Stoke-on-Trent City Council has been fortunate to be involved in a learning exchange between the UK and the US. The purpose is to contribute to learning and knowledge about reducing health inequalities through tackling the root causes of poor health, such as, employment, housing, education and the environment. This approach prioritises working with communities to harness their capacity for health improvement.

This exchange is part of a wider programme and is supported by the Department of Health, England, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA, the International Union for Health Promotion Education and Health Action Partnership International.

Monday 21st November - Last day in Atlanta

The final morning of the exchange programme was spent visiting the CDC and sharing our exchange experiences with colleagues. It was clear that we had all experienced very different REACH programs and it was interesting to hear the learning outcomes of the other UK cities (Coventry, Nottingham and Sandwell).

From the Stoke-on-Trent perspective of this exchange, key learning points included;

- Change doesn’t happen overnight; partnerships need to be cultivated at all levels to ensure ongoing success. This includes the importance of providing ongoing support mechanisms to groups and communities. 
- Sustainability needs to be built into programmes from the outset.
- The importance of supporting empowerment and ownership of programmes within communities.
- Realising the power of individuals within communities to influence peers and the importance of ‘gate keepers’ in engaging communities.
-  It is important to use an asset-based approach, focusing on the positives in communities, including the value of skills, experience and local knowledge of individuals.
- Finally, PARTNERSHIP, PARTNERSHIP, PARTNERSHIP! - making health 'everybody's business' and making the most of resources by working together.

Members of the Stoke-on-Trent team would like to thank all of those individuals and organisations who made this exchange possible. We would like to thank Graydon Yatabe and Kenitra Robinson from the CDC for being fantastic guides and all of those at the MHRC (UAB) for being great hosts. We have all learned a great deal form this exchange and we look forward to hosting our American colleagues in Stoke-on-Trent in 2012.

Sunday 20th November - Exploring Atlanta

We had some free time on Sunday to explore Atlanta so we took the opportunity to do a little shopping and also attend an American Football match! Here are some photos:

Atlanta Falcons vs. Tennessee Titans

We weren't quite sure what was going on half the time but we got the general idea!

Saturday 19th November - REACH Exchange Cities Coming Together

We travelled back to Atlanta on Thursday evening and spent most of Friday reflecting on all that we had seen in Birmingham. We collated our thoughts and experiences ready to share with other colleagues from the UK who had visited other REACH Communities in the US.

On Saturday evening we met our UK colleagues in Atlanta and went out to dinner. As you will no doubt have seen, food is a running theme throughout this blog and this evening's meal was not a disappointment. We went to Paschals restaurant to experience some more soul food.


The food was fantastic...but we were still not used to how big the portions were! 

Thursday 17th November - UAB HealthSmart

After travelling back to Birmingham from Wilcox County on Wednesday evening we were ready to visit one of MHRC's new initiatives on Thursday morning - HealthSmart:


UAB HealthSmart is an innovative health education center that offers free preventive screenings, free health education talks, free nutrition and fitness counselling, and free fitness classes in an effort to prevent disease and lower rates of obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and a host of chronic diseases so prevalent in the Deep South. It is located in the heart of downtown Birmingham, and UAB HealthSmart is a joint program of the UAB Division of Preventive Medicine and the UAB Minority Health & Health Disparities Research Centre. Check out this video:


We were extremely impressed with UAB HealthSmart. It is a facility that is well used by individuals from the target population. UAB HealthSmart also students from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, such as nutritionists, as interns to deliver services. This further demonstrated the links that the MHRC has across faculties across the University. Again, it is all about partnership working! 

If you would like to know more about UAB HealthSmart then take a look at their Facebook page - UAB HealthSmart

Whilst visiting UAB HealthSmart we were fortunate to see a local parade which was celebrating the winning of the State Championship by a local College Basketball team. Here are some photos:


We would like to take this opportunity to thank Dr Mona Fouad, Maria Morena, Dr Theresa Wynn, Amber Anderson and Joanice Thompson from the MHRC for hosting us on this REACH exchange. We were made to feel extremely welcome and we look forward to hosting you on the return trip to Stoke-on-Trent.


Wednesday 16th November - Wilcox County (pm)

During the afternoon we were fortunate to be able to visit the schools who had taken part in the economic development project that we had heard so much about.


The first visit took us to Wilcox Academy in Camden (a private school). We were welcomed by the principle of the school who took us on a tour of the facilities. This school was home to elementary, middle school and high school pupils which is in contrast to the school system in the UK. During the last academic year there were 16 pupils in the graduating class (at age 18) which is very different from the number of pupils leaving our Stoke-on-Trent high schools at age 16. We were also accompanied by pupils who attended Wilcox Central High School (a public school) and it was interesting to hear their first impressions of Wilcox Academy as this was the first time they had visited the school. We also heard from the Wilcox Academy Students who took part in the project.

Our next stop was at Wilcox Central High School where we were given a military welcome:


It was interesting the differences between the public and private schools. Wilcox Central High School had three feeder elementary schools and therefore was similar to the UK school system. We were made extremely welcome by the principle who took us on a tour of the school escorted by the Reserve Officer Training Corp. (ROTC).

The final stop on this trip to Camden was a visit to Black Belt Treasures - the location for a lot of the work carried out by UAB interns and Wilcox High School pupils;


It was here that we said goodbye to Wilcox residents, high school pupils and UAB interns and Faculty members.

Wednesday 16th November - Wilcox County - Lunch at Miss Kitty's

We were treated to a lunch at Miss Kitty's Restaurant in Camden to experience some soul food!


On the menu was fried catfish, pork chop and pink lemonade...the food was delicious and definitely set us up for the afternoons activities. We would definitely recommend a visit if you're ever in Camden.

During the lunch we were able to talk to some of the UAB interns and high school pupils who took part in their economic development project . All were very enthusiastic about the experience and the benefits of the project were clear to see. 

Wednesday 16th November - Wilcox County (am)

After a very early start we set off with our hosts from the MHRC on our journey to Wilcox County which is situated in in the South west of Alabama. The journey from Birmingham took approximately two hours but it was livened up by some terrible weather conditions which we later discovered was a tornado!


After some brilliant driving from Graydon, Dr Theresa Wynn and Amber Anderson we arrived in Camden, Wilcox County. The Wilcox County Project was a product of the Economic Development and Health Summit in 2010 (see previous blog post - UAB Business School Partnership) and we were visiting the area to see in practice the impact of the project.

Our first stop in Wilcox County was a visit to the County Court House where we met high school students, UAB interns and faculty members, local residents, representatives from the Chamber of Commerce and the City Mayor. After introductions, Graydon Yatabe gave a short presentation on the background of the exchange program followed by a few words by Cllr. Gwen Hassell on the past, present and future of Stoke-on-Trent.


The high school students (from Wilcox Central High School - a public school) were then invited to share their experiences of the project. Each student described their summer activities relating to the project and also what they had gained from taking part. We were very impressed with their attitude, application and enthusiasm. 

Here are some quotes taken from a presentation delivered by UAB interns;


The next stop on our tour of Camden, Wilcox County was a visit to the Historic Antioch Baptist Church. The Church became a cross-roads in the 1960's and it served as a site of mass meetings during the Civil Rights Movement and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at the church in 1965. We were met at the Church by a lady called Rosetta Anderson;

Kenitra Robinson (CDC) - Left, Rosetta Anderson - Right
A historical panel with the display, titled, "Voting Rights Now!", describes how Rev Martin Luther King Jr. and others, in early 1965, led voting rights marches in Dallas, Perry, Lowndes and Wilcox Counties;

"On Monday, March 1, 1965, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., arrived at Antioch Baptist church to speak to a nervous but determined crowd of 200 black citizens. In the crowd was an active member of Antioch Baptist Church, a 31 year old housewife and mother of 3 children. Rosetta Marsh Anderson listened intently as Dr. King’s powerful message of justice, non-violence, and love resonated, and when the march began, Rosetta stepped forward, head held high with pride and determination, that no matter how long, or how difficult the struggle would become, she would not turn back."

It was amazing to be in the company of individuals who had actively participated in the Civil Rights movement. Rosetta was able to point to herself in a photograph (top right, below) pinned to the wall listening to Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. speech in 1965.


Tuesday 15th November - Five Points South, Surin West and Geocaching!

After our visit to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute we headed back to the hotel for a quick change before venturing out to explore more of Birmingham. Our wanderings took us to Five Points South, a neighbourhood lcoated in the southern section of downtown Birmingham where we met Graydon and Kenitra. After a vote we decided to frequent the Surin West Restaurant and try some of Birmingham's Thai Cuisine.

We would definitely recommend a visit to Surin West
This dinner provided us with the opportunity to get to know our colleagues from the CDC a little better and at the table we were introduced to one of Graydon's hobbies - Geocaching. Having no clue as to what he was talking about we decided to experience first hand what this Geocaching thing was. So, on the way back to the hotel, Graydon (and his phone) navigated us to what can only be described as a dimly lit alley-way where we were meant to find some treasure (aka a Geocache). Here are a few photos of our first attempt at geocaching;


Unfortunately (after 20 minutes of looking high and low) Graydon discovered that there were a number of online messages stating that the Geocache couldn't be found at this location!

Disappointed we headed back to the hotel....but, not wanting to give up, Graydon continued to track our location and announced "...there should be one just over the road!" 


 He was right!...we eventually found a Geocache! We also discovered that there were a number of Geocaches in and around Stoke-on-Trent. Definitely something to take back with us to the UK!

Tuesday 15th November – Birmingham Civil Rights Institute

After lunch at the UAB Business School we were able to have some free time to explore the City of Birmingham. As we were in the heart of the Civil Rights Movement we all wanted to visit the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.


The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute documents the struggle of African-American citizens in Birmingham to becoming full participants in the city's government and business community in the 1950s and 1960s. The Institute is an educational, cultural and research center that seeks to promote a comprehensive understanding and appreciation of the significance of civil rights developments in the South, with particular emphasis on the national struggle of African-American citizens and minority participation in the democratic process and free enterprise system.The Institute was founded in 1990 and opened to the public on November 16, 1992.

The institute showcases a walking journey through the "living institution" which displays the lessons of the past as a positive way to chart new directions for the future. The permanent exhibitions are a self-directed journey through Birmingham's contributions to the Civil Rights Movement and human rights struggles.

Visiting the Civil Rights Institute in Birmingham was a very humbling experience and the information which we digested helped us to understand further how history has shaped the health of local communities. Throughout this exchange it has been apparent that history is ever present and that heritage has an important role in supporting community change.

Tuesday 15th November - UAB Business School Partnership

After a much need rest on Monday evening we travelled back to the University of Alabama at Birmingham to visit the Business school. One of the many impressive aspects of the MHRC is the way they form interdisciplinary partnerships within the University. They seem to make health 'everybody's business'. This visit to the University's business school highlighted this partnership. We were met by the Dean of the Business School, David Klock, who guided discussions around the relationship between economic development and health and well-being.

Health and Economic Development Summit, 2010.
In August 2010, REACH US organised a health and economic development summit which brought together a think tank of more than 100 hand-picked researchers, policy makers, elected officials, health and economic development specialists, community leaders, and residents from Alabama’s Black Belt and inner-city neighbourhoods joined forces to identify three priorities for improving health and economic opportunity in Alabama.

Representing important government, private, and nonprofit groups as well as numerous UAB schools and divisions, the panelists and attendees agreed that improvements in education, transportation, and equity are fundamental keys to healthier communities and economies throughout the state. They also encouraged communities to organize and partner with government and business leaders to be a part of the solution.

"Until recently, economic growth was seen as a precondition for real improvements in health. Today, improvements in health are important for economic growth. Where people have poor health and the level of education is low it is more difficult to achieve sustainable economic growth." (World Health Organisation (WHO) commission on Macroeconomics and Health)


Following discussions about the key relationship between economic development and health Judy Kurth presented about Stoke-on-Trent and the current Health reforms in the UK with Public Health moving into the Local Authority. In addition, the UK team presented Stoke-on-Trent's mandate for change.




Stoke-on-Trent is facing a challenging economic period and needs a clear plan focusing on a "working city". The mandate for change sets out a plan for developing the city over the next four years, based on four strategic aims all underpinned by an effective and confident council. The four strategic aims include;

More details about Stoke-on-Trent's Mandate for Change can be found by clicking here

After a short break we were introduced to a number of UAB Business school interns who had taken part in a project which worked with a community in Wilcox County in South West of Alabama. As previously mentioned in this blog, we were very impressed by the way in which the MHRC made health 'everybody's business' across the University. It was inspiring to see the enthusiasm of members of the business school in their acknowledgement of the relationship between economic development and health. The Wilcox County project demonstrates the value of such partnerships across University faculties for the benefit of local communities.

The interns gave a presentation of their project which had been conducted over the summer of 2011;

The Mission Statement of the project was;

"To enhance the economic development of the Wilcox County communities by partnering with the Chamber of Commerce to provide training to local high school students and assisting businesses with detailed planning expertise".

The main aims of the Wilcox County project were for UAB interns and local high students, in collaboration, to;

1. Promote and market the Black Belt Treasures, a local tourism business that displays and sells many artifacts that are indigenous to the county;

2. Collaborate with the Wilcox Area Chamber of Commerce to develop a county-wide tourism and marketing plan; and

3. Develop in-roads to broaden future employment opportunities within the county through networking, collaboration, and infrastructure building.

We were extremely impressed with the enthusiasm and application of the UAB business school interns. The project addressed issues of cohesion and integration as well as economic development by bringing groups of young people from the private and public schools together to work on a specific project in collaboration. The project used an assets-based approach with the students, young people and community members by conducting a SWOT analysis of the economic development potential of Wilcox County. Another impressive aspect of this project was that a sustainability plan was developed from the very beginning. The UAB Business School committed to sustaining the student-service learning concept by providing seed funding for the project and incorporating it into their school curriculum.

The Wilcox County project is definitely something that we would like to see happen in Stoke-on-Trent!

More information about the Wilcox County project can be found on;

- One Tank Treasures Blog
A blog dedicated to the Wilcox County Project 
(developed by UAB interns and High school students)
One Tank Treasures Facebook Page 
A Facebook page dedicated to the project
- Black Belt Treasures 
- Wilcox Area Chamber of Commerce