Health and Wellbeing Archive

Archive for section ‘Health and Wellbeing’

New Funding available for Anglia to become Heart Healthy

Posted on: April 19th, 2013 by CCVS Admin

Communities in Anglia are being encouraged to apply for new funding for projects that aim to improve heart health by helping people to be fitter and healthier.

Heart Research UK and SUBWAY® Healthy Heart Grants are being run by national heart charity, Heart Research UK, and are the result of a partnership between the charity and the high street sandwich brand. Money for the grants has been raised through in-store fundraising across SUBWAY® stores in Anglia, and organisations have between 1 May and 31 May to apply for this funding.

Funding of up to £10,000 is available for community groups across Anglia for original, innovative projects that promote heart health and reduce the risk of developing heart disease. Projects can address a variety of issues like healthy eating, physical activity and smoking cessation but the key focus must be heart health.

Barbara Harpham, National Director at Heart Research UK, says: “The aim of our partnership with the SUBWAY® brand is to encourage people to make good healthy choices and give practical help in living healthier lifestyles. This funding will help even more people learn how to look after their heart health and lead healthier, happier, longer lives. It’s great that so many customers and staff have raised the money to get this up and running. Thanks to everyone who has made these grants possible. Apply now.”

Manaaz Akhtar, Head of Marketing for the SUBWAY® brand in the UK and Ireland, says: “The SUBWAY® brand is delighted that through our partnership with Heart Research UK this funding is now available. SUBWAY® stores in the region have enjoyed fundraising and combined with money generously donated by our customers in store, we’re proud to be able to offer this grant in Anglia.

“We have worked hard to spread the Healthy Heart message through SUBWAY® stores and to be able to take this to the next level by supporting community projects that also place heart health at the top of their agenda, is wonderful. We really appreciate the fact that this initiative reaches out to people from all walks of life, in all manner of ways, to help improve lifestyles and educate people on keeping their hearts healthy.”

To find out if you are located in SUBWAY®’s Anglia region and would like to apply for the HRUK and SUBWAY® Healthy Heart Grant visit
www.heartresearch.org.uk/grants/subwayhhg to download application materials.

The deadline for applying is 31 May 2013.

Essex Carers Support Befriending Service

Posted on: November 30th, 2012 by CCVS Admin

1 in 7 of us during our lives, will provide support or care to a family member, friend or neighbour who may need additional support due to illness, frailty, disability or mental health issue.

Whilst providing care and support to a loved one can be rewarding, it can also be very challenging at times. Family carers find themselves isolated due to their caring role and do not always feel able to talk openly to friends or family, as they feel they are ‘burdening’ others with talking about how they feel.

Family carers’ well-being can also be affected as a result of tiredness and stress. Many carers put themselves and their well-being last; making sure the person they support is okay.

The new service from Essex Carers Support, aims to provide those that support or care for a family member, friend or neighbour, with someone to talk to. Someone who will listen, provide companionship, share interests and someone to accept and treat them as an individual. The support will be provided by a trained volunteer, who will be matched to a family carer, to ensure maximum compatibility. The support is tailored to the individuals needs and can be in the form of a chat on the phone once a week, meeting up regularly for a coffee or chatting via email. For those that are feeling isolated, or would benefit from a confidence boost, support can take the form of accompanying and introducing them to new activities or ventures.

Rewarding Volunteer Opportunity

You may have experience of caring for someone and understand the challenges that can be faced. You may have benefitted yourself from having someone to talk to in your caring role, or felt that this would have helped.

You may not have experience of caring for someone, but enjoy talking to people and want to support and encourage others. If so, the project would love to hear from you.

If you are caring for someone and are interested in finding out more about our new service, or you are someone wanting to make a difference to someone’s life and would like to volunteer, please do get in touch.

Please contact Mandy Blunden on (01255) 474410 or 07825 887389 or email mandy@essexcarerssupport.org.uk

The befriending service is available to family carers living in, or who have a GP registered, in North East Essex.

Extension of deadline for funding – up to £1,000

Posted on: November 30th, 2012 by CCVS Admin

Applications are invited from charities and voluntary organisations who provide a support service for patients with a limiting long term condition who live in the Colchester area. The purpose of the fund is to support Community Matrons manage a ‘virtual ward’ and avoid unnecessary admissions to hospital. Successful applicants will have to demonstrate that their service can support patients to stay in their own home (within the community matrons’ virtual ward) who would otherwise have been admitted to hospital.

Grants will be awarded between £200 and £1,000. Applications were to be submitted by 31 January 2013 but current applications received do not exceed the total funds available. Therefore, we are seeking further applications to be forwarded to us as soon as possible.

A grant can be used for support services such as advice, befriending or similar with the aim of supporting patients with a long term condition to manage their condition most effectively.

This fund is not designed to provide help with shopping or household tasks or schemes already being supported by the NHS North East Essex.

All successful awards will be required to undertake a patient satisfactory survey or similar evaluation and submit the outcome to CCVS who are administering the fund on behalf of the NHS. All applications will be assessed by a panel which will include a representative from the Community Matrons.

If you would like to submit an application please complete the Virtual Ward Fund Application Form 2012-13 Please note that the form still carries the 31st January deadline date.

If you have any questions, please contact the Community Development Project on 01206 505253 or email cdp@ccvs.org

A funding pot is also being administered in Tendring for Tendring based voluntary groups. The latest deadline was Friday 16th November. If you would like further information and to identify any future deadlines (if applicable), please contact CVS Tendring on 01255 425692 or email admin@cvstendring.org.uk

Colchester Compact Consultation

Posted on: November 19th, 2012 by CCVS Admin

Your views sought

Colchester Compact is an agreement between the statutory and voluntary organisations in the borough to improve communication, mutual understanding and the ways we work together. Organisations funded by NHS North East Essex (who operate in Colchester) or by Colchester Borough Council will have signed up to the Compact and the principles of each document. Organisations who may only have applied for funds will also be signatories.

Consisting of five documents, the Colchester Compact exists to strengthen relationships and encourage good practice. In light of the changing nature of both the voluntary and statutory sectors, the Compact is due for revision.

As the lead for the voluntary sector on this project and having been involved in its development, Colchester Community Voluntary Services (CCVS) will be co-ordinating changes to the document. As part of this process, CCVS has reviewed the current Colchester Compact and compared it to other local and regional documents.

We would recommend adopting the Essex Compact and applying it in Colchester Borough. The Essex Compact includes guidelines in areas not explicitly covered by the current Colchester Compact. A mediation service exists to support partners signing up to the Compact. In light of the prospect of integrated commissioning of services between local Borough and county-wide statutory agencies, we also feel that it would be beneficial for the sector to be signed up to one document with consistent aims.

The Colchester Compact will also be adopted by the Clinical Commissioning Group.

We are now seeking your views and ask signatories and CCVS members to respond by agreeing to one of the following statements:

1. Colchester Compact is suitable in its current form and does not require change

2. Essex Compact is suitable and should be adopted for Colchester Borough

3. I recommend the following additions/amendments of particular documents (please list comments and suggestions)

4. I recommend a different format (please list comments and suggestions)

The consultation will run from 1^st November to the 30^th November. All responses are to be submitted to CCVS at information@ccvs.org or posted to Winsley’s House, High Street, Colchester, CO1 1UG.

The Essex Compact can be viewed at: http://www.essex.gov.uk/Business-Partners/Partners/voluntary-sector-funding/Pages/The-Essex-Compact.aspx

The Colchester Compact can be viewed at: http://www.ccvs.org/what-we-do/community-development/resources/colchester-compact/

All comments and questions will be gratefully received.

Subject to requests a revised Colchester Compact will be developed in December and all current signatories will be contacted in order to re-sign moving into the New Year.

New course gives HOPE

Posted on: October 5th, 2012 by CCVS Admin

A free seven-week course aimed at building the confidence of people who have been through treatment for cancer will begin in Colchester this month (Oct).

Called HOPE (Help to Overcome Problems Effectively), it will be the first time the course has been held in the town.

It is being run jointly by Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust and Macmillan Cancer Support.

Debbie Farthing, Macmillan Information and Support Manager, who is based at Essex County Hospital, Colchester, said the aim of the course is to help people who have had cancer to get on with life after treatment.

“Cancer is the toughest fight most of us will ever face, but people don’t have to go through it alone,” she said.

“The HOPE course emphasises the strengths people already possess and looks at how to make the most of them. This course can play an important role in helping people who are living with cancer to find new ways to regain confidence.”

Mrs Farthing, along with Nasim Sibtain from Macmillan who has herself had breast cancer, will facilitate the course, which begins with a taster session at Colchester General Hospital on Wednesday 24 October, 10.30pm to 1pm.

It will be followed by six weekly sessions at the hospital between the same times, starting on Wednesday 7 November.

Among the many topics addressed will be:

managing stress and emotional challenges
breathing, relaxation and physical activity
motivation and goal setting
identifying personal strengths and building confidence for the future.

Up to 12 places are available on the course, which is open to anyone who has completed treatment for cancer within the past five years.

*Anyone who would like further information about the HOPE course or to book a place should contact Debbie Farthing. Tel 01206 744401; email deborah.farthing@colchesterhospital.nhs.uk

Free helping hand to quit smoking

Posted on: October 5th, 2012 by CCVS Admin

FREE nicotine replacement products are being offered to people across north east Essex seeking to stop smoking as part of Stoptober, the first ever mass quit attempt launched by the Department of Health.

The free offer has been initiated by local community healthcare provider, Anglian Community Enterprise (ACE), which runs the Colchester and Tendring NHS Stop Smoking Service.

The service, which has helped more than 22,000 people to stop smoking since 2003, is the best performing in the east of England and has one of the best records in the country.

Service co-ordinator, Sue White, said: “We know that if you can stop smoking for 28 days you are five times more likely to stay smoke-free. Stoptober leads smokers through a detailed step-by-step programme to help them achieve this goal. We are fully behind this excellent initiative and to give local people the best possible chance of success, we are offering people a ten-week course of nicotine replacement products. These can be obtained throughout the month of October from one of the many participating pharmacies across north east Essex. When people sign up they will also be offered advice and support from one of our stop-smoking advisers.

“People shouldn’t be put off if they have tried quitting before and not succeeded. Most people have multiple attempts before they quit for good. Based on people’s current smoking habits and smoking history, our stop smoking advisers will help people decide which stop smoking medicine will work best for them. Sessions will help you manage cravings and you’ll get regular carbon monoxide checks to show how much progress you are making. You’ll also be given useful tips on coping with triggers and support to help you avoid a relapse.”

Some of the benefits of stopping smoking are:

Freedom from addiction to nicotine
High levels of carbon monoxide will no longer be in your body
Taste and smell improves
Breathing becomes easier
Energy levels increase
Coughs and breathing problems improve
Reduced risk of heart disease and other serious diseases
More money in your pocket
Fresh breath/whiter teeth
Clothes/hair will no longer smell of smoke.

Further information on how the local team can help you quit through Stoptober, including full details of participating pharmacies, can be obtained by telephoning free on 0800 7312656

Kits launched to help young people stop smoking

Posted on: October 5th, 2012 by CCVS Admin

Health experts in North East Essex launched a new innovative ‘quit kits’ to help teenagers to stop smoking this week.

Between 1996 and 2012 smoking rates in 11-15 year olds have fallen from 13% to 5%. However, recent research conducted has shown young people at the age of 14 are 6.5 times more likely to smoke if their best friend does.

The ACE Colchester and Tendring Stop Smoking Service is now launching its innovative new ‘quit kits’ in a bid to encourage more local young people to stop smoking.

The kits – which include information about smoking, advice on how to give up and practical distraction aids – will be officially launched at the Colne Community College in Brightlingsea and will be distributed throughput North East Essex via school advisers over the coming weeks. Young people who sign up to the service will be supported by their school advisers and specialist stop smoking advisers. A welcome text will be sent and participants will be able to text the service for tips and advice at any time.

Emma Burrows, ACE Specialist Stop Smoking Advisor for Young People, said: “The kits are designed to be used with the school or the community stop smoking advisor rather than to be handed out to all young people. We want to encourage young people who smoke to attempt to quit and we believe they will be more successful if they are provided with practical help.”

Those who manage to quit for four weeks will receive a voucher for a free swim or exercise session at a local leisure centre. It is known, exercise helps to reduce cravings making it easier to give up smoking.

Chris Hunt, Student Support Manager from the Colne Community School and College said “We are in the second year of running a stop smoking service and have helped a number of students to successfully quit. We are very excited at having the new quit kits as they will appeal to this age group by offering distraction tips and aids to help manage cravings whilst giving us the opportunity to further raise the profile of the service”.

Currently about two-thirds of secondary schools in north east Essex have a stop smoking advisor and the ACE Colchester and Tendring Stop Smoking Service would like to see all local secondary schools participate in the scheme. Free training is provided to staff members and the service provides free resources, mentoring and support to all advisors.

For more information on this scheme please contact Emma Burrows at emma.burrows@acecic.nhs.uk or call 01206 545134

North Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust – Celebration of Achievements

Posted on: September 28th, 2012 by CCVS Admin

To Governors and stakeholders

On Wednesday 14 November, North Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust holds its annual awards ceremony; the Celebration of Achievements.

One Award is made by our Governors for the team at North Essex Partnership that has provided real outstanding care.

Nominations are open now so if you have some people in mind we’d like to hear from you.

Simply send an email, including the name of the team (and the staff member you have most contact with), saying why you think the team should win the Governors’ Award for Outstanding Care.

You can email your entries to Tracey.Mann@nepft.nhs.uk, or post to

Celebration of Achievements,

North Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust,

Stapleford House,

Stapleford Close,

Chelmsford CM2 0QX

Welfare Reform – Changes to Housing and Council Tax Benefits

Posted on: September 28th, 2012 by CCVS Admin

There are to be several changes to the amounts and entitlement of Housing and Council Tax benefits, please see the Changes to Housing and Council Tax Benefit Leaflet issued by Colchester Borough Council explaining the amendments.

CALLING ALL WOMEN’S GROUPS:

Posted on: September 13th, 2012 by CCVS Admin

New Police and Crime Commissioners MUST take action on Women’s Safety

Did you know that there are elections on 15^th November 2012 for a new Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) in YOUR area?

The elected person will:

Fund victim/survivors in your area: From April 2013 the PCC will have a budget to fund services for victim/survivors, including victim/survivors of sexual, domestic and other violence. This is likely to include some central government funding as well as local community safety funding.
Write a five year Police and Crime Plan for your area: The PCC must consult the community and negotiate with the Chief Constable to produce a local Police and Crime Plan for April 2013 onwards.

Decide the police budget and hold the Chief Constable to account: The PCC does not run the police, but holds them to account and sets priorities through the Plan. He/she sets the policing budget and has the power to appoint and sack the Chief Constable.
Work with other key bodies: The PCC must work with local bodies and others, to prevent and reduce crime.

Police and Crime Panels will be set up in local police force areas from October 2012. Their role is to make sure the PCC does his/her job properly.

What can YOU do?

Find out who is standing in your area (for a list of candidates see www.police-foundation.org.uk). Meet them or go to hustings events and ask what they will do to tackle Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) if elected. Many are on Twitter so you can tweet them.
Ask the political parties how THEY will make sure their candidates prioritise VAWG. Information on candidates can be found at the following websites:

www.labour.org.uk

www.conservatives.com

www.libdems.org.uk

Ask all candidates and then, once elected, Police and Crime Commissioners to commit to:
Making VAWG a top priority by setting a ‘strategic objective’ on this in their Plan.

Funding women’s services in the community, including Rape Crisis Centres, specialist domestic violence services and support for ethnic minority women.

Consulting women’s groups and public bodies locally to develop a VAWG strategy and then appoint a senior person to lead this work.

Running public campaigns to challenge myths and stereotypes about sexual and domestic violence.

For more information about the Panels and how the PCC’s are expected to work, visit the Home Office website:

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/police-crime-commissioners/