BAPS Charities helped organise a Healthy Heart Workshop at Gandhi Hall in Manchester on Sunday 26 April 2015.
The workshop provided valuable information on the symptoms and signs of heart disease as well as guidance on diet, exercise and a healthy lifestyle.
The event also raised awareness about blood pressure and provided health screening by medical professionals. More than 30 people took advantage of the screening and advice offered by volunteers from BAPS Charities and Kapoor Pharmacies.
High blood pressure, also called hypertension, considerably increases the risk of a heart attack or stroke, with South Asians naturally more likely to have high blood pressure.
“Heart disease is a major issue in the Indian community,” explained Jagruti Vaidya, a BAPS Charities volunteer. “Providing information and advice in a community venue increases the chances of raising awareness. We’re grateful that our volunteers were able to address enquiries in Hindi or Gujarati which made people feel at ease and more willing to take part.”
Earlier in the month, on Sunday 12 April, health volunteers provided a similar workshop at BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Manchester. The event, part of the BAPS Charities Annual 10k Challenge, raised vital awareness for individuals particularly at risk. One of the beneficiaries of the Challenge was the British Heart Foundation, making the Healthy Heart Workshop a perfect complement.
Pharmacist Maneet Kapoor shared, “I’m very happy with how the workshops have gone. The collaboration with BAPS Charities has been very successful in benefitting the local community. In these two events, we’ve reached out to about 100 people, which is great.”
BAPS Charities volunteer Sunil Mistry added: “These events continue to build on last year’s health workshops where we focussed on diabetes awareness. We are really pleased with the support we’ve received and look forward to organising more events where we can reach out to help the local community.”
