Healthy Living Health Club: Emphasizing prevention, rather than cure

Feb 27, 2017 News

By Enid Joaquin

The Healthy Living Health Club spearheaded by Nurse Colwyn Allen is certainly making waves in and around Linden, and helping to change the mindset of persons, through their various community outreaches and the radio programme “Healthy Living,” hosted by Allen.
As the name suggests, the Club promotes healthy living for all, but especially among senior citizens, who are susceptible to certain life altering health conditions.
In a recent interview, Allen spoke excitedly of the club, and all that it has been doing in its quest to change person’s attitudes towards their health.
Allen, a nurse attached to the Linden Hospital Complex, emphasized the importance of prevention, rather than cure – hence the “healthy living” tag.
He pointed out that the idea to form the club was birthed shortly after beginning his radio programme “Healthy Living”, which is aired on 104.3 every Sunday. “After a lot of persons started contacting me concerning the programme, asking a lot of questions and requesting that I visit their homes to bring the service – I thought to myself, why not form a club, so that we could reach more people.”

Nurse Allen (at left) assisting some Lindeners

Thus it was that three months after the first episode of Healthy Living was aired, the Healthy Living Health Club” was established.
Since then, several communities have benefitted from Health outreaches and “giveaways’’, promoted by the Club and supported by both the business sector and members of the community.
Coming in for high praise was Banks DIH, one of the more consistent sponsors, according to Allen.
Saturday’s venture was supported by Amazon Security, Dominic of World Access, Jermaine’s Cheap Shop, Mayfield Greene and James and Sons among others.
This time around, the Club took their outreach to block 22, where persons received hampers and miscellaneous items. Victims of a recent fire were among the recipients.
An enthused Allen noted after the outreach,” If you see the smiles and contentment of those who were present, especially the senior Citizens. I usually refer to them as “broad smiles’.
The expressions of gratitude were heartfelt, he noted.
“I would like to encourage you all to do more of this, but not only in Block 22. Keep up the good work!” one woman declared enthusiastically.
She said that she was diagnosed as diabetic as a teenager. Speaking on behalf of the community, she said that they were really grateful for the outreach by Allen and his team.
The Healthy Living Health Club consists of about 40 members, including health workers, single parents, the unemployed and teachers, according to Allen. “We are not just targeting professionals, because even children are involved; so when the teachers come they teach mathematics and literacy.”
More than half a dozen communities, including Bamia and Spieghtland have benefitted, since its establishment. Apart from providing food items, clothing and other amenities, some of the services rendered so far, include blood sugar testing, blood pressure testing and health awareness talks.
The Club would be celebrating its first Anniversary in April of this year. Its main objective is to prevent illness and promote health.
”This is what we love doing- giving people a meal for two or three days, adds to their well-being, and we are so happy when we see their smiles-especially the senior citizens, it makes us feel so good.”
That said, Allen further quipped,” We know that Health is everybody’s business and the wealth of a Nation is the health of its people.”