Supporting faith and health in Birmingham

For the past year FaithAction have been funded by Birmingham Public Health to work with the Christian and Sikh community, as part of a wider project aiming to reduce health inequalities. Through the programme we worked directly with diverse communities to improve health awareness, trust, and access to services, also empowering local groups to shape health initiatives, ensuring inclusive, culturally relevant, community-led solutions.

Working with our Community Champions, Professor Jagbir Jhutti-Johal MBE and Bishop Dr. Desmond Jaddoo MBE, we provided vital insights from both communities on public health issues such as mental health, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and more.  Through our wider engagement across the faith communities we heard rich insights from communities and were able to feed this insight directly back into the public health team. Engaging over 100 people in total, our insight gathering examined communities’ awareness of health issues, their main concerns, and challenges to prevention.

For example, in conversations with the Black African and Caribbean community, diabetes emerged as a significant and growing problem, strongly influenced by cultural habits: funerals and church events and other social occasions provide important social connections, often featuring large, calorie‑dense meals with few healthy options, and that awareness of moderation is limited.

““In my family, everybody’s got diabetes and hypertension – on both sides”

“We need to be told what we can do with yam – how can we make it healthier …. what nutrients does it contain and how much? We don’t know these things”

“In Sierra Leone, we say ‘from the garden to the pot’—here you need to add things to get the same taste, and that’s what makes it less healthy.”

Conversations with the Sikh community on the same topic revealed a sense of inevitability around diabetes, alongside a cultural norm of politeness that encourages accepting and consuming sugary foods in social situations:

“My dad was diabetic. My aunt was diabetic. My friends too.”

“If you visit people’s houses, they give you sweets. If you say no, they’ll feel offended.”

At religious events, all the food is full of ghee and sugar…It’s hard when you go to the Gurdwara — everything is so rich.”

We also funded and supported two local faith settings to run health focused projects: Beacon Evangelical Church and Nishkam Healthcare Trust. Take a look at the great outcomes of the project below:

Beacon Evangelical Church: Building Confidence and Wellbeing Through Music

Beacon Evangelical Church, located in the Handsworth area of Birmingham, ran a powerful youth project that used music to boost confidence and support mental health. The sessions offered a safe, welcoming space where young people could express themselves, talk openly about their feelings, and find strength through creativity.

Each week, participants learned new musical skills while exploring topics such as stress, confidence, and social media. Through encouragement and teamwork, many of the young people discovered a new sense of self-belief.

“For me, music improves my social well-being. Through this means, I found my confidence” – participant

Parents saw impressive changes in their children, including greater confidence, motivation, and positivity. The end-of-project concert showcased not just musical progress but personal growth and pride.

The project has made a real difference—helping young people build resilience, improve wellbeing, and feel part of a supportive community. Beacon Church now hopes to expand this life-changing work, showing how music and conversation can transform young lives.

Nishkam Healthcare Trust: Strengthening Vaccine Awareness in the Community

The Nishkam Healthcare Trust, located in Birmingham’s Soho ward, has successfully delivered a community-led project to raise awareness about childhood vaccinations within the Sikh community. Aiming to address knowledge gaps and rising concerns about illnesses like measles, the project aimed to ensure parents and parents-to-be had access to trusted, culturally appropriate health information.

Led by GP volunteer Dr Daya Chandan, the project engaged families through drop-in sessions, a Women and Children’s Health Day, and social media videos. These activities encouraged open discussions about the vaccination schedule, side effects, and booking processes – topics many parents found confusing or difficult to ask about in GP appointments.

Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive, with parents valuing the relaxed setting, bilingual support, and opportunity to build trust with local healthcare professionals.

“The session today informed me about the importance of not only vaccines for my baby but also for myself. I felt comfortable here and I know my child did too.” – participant

The project reached 48 community members and demonstrated the lasting impact of faith-based, community-centred health education. By combining public health expertise with cultural understanding, Nishkam Healthcare Trust has helped families feel more confident, informed, and empowered to protect their children’s health.

Both projects showcase how faith groups can successfully partner with statutory services, offering the unique benefit of delivering healthcare advice and activities in trusted, familiar settings.