Over 160 Black Country residents attended NOWT’s Women’s Health Bus Tour on 6 March in Dudley Town Centre, accessing essential women’s health information and resources in celebration of International Women’s Day.
NOWT (Navigating Our Womanhood Together) is a collective made up of 12 local voluntary, community, faith, and social enterprise organisations. They work in partnership with the NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board (ICB) and other health providers to support women’s health across the Black Country.
Following the success of their previous bus tour and series of events for World Menopause Day in Wolverhampton and Sandwell, NOWT parked their Health Bus in Dudley Town Centre on 6 March, inviting residents of all ages to come aboard and access on‑the‑spot health checks and an abundance of women’s health information. The bus had over 160 visitors, all with the opportunity to access free contraceptive and menstrual products, speak to health professionals and community partners for advice and support on a variety of health and wellbeing topics, including cancer, menstrual health, mental health, lifestyle and early intervention, and visitors even had the opportunity to compete in a quick game of cricket with Worcester Cricket Foundation.
MP for Dudley, Sonia Kumar, and MP for Kingswinford and South Staffordshire, Mike Wood, were also in attendance to support the initiative.
Sally Roberts, Chief Quality Officer, and Chief Nursing Officer for NHS Black Country ICB and NHS Birmingham and Solihull ICB said: “Congratulations to NOWT and their supporters for their hard work and determination to deliver another successful event, which continues to highlight the importance of women’s health, community and easy, local access to trusted health information and advice. These opportunities are not only raising awareness of women’s health needs and organisations that can provide support, but they’re also giving residents the confidence to seek information and reassurance in a friendly, welcoming space. I look forward to seeing what NOWT does next!”
Alix Eccles, Specialist Women's Justice Coordinator for Changing Lives and NOWT, said: “As someone who has been closely involved in the coproduction of NOWT, it has been inspiring to see this work come to life through the Women’s Health Bus Tour. The energy, commitment and collaboration from our partners and the engagement from more than 160 residents on the day shows the real difference we can make when we come together for women’s health. I’m incredibly proud of what we achieved collectively, and I look forward to continuing this journey as we build even stronger connections with communities across the Black Country.”
