Healthy Communities

     

Healthy Communities Project

At

 

St Marys Community Centre has successfully bid for

Healthier Communities funding.

 

We are working with people in the

community coping with:

• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• Mental Health conditions
• Other long term illnesses

We are offering:

• Consultation room free of charge for large groups to meet or 1 to 1 sessions
• Social settings for self help whilst meeting new people
• Empower each other and become peers.
• Volunteering and free relevant training for volunteers.

Based at St Marys Community Centre, the St Marys Healthy Communities project  will contribute to tackling health inequalities by supporting and empowering individuals to manage long term conditions such as Heart Disease, Diabetes, Mental Health and associated conditions including key strategies on supporting positive mental health through;

 

• Provide a comfortable environment to engage clients and support them through their management journey by offering services designed with a ‘Poly Centre’ approach.

 

• Working with individuals on a one to one basis.

 

• Using motivational interview techniques and confidence building workshops to help individuals in achieving lifestyle changes.

 

• Using community/professional resources to help communities connect.

 

• Signpost when necessary to other services providers in which consultations will be hosted at St Marys centre.

 

• The project will provide a support network aimed at improving overall health to alleviate NHS resources.

 

The project will bring the client and the service provider closer together whilst addressing care needs with the support of all the centres programmes.

 

• Project coordinator to be first point of contact for clients.

 

• To develop a group of volunteer support workers.

 

• Use the network of agencies and CVS groups to develop and promote the project objectives.

 

• The consultations would take place at the centre including those with referral agencies.

 

• To offer twice weekly self help support group for clients within a social setting.

 

• To offer monthly drop in sessions with a guest agency representative.

 

• To offer weekly Over 50’s Social Club.

 

• Offering clients the opportunity of purchasing meals from a list of healthy eating options with recipe cards to promote personal improvement in a domestic setting.

 

• WDPCT Health Trainers will be available to offer support, encouragement and motivation to those wanting to achieve healthy lifestyle changes.

 

The project will work in this way:

 

• The client will be referred from the Health Service, IAG services, other CVS or self referral.

 

• The client will register with the coordinator and needs assessed.

 

• With a choice of follow up approach, clients can determine a suitable pathway either via Health Trainers or other agency or centre services.

 

• If the client then so wishes, they can pass to other agencies/services that can be accessed onsite at the centre.

 

• Clients have also the preference to join the weekly social support groups that are held at the centre, which will be developed by a team of trained volunteers.

 

• A casual monthly drop in forum with guest agencies in order for clients to access information and support networks without making appointments.

 

• At the end of the project period all clients will have accessed professional guidance and peer support groups, with the aim of each individual having developed coping skills and severing the dependency on GP’s and other NHS services.

 

Angela Vause - Coordinator

Telephone: 01977 705341

St Marys Community Centre, The Circle, Chequerfield, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, WF8 2AY

Website: www.stmaryscommunity.co.uk

email: healthycomm2009@yahoo.co.uk  

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