Healthy Communities Together

Healthy Communities Together Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Healthy Communities Together, Charitable organisation, 22/23 Blayds Yard, Leeds.

HCT is a collaborative initiative dedicated to transforming healthcare systems and reducing health inequalities for some of the most marginalised communities in Leeds; Refugees and Asylum seekers, Gypsies and Travellers, S*x Workers, and Trans people.

Participants at the Infrastructure Organisations & Representation Adaptive Action emphasised the need to address colonia...
18/06/2025

Participants at the Infrastructure Organisations & Representation Adaptive Action emphasised the need to address colonial legacies and historical exclusions that underpin current inequalities in healthcare services:
“We also have systems that are being founded on colonialism and other obstructions in place, which we have to dismantle, and I guess we need to acknowledge that.”

“We're still missing something somewhere, if the inequalities that those communities and others are experiencing 16 1/2 years ago are still the same, if not worse than were today.”

Illustration by

Participants at our Infrastructure, Organisations and Representation Adaptive Action stressed that engaging community vo...
17/06/2025

Participants at our Infrastructure, Organisations and Representation Adaptive Action stressed that engaging community voices is work and needs to be resourced like work;
“Better pay for community members being involved in consultations… really, that’s a job.”

“We’re seeing less funding to escalate and enhance the voices of the most marginalised.”

The cost of engagement for marginalised people was also highlighted; they’re balancing basic survival needs, so any engagement must be worth their time.
“How do they make it a priority for themselves? There are more important things affecting those trans people on a daily basis.”

Even when community data exists, it’s often dismissed or mistrusted by the system, especially when it comes from the thi...
15/06/2025

Even when community data exists, it’s often dismissed or mistrusted by the system, especially when it comes from the third sector. Participants at our Representation, Organisations, and Infrastructure Adaptive Action expressed;
“I don't think there's a lack of data. I think there's a lack of using what data we have and not trusting the source of the data.”

“The third sector’s not really trusted by the system with the quality of the data it has.”

Illustration by

Only by valuing community knowledge at every stage—from design to delivery—can health and care systems become truly incl...
13/06/2025

Only by valuing community knowledge at every stage—from design to delivery—can health and care systems become truly inclusive.

We need better representation for marginalised communities, not just in consultation but at every level of an organisation, including senior leadership and board level.

As one participant at our Representation, Organisations, and Infrastructure Adaptive Action shared; “I very rarely meet other trans people in leadership spaces.”

Another participant also criticised the burden placed on underrepresented individuals to educate others or symbolically represent entire groups; “Constantly expecting the person that represents that community to be the professional representative is really frustrating.”

Illustration by

Without lived experience or connection to the community, policy and practice drift away from reality. During our Represe...
12/06/2025

Without lived experience or connection to the community, policy and practice drift away from reality.

During our Representation, Organisation, and Infrastructure Adaptive Action, participants highlighted that in these gaps, the third sector or community-based organisations step up to build trust where institutions often falter. Trust isn’t granted automatically; it’s earned slowly, and it’s often the third sector doing the heavy lifting.

“If the group is still stigmatised and distrustful, you need to work on building trust, and that is often through [the] third sector, community-based organisations.”

“If we're talking about Leeds, then what we do have is a really strong third-sector network.”

Illustration by

Participants from our Representation, Organisation, and Infrastructure Adaptive Action echoed that representation isn’t ...
11/06/2025

Participants from our Representation, Organisation, and Infrastructure Adaptive Action echoed that representation isn’t just about who’s sitting at the table. It’s about whether they truly understand the communities they’re meant to represent.

“The people sitting around the table do not have that understanding.”

“You shouldn’t be sitting around decision-making tables if you’re not connected to communities.”

Representation is more than a seat. It’s connection, accountability, and the willingness to truly hear and act on what’s being said.

“It’s not that people don’t listen, what’s said is not really heard and acted on.”

Illustration by

Due to unforeseen illness, we have had to postpone the below workshops. These workshops will be rescheduled for a future...
24/03/2025

Due to unforeseen illness, we have had to postpone the below workshops. These workshops will be rescheduled for a future date. We apologise for any disappointment and appreciate your understanding.

Workshop for Refugees and Asylum Seekers, MESMAC, Mon 24th March, 11 am - 1 pm
Workshop for Trans & Non-Binary People, MESMAC, Mon 24th March, 6 pm - 8 pm
Workshop for S*x Workers, Basis, Wed 26th March, 1 pm - 3pm
Workshop for Gypsies & Travellers, Leeds Gate, Wed 26th March, 1 pm - 3pm

Emergency care is often chaotic, under-resourced, and marked by long waits, leaving patients feeling distressed and frus...
17/03/2025

Emergency care is often chaotic, under-resourced, and marked by long waits, leaving patients feeling distressed and frustrated. As one participant in our Urgent Care & Same-Day Services Adaptive Action shared, “My experience of emergency care is chaos. Especially at times, you see people in an environment that's often scary. Sometimes, it's under-resourced. I always think about waiting when I think of A&E and urgent care centres. People don't like to wait. So, there's been a lot of frustration and anxiety about being seen.” Long wait times and uncertainty add stress, making an already difficult situation even harder for those in urgent need.
Illustration by

14/03/2025

Mental health services must be made more accessible and inclusive for neurodivergent individuals to ensure they receive the support they need without barriers. A participant at the Mental Health Crisis Adaptive Action shared, “I see that sometimes the more a person needs mental health support and crisis support, the harder it is for them to actually get it. And the more complex a person's needs, the more likely they are to get stuck in a loop between services, not getting the support that they actually need.”

Many patients feel compelled to use emergency services due to limited alternatives, which can lead to overcrowding in A&...
13/03/2025

Many patients feel compelled to use emergency services due to limited alternatives, which can lead to overcrowding in A&E departments.
A clinician in our Urgent Care & Same-Day Services Adaptive Action said, "All our patients needs are urgent. Nobody wants to be seen in 2 or 3 weeks. They want to call and see their doctor. I think we can all agree that nobody wants to go to A&E if there is an alternative option. If we can all get into our GP's who can signpost us correctly or reassure us. It's not just about putting more services in our department, it's about having more community services that are appropriate to our patients needs. A lot of what is 'same day' is urgent."

12/03/2025

Too often, healthcare systems assume they know what’s best for patients rather than truly listening. As one clinician during our Urgent Care & Same-Day Services Adaptive Action put it, “We assume that we know what patients should do. But, actually, they're telling us what they want in ways that we're not really listening to.”

True improvement requires listening to what patients are actually expressing.

A recurring theme is the feeling that discussions and consultations do not lead to meaningful action. Many participants ...
11/03/2025

A recurring theme is the feeling that discussions and consultations do not lead to meaningful action. Many participants have been engaging in meetings for years without seeing tangible changes. “I've been doing these [kinds of] meetings for well over five years, and every meeting is always the same thing. Nothing ever changes. Nothing ever gets changed.” This sense of stagnation is exacerbated by repeated conversations without visible progress. “What will we do together? We'll keep doing these meetings, but nothing's changing as far as I'm seeing,” noted another Adaptive Action participant.

There is also concern about representation in meetings and decision-making spaces. “There's many, many meetings I've been involved in. But we don't see that much action. It was a room full of people, but there should have been many, many more from Leeds, considering the size of the area. And I don't think it was inclusive enough to really make it accessible to everyone.” another Adaptive Action participant observed.

Ultimately, there is a strong desire for co-designing services while also moving away from the expectation that community members must repeatedly share their knowledge and experiences. Systems need to listen to experts by lived experience, act based on their insights, and ensure this learning is widely shared. Without a shift toward meaningful collaboration and visible change, community members continue to feel unheard and undervalued in the processes meant to support them.
Illustrated by

Address

22/23 Blayds Yard
Leeds
LS14AD

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Healthy Communities Together posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organisation

Send a message to Healthy Communities Together:

Shortcuts

Share

Category