Health Expositions at Birmingham Metropolitan College

It came “out of the blue” the Birmingham Metropolitan College’s request to the Seventh-day Adventist church to conduct consecutive Health Expositions, on Tuesday, 23, March at its Sutton College Campus, Sutton Coldfield and on Wednesday, 24, March at its Mathew Boulton College Campus, Central Birmingham from 11am till 3pm on each day.

Yvonne Howell who had participated in a low-key health exposition held at her church, Windsor Street, Birmingham, introduced the Expo concept to her college administrators who then issued the invitation. “We were delighted to accept their invitation,” said BUC Volunteer Expo Coordinator Neil Blest. “Though the lead time was short, this was an opportunity that had to be taken.”

A thirty-member team comprising NEC & SEC Health Directors Grace Walsh and Elsie Staples other health professionals and lay people trained in health education conducted the Sutton College expo. At Mathew Bolton College, a twenty-two-member team conducted the second expo. The steam engines of engineering pioneer Mathew Boulton powered the factories of the industrial revolution. For a day, his college namesake showcased the eight sources God has given to power human health.

Expo Coordinator Neil Blest, a Life Style Counselor had previously trained members of both teams in the conduct of health expos at the Light Health Ministry courses conducted in Belfast and Birmingham in 2009. Neil helped by Elsie, and Grace corralled volunteers from Birmingham, London, and Manchester & Wellingborough.

One hundred & five students and staff had their health status and practices evaluated at Sutton College. The team had the assistance of two of Sutton College’s Health & Social Care course students at the Sunshine Station measuring blood pressure. Their teacher Yvonne Howell organized the student through put by classes. Next day at the Matthew Bolton campus seventy people completed the personal health evaluations.

Participants visited eight booths, Nutrition, Exercise, Water, Sunshine, Temperance, Air, Rest, and Trust in Divine Power. Interaction with team members and the perusal of the printed handouts began an acquaintance with the function & power of the “Eight Natural Doctors”. We were under a stricture though. All references to God and sacred scripture had had to be edited out and the handouts reprinted to accommodate a request received on the Monday, as the colleges have a secular agenda. The spoken and printed words were gone but the Spirit was present in loving and lovable Christian team members.

The measurements of height, weight, cardiovascular efficiency, breathing flow rate and the survey results of daily health practices were written up by the counselors on Personal Health Record Sheets and entered into a computer. The personal sheets generated, listed personal results against a healthier target for all of the eight “doctors”. The computer generated a print out “Discover Your Health Age” showing health age versus calendar age and recommendations that could enhance health and increase life expectancy. At the Trust booth the counselors asked what participants understood and what caused their life style practices and shared tips and barriers to better health outcomes. One student commenting on the Expo said, “It was a very beneficial day. It educated me about many lifestyle issues that I was unaware of.” Commenting further she said, “In particular it will make a great difference in my intake of water.”

Neil Blest Health Expo Coordinator said of the event, “Things went very well at both venues and I’m thankful to report that the Birmingham Metropolitan College has already made contact with me to express their gratitude and to request that we co-ordinate another event before this year ends.”

These Health Expos demonstrate that large sections of the wider community especially young intelligent students are ignorant of so much of the health education information and lifestyle choices that many of us take for granted. These expos also show that there is a real interest in the programmes that the departments of the church could run. The eight doctors of NEWSTART are the foundation of numerous effective Adventist community health programming. The Coronary Health Improvement Project – CHIP, Depression Recovery, Create, Celebrations, Gods Plan & Breathe Free are just some of the well-formulated programmes we have. It is imperative that such programmes are run to benefit the community so God’s Spirit can use this personal ministry to open the doors and minds that presently are closed to direct communication of the Gospel.