The Health Forum is a community-led health improvement project tasked with bringing together many different groups and agencies in order to enhance the health and well being of the people in the Bogside & Brandywell community and to reduce health inequalities.

HEALTH CAMPAIGNS

Investing for Health in Schools

The ‘Investing for Health in Schools’ initiative is a holistic approach to healthy living in primary schools in the Bogside & Brandywell and Fountain and Creggan neighbourhoods of Derry. The initiative concentrates on three important health development areas: Healthy Eating & Nutrition, Sports & Physical Activity and Oral Health and promotes a range of lifestyle programmes among and between school children and their parents and teachers.

The Health Forum and the Old Library Trust in Creggan have teamed up with Gaelscoil Éadain Mhóir, Long Tower, The Fountain, Nazareth House, Holy Child’s, St. Johns and St Eugene’s primary schools to make the initiative as beneficial as possible for local children. The programmes are designed to act as a stimulus to the children in terms of opting for a healthier lifestyle from an early age. For further information contact Karen @ 71 365330.

Smoking Cessation

Smoking Cessation have been successfully run in partnership with Bogside & Brandywell Women’s Group since 2002 with a high percentage of local people quitting. Given that smoking is considered a major killer and cause of serious ill-health, the Health Forum is now endeavouring to establish a full-time community-based Smoking Prevention and Cessation Project. We are hopeful that the project will be established before the end of 2006.

Stop Smoking Events

The Health Forum works is partnership with the Women’s Group and WHSSB to organise local events to coincide with national stop smoking campaigns.

Women’s, Men’s & Young People’s Health MOT Checks

These one-off events occur at local venues usually in May & June each year and are designed to detect minor and major health complaints i.e. blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes. The Health Forum also considers that Health MOTs are often useful in terms of generally raising the profile of health within the area.

Mobile Cancer Screening Unit

The Health Forum organises cancer screening at the Gasyard Centre for breast and cervical screening. The screening usually coincides with Cancer Awareness campaigns. Look out in the press for further details or contact Karen @ 71 365330.

Other Cancer Awareness Events for women, men and young people take place at various times of the year. For further information contact Karen @ 71 365330

Blood Transfusion Service

The Health Forum appeals for new donors to give blood. In 2003, blood donated at the Gasyard Centre helped save the life of a newborn baby in Portugal.

The Gasyard Centre is now on the regular circuit of the Blood Transfusion Service, such has been the rate of take up. While the Health Forum normally places emphasis on developing health programmes for and with local people, this is an opportunity for local people to contribute generously to the much needed blood bank for the whole community and practically anywhere in the world.

BTS holds a number of sessions at the Gasyard on a number of dates throughout the year. Look out in the press for specific details.

‘You don’t have to spend to give this Christmas’

Money and debt advice information including production of a Billboard, Leaflets and media work.

This time of year can be an expensive and worrying time for one in five of us who do not have a budget for Christmas. On average, we spend more than £800 on gifts, food and drink for the festive season.”

The leaflet entitled: “You Don’t Have to Spend to Give This Christmas” provides a range of useful tips. We hope that this leaflet will be a handy guide to ensure that people do not find themselves paying for Christmas for a long time into the New Year. Christmas has become more and more commercialised and we realise the pressure that this puts on people, particularly parents. With this in mind we want to offer some useful tips that can go some way to lighten the burden and help everyone enjoy the festivities without the worry of debt hanging over their heads.”

Debt has a damaging effect on all aspects of your health, the stress and worry of not having enough money can lead to sleep-loss, stress and depression. This is particularly so in the approach to Christmas and in its aftermath when the pressure to overspend is at its most intense.

For further information or advice contact Neighbourhood Assist @ 71 269327.

CURRENT PROGRAMMES

Click on any programme heading below for further information.

Health Campaigns
- Investing for Health in Schools
- Smoking Cessation
- Stop Smoking Events
- Women’s, Men’s & Young
- People’s Health MOT Checks
- Mobile Cancer Screening Unit
- Blood Transfusion Service

Physical Health & Fitness
- Beginners Keep Fit
- Tai Bo
- Body Toning
- Men’s Beginners Circuit Training
- Class
- Ju Jitsu
- Exercise Referral Project

Older People
- Monday Club
- MOT Health Checks
- Basic Foot Care Clinic
- Gentle Exercises
- Christmas Dance/Summer
- Gala Ball
- Summer Trip
- Caring for the Carers Pampering

Food Health & Nutrition
- Cook It
- Food For Thought
- Back 2 Basics
- Healthy Eating Workshops
- An Gairdín Glas
- Sunrise Healthy Breakfast Club

Mental Health
- Foyle Tranquiliser Initiative
- ‘The Pink Ladies’ Breast Cancer
   Support Group

Oral Health