Gateshead Council

A picture of the Gateshead Council logo - black/grey text on a white background


Tell us about your organisation/department/project (your aims, what you do, who you work with):

I [Jenny Steel, Public Health Programme Lead, Gateshead Council] work in the Public Health Team at Gateshead Council, and my main programme area at the moment is leading on Sexual and Reproductive Health. 

As part of this work, we commission the Sexual Health Service in Gateshead via Sunderland and South Tyneside NHS Foundation Trust. We also collaborate with a range of VCSE organisations in this work.

The overall aim of this work is to reduce health inequalities - specifically in sexual health in my current role - and ensure an equitable service that can engage with those most vulnerable to poor sexual health.


Tell us why being a Haref Ally is important for you and your organisation

As an organisation, it is essential that we have council-wide engagement and relationships with our ethnically marginalised communities. 

As a public health team, having members who are Haref Allies will provide a key resource to help up input into how we can improve how health and wellbeing services are provided for our ethnically marginalised populations.

We want to use the voices of lived experience in the work we do, and being a member of the Haref Allies provides the perfect opportunity for this.


Tell us about anything that you or your organisation has done to improve how you work with ethnically marginalised communities

We recently completed a Sexual Health Needs Assessment in which we hosted a number of focus groups, including several with ethnically marginalised groups in the community.

It was really interesting to hear their thoughts and concerns around sexual health in Gateshead, and it also highlighted the need for more engagement and stronger relationships with these communities. This is where Haref Allies will come in to help.


Contact details for organisation: