Living Well In Glasgow (LWiG) was a community based project focusing on health and wellbeing which was developed by and for those who had come to Britain from a different culture and climate.

LWiG was created in partnership with the Scottish Asylum Seekers Resident’s Association (SASRA). The aim of the project was to provide information and raise awareness of health issues for refugees and people seeking asylum.

A vital part of the delivery of the healthy living information is the involvement of people who are new to Glasgow helping with the delivery of workshop and training session to other newcomers. This helps them improve and gain new skill or keep existing skills alive. Volunteers have also helped with the set up of the events.

The focus is on dispelling urban myths, helping people live healthily in a cold climate, information in relation to living a more sedentary life than people are used to and connecting residents to supportive organisation.

Action research has taken place, designed, implemented and analysed by refugees and asylum seeker volunteers. This was into what people needed to know to live healthily here and would like in these information sessions, and the best ways of providing it.

The two highest rated issues found in the research were each developed into a series of workshops: “Healthy Eating and Cooking” and “Mental Wellbeing”. These were very well received.