4 September 2025. Our Food with Friends in August focused on oral Hygiene with Samia Turkistani and Rosanna Orlando of Portsmouth Dental Academy.
Migrant children (and the adults too!) enjoyed some hands-on learning about dental care in a relaxed, interactive way that gave them a real sense of ownership of their own dental care. Samaia taught us proper brushing and flossing techniques as well as the basics of a healthy diet.
All the kids got excited about being able to play with some food props and sort them into healthy and unhealthy categories. It was brilliant seeing children realise that dental care could actually be enjoyable rather than a chore!
While the kids played and learned, parents had the chance to speak with a real dental professional about their concerns, especially important in an underserved ‘dental desert’ like Portsmouth.
Samia was brilliant and answered questions about everything from when we need dentist intervention, roles in dentistry and how important it is to be registered for routine dental care including practical tips to achieve that goal.
The cherry on top was all attendees being treated to some free samples of toothbrushes and different brands of toothpaste to take away – thank you again to our speakers for all their effort and giving their time and knowledge.
We were also delighted to welcome Yvonne Baker and Gurdit Digpal from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary. Yve gave a thoughtful talk followed by a discussion on policing in Hampshire.
She spoke with genuine empathy, helping to ease community concerns about sensational headlines that often create unnecessary anxiety. She helped us understand our rights, shared useful advice on avoiding theft, and encouraged us to work together to keep our community safe.
Yve shared an interesting tidbit – many people, especially children, believe the emergency number to be 911 due to American media and TV being so popular. In response, the UK emergency services can reroute 911 calls to the regular 999 service!
Many were also made aware of the 101 non-emergency number where they can report any concerns as well as the option to report any non-emergency issues online via the Hampshire Constabulary website.
Thank you to Yve and the team for sensitive, reliable support to all members of our community and the dedication to meaningful community outreach. Our monthly Food with Friends event has really become a well-established, inclusive safe space for people from varied communities to come together as one.
We thank the National Lottery Community Fund for supporting Food With Friends.
