oteng-Ntim, Consultant Obstetrician at Guys and St Thomas,15,000 patients in the UK suffer from the disease, in which red blood cells are deformed into a sickle shape which causes debilitating pain. An astonishing 3,000 of these patients live in Southwark. Our service covers Southwark and the surrounding Boroughs.

    Solution

    We have incorporated being healthy into our activities through dance classes to improve cardiovascular fitness as well as promoting a healthy mind. As mental health is a rising issue, we aim to tackle this through teaching people that anything is possible if they can put their minds to it. Many sickle cell patients feel that they do not have what it takes to do what they love or fear being judged by others. However through these workshops and events such as talent shows this can be countered.

    100%
    Categories

  • Community Support & Development Community Support & Development
  • Health/Wellbeing Health/​Wellbeing
  • Human Rights/Advocacy Human Rights/​Advocacy
  • Other Other
  • Beneficiaries