Overview

As outlined in our introduction page, it is the intention of ShipSheffield to facilitate changes beneficial to the health of people in the partnership countries.

It enacts these by promoting sustainable health benefits that are culturally appropriate to partners, for example, by using a training of trainers model, as well as supporting infrastructure improvements in partnership with local agencies.

Current work

SHIP is in contact with a number of Sheffield based organisations sharing similar values. However, currently, the main SHIP partner is with Gulu in northern Uganda, working together particularly on mental health and associated issues. The Gulu Sheffield Mental Health Partnership (GSMHP) involves partners in both Uganda and the UK.

In Uganda this involves the Gulu Regional Referral Hospital (GRRH) and in particular the Mental Health Ward, the Gulu District Health Office, and Gulu University and in the UK the Sheffield Health and Social Care (SHSC) NHS Foundation Trust and Sheffield University School of Health and Related Research who provide Monitoring and Evaluation.

GSMHP has a Patient Safety focus and works with the GRRH providing training and supporting staff and the District Health Office in working with the wider community. The achievements of GSMHP, supported by SHIP include:-

- a grant from the Burdett Trust for Nursing to SHIP, to fund Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Covid, training to health staff and village health teams, who are volunteers in communities,

- suicide prevention training to 750 staff in Health Centers and 200 Community Leaders in the Districts of Gulu & Omorro. This work was concluded by senior political and cultural leaders attending RESPECT courses (the ethical management of violence and aggression), its impact was evaluated by Sheffield University with two academic papers published as a result. A team of Gulu RESPECT Instructors was trained and the whole of GRRH staff attended a four-day course,

- hosting 28 Ugandan colleagues in Sheffield through the Commonwealth Fellowship Programme, funded through the British Council,

- the provision of a Community Centre in Guna, Abwoch. This is a remote rural community that did not have its own community building.

Mental health need is high in this village but has a very strong sense of community. The building was given to the community in November 2018 and provides a training venue and is also a possible source of income generation. The building was entirely resourced by donations from SHIP, their families and friends.

 A completely renovated attendant’s kitchen has been provided to enable attendants/carers to provide and cook food for the loved ones, as the hospital is not able to provide this.

The charity has helped enable the installation of taps in the carer’s cooking area, two rain harvesters in the mental health unit to collect rain in the rainy season, and the repair of a bore hole within the hospital, which now serves the mental health unit and other in-patient areas in the hospital with water.

A medical library and resource centre at GRRH has been created - this was also supported by Book Aid International and Sheffield Hallam University.

There is regular communication with the Ministry of Health in Uganda and the Uganda UK Health Alliance to ensure SHIP and the GSMHP works with Ugandan priorities.

SHIP raises funds to support the GSMHP, both through fundraising and grant applications