A former nursing student has set up a project offering free health checks to disadvantaged communities.

A former student of the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London (CONEL) has launched Health Screen UK which provides free health check ups.

Mek Mehmet-Yesil, 48, said: “While studying at CONEL I noticed that many people being diagnosed with life threatening conditions were from less advantaged communities.

“So I teamed up with a group of friends in healthcare to form Health Screen UK.

We wanted to support the screening of people within their communities so they would feel at ease, the rest is history.”

The health check ups are carried out at the centre in Green Lanes, Stoke Newington, and patients’ homes, community centres, schools and care homes.

The project comprises six trustees and eight clinicians and works closely with the NHS Choices, Health Diagnostics, Council of Turkish Cypriot Associations (UK) and Turkish Women’s Philanthropic Association.

According to Ms Mehmet-Yesil, over the last decade a growing number of challenges have been presenting themselves at the hospitals and GP practices.

She said: “Language barriers and pre-existing conditions along with an ageing demographic have all added to the burden, which is why I felt so passionately about providing this service.”

In her spare time she works as a volunteer in A&E at North Middlesex University Hospital having spent seven years as a volunteer paramedic with the London Ambulance Service.

She also volunteers for the Metropolitan Police, and was honoured by the force last year for two years’ service.

Ms Mehmet-Yesil is set to return to CONEL to talk about her business and share her experiences of working in healthcare.

Four other ex-students from CONEL, Ryannah Benjamin, Shanique Smith, Camilla Crockett and Maris Onuigbo, also helped establish the project.

It has been funded by the National Lottery and Care Quality Commission.