A brand new festival is coming to York this month – that aims to address health inequalities in marginalised communities across York.
The York Health Mela is a multicultural health festival that will feature traditional music, food and entertainment as well as empowering people to take better care of their health.
The festival will take place on Sunday 24 September from 10am to 5pm. It will be held in The Artists Garden, behind York Art Gallery.
A Mela means ‘meeting’ or ‘gathering’ in Hindi.
The event is free to attend and open to the public. It aims to be an inclusive event where everyone can join in and learn about and enjoy different cultures, and to promote diversity and inclusivity in York.
This will be York’s first ever Health Mela.
It has been organised by Shamim Eimaan, together with NHS Humber and North Yorkshire ICB and wider partners.
“The level of support for the event so far has been great and well received with local partners and community engagement coming together to deliver first ever Health Mela in York,” said Shamim.
“We have been overwhelmed with requests from local artist and health providers to participate at the event, showing there is a real interest in this event.”
As well as music, dance performances and family-friendly activities to enjoy, there will also be free health checks and a number of healthcare professionals in attendance.
Such services may include mobile units for diabetes testing, cholesterol testing, blood pressure monitoring, cardiovascular disease and more.
“I am most looking forward to family-friendly activities and watching performances from our diverse communities, this will make the day an enjoyable outing for everyone. Also, looking forward to trying some authentic food!”
The festival are also looking for volunteers to support the event on the day, such as general support to the public, signposting, and support with translation and interpretation.
They are also looking for raffle prizes.
“We would like to reach out to our local businesses and communities to kindly contribute raffle prizes that can make our event even more exciting and meaningful.”
These could include:
- Gift certificates for local restaurants, shops, or services
- Health and fitness-related products
- Any items you believe would make a great raffle prize
The York Health Mela will take place on Sunday 24 September in the Artists Garden behind York Art Gallery.
Find out more about the event via their website or Facebook page.
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