Community organisation We Are BS15 is continuing to grow its projects to support Hanham and Kingswood residents.
We Are BS15 was co-founded as a non-profit group in 2021 by Vicky Robinson, who now acts as Director and is passionate about building a base to support those who most need an extra hand.
In addition to the group’s portfolio of projects such as The Beacon Café in Hanham, which operates on a pay-as-you-can basis, and the Trinity Garden allotments in Kingswood, We Are BS15 has now joined the 4PCN Leg Club.
4PCN is the group name for four local health surgeries: Hanham Health, Kingswood Health Centre, Cadbury Heath Healthcare and Close Farm Surgery. And their branch of Leg Club is the latest addition to the national Lindsay Leg Club Foundation. The trained team provides treatment, health promotion, education and ongoing care for people with a range of leg and foot conditions, such as leg ulcers.
What makes a Leg Club different to other forms of treatment is the social model of care. Instead of visiting a traditional clinic, members receive their treatment in a community setting alongside other patients. This helps reduce isolation, encourages peer support and creates a friendly, welcoming environment where people feel supported as well as cared for.
Leg Club officially opened its doors at the Hanham Community Centre on 1 July and has so far seen around 100 different people. Vicky says: “We’re already seeing so many amazing outcomes that we weren’t expecting to see so quickly. For instance, the nurses are noticing that people’s wounds are healing quicker.”
An unexpected side-effect of Leg Club is the boost it is providing for more socially isolated members of the community. Vicky explains: “Because we serve soup, we’ve now got people whose legs are well but they’re still coming in each week for some soup and for the social side. So the effect it’s had on social isolation already has been huge.
“We’ve got one lady who is dropped off, she stays here for three hours, and she sits and plays [the card game] Dobble with anybody that’ll play Dobble with her. Before this she was housebound, but now she’s getting out and she’s getting a social life and forming friendships. The friendships that have been formed already are amazing. It’s lovely, it really is.”
Alongside Leg Club, We Are BS15 are also involved with two upcoming Christmas markets in Hanham: an indoor one at the Hanham Methodist Church on Saturday 29 November and an outdoor one on Hanham High Street on Saturday 6 December, each of which will have around 40 traders as well as a variety of entertainments suitable for all ages. Part of the money raised from these two events goes towards supporting the work of We Are BS15 and is also a way for Vicky and her team to give back to the community that supports them.
For more information about the work of We Are BS15, visit wearebs15.co.uk
People who wish to use the local Leg Club can visit the Hanham Community Centre for care on Tuesdays, from 11am until 4pm.