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Welcome
Hello, and welcome to the latest edition of your Healthy Workplaces Derbyshire Newsletter.
You'll find all the latest news and information about our programme, as well as both local and national campaigns relevant to your workplace and employees.
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General News
LLBD & HWD Team Up To Help Local Bakery Achieve a Healthier and Smokefree Site
Less than 50% of people eligible for an NHS Health check attend their appointment.
To help change this, the Healthy Workplaces Derbyshire (HWD) Team is now targeting men aged between 40 and 65 who are working in routine/manual occupations, offering health checks in their workplaces.
Recently, the Healthy Workplaces Derbyshire Team joined the Live Life Better Derbyshire (LLBD) Stop Smoking Team at Frank Roberts Bakery and delivered 13 health checks over 2 days to reach as many staff members as possible, including those working alternating shift patterns.
Of 36 members of staff working at the bakery, 18 were identified as people who smoke. Seven employees received immediate support to stop smoking, and four signed up for DCC’s LLBD lifestyle services.
Maria Severn, Human Resources Lead at Frank Roberts Bakery, was pleased with the success of the visit.
“LLBD have shown [our] staff that we are a service who clearly care about people and that [they] are interested in working with them within their locality. Rather than [our] HR team ‘preaching’, as a separate company, LLBD asked thought-provoking questions without getting anyone’s backs up.”
Additionally, she added that they would love LLBD and HWD to return and carry out health checks and stop smoking offers again.
If you are interested in FREE workplace health checks delivered onsite, please complete the 'Register of Interest' form on our website below.
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Help to Save
The government’s ‘Help to Save’ scheme will change from April 2025.
Previously, Help to Save was available to those in receipt of Working Tax Credit and allowed applicants to save a maximum of £50 per month, resulting in a return of 50% as a bonus of that saved. For example, saving £1,200 over two years would result in a bonus payment of £600, totalling an overall savings balance of £1,800.
From April 2025, Help to Save’s eligibility extends to all those who are working and in receipt of Universal Credit. The maximum savings amount and generous bonus payment system remain the same with savers making 50p for every £1 they save.
For more information and to open your account, visit the government’s official website below.
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Spring 2025 COVID Vaccination Programme
COVID-19 vaccination is an important part of protecting yourself if you have been identified as being at increased risk of getting seriously ill from COVID-19.
The COVID-19 vaccines are offered twice a year because protection fades over time. It's important to top up your protection if you're eligible. The NHS will contact you if you're eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.
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Getting the COVID-19 vaccine can:
- help reduce your risk of getting severe symptoms
- help you recover more quickly if you catch COVID-19
- help reduce your risk of having to go to hospital or dying from COVID-19
- protect against different types of COVID-19 virus
The announced and authorised cohorts for the spring 2025 programme will cover:
- adults aged 75 years and over
- residents in a care home for older adults
- individuals aged 6 months and over who are immunosuppressed or have a lifelong medical condition.
This includes those who will turn 75 years old by 17th June 2025. They will be eligible for a vaccination at any point in the campaign. Those who are new residents in an older adult care home or become immunosuppressed by 17th June 2025 are also eligible.
Please encourage those who are eligible to have the vaccine to take up the offer.
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Healthier Weight for Adults, With Live Life Better Derbyshire
Aged 18 years or over and above a healthy weight? Deciding to take the first step towards losing weight can feel daunting and even overwhelming; Live Life Better Derbyshire (LLBD) is here to help you every step of the way.
We provide support, help and advice for you to successfully lose weight, and keep it off, for good.
For more information about the programme, click here 🔗.
Healthier Futures, a Free Healthy Families Programme With Live Life Better Derbyshire
Are you a parent of a child aged 0 – 12 years old? Would you like to feel more confident as a parent? Are you keen to get help to give your child a healthy start in life, help them to eat more fruit and vegetables and reduce mealtime stress? If so, then our new Healthier Futures programme could be for you.
For more information about the programme, click here 🔗.
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Creating Derbyshire’s Heartwood Community Forest
Getting outside in nature is a great boost for our wellbeing and Derbyshire County Council (DCC) is leading a project to create Derbyshire’s “Heartwood Community Forest”, funded as part of the Government’s Nature for Climate programme.
The forest is being created along the eastern fringe of Derbyshire and through southern Derbyshire, joining the National Forest and linking an existing network of 15 Community Forests, located in and around large towns and cities. It won’t be a single ‘forest’, but a collection of trees, woodlands, and hedgerows across Derbyshire.
The location includes many of the urban areas of Derbyshire, where 77% of the county’s 797,000 population live, where better access to woodland is most needed and where the biggest social and environmental benefits can be achieved. It’s an area rich in industrial mining heritage that has shaped the current landscape. The forest will continue to enhance the restoration efforts that are underway and provide more healthy outdoor spaces for local people.
Advice and guidance, access to funding, and project support are available to farmers, businesses, councils, and other landowners with space available to plant trees as part of the project.
More information about the project is available to view on DCC's official webpage below.
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Time Really Does Fly – Are You Making the Most of It?
Derbyshire Time Swap is a fantastic way to volunteer and for every hour you give helping somebody, you get an hour for help in return.
Members of Time Swap help each other by sharing their skills and hobbies, from practical support like gardening, DIY or walking the dog, to music lessons, crafting, sharing stories with a coffee and more. EVERYBODY has a skill they can share or a project they can get involved in. It’s a great way of bringing people and the community together.
Everybody in the swap must be a member and you only do swaps you want to do, when you want to do them, so there is no pressure.
Time Swapping is unique because everybody can get involved in a way that suits them and gives people the opportunity to give back but also receive the support they might need. We encourage anybody who wants to get involved to get in touch, whether it’s as an individual or to get a team together for a group swap.
One of our members said ‘I love it, it’s friendly, it’s great. I love group activities and meeting lovely people and individual swaps give you more time with new people.’
You can discover more about Derbyshire Time Swap by visiting the official website below.
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Events
Drop-In Breastfeeding Support and Social Sessions, Hosted by Breastfeeding Network Derbyshire
Breastfeeding Network Derbyshire support is available from pregnancy and the early days, through to whenever you are ready to stop breastfeeding.
EVERYONE is welcome! Come to talk through a concern or to meet other breastfeeding parents.
Trained volunteer peer supporters run drop-in sessions almost every day of the week at over 20 different venues across the county.
An inclusive and safe space to make friends, get evidence-based support and play.
There’s no need to book a space and all sessions are FREE to attend.
Follow us on social media (including Instagram 🔗 and Facebook 🔗) or visit our Linktree 🔗 to find your closest venues.
Interested in volunteering with us? Complete our Microsoft (MS) Form via the following link 🔗 or email derbyshire@breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk
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FREE Sexual Health Training for Derbyshire Professionals
The Derbyshire Sexual Health Promotion Team offers FREE, year-round training to support professionals in confidently discussing sexual health with service users and improving awareness of local services.
Available Training Courses:
Sexual Health… It Does Matter – Breaking Down Barriers (Half-day online session)
This course covers the importance of good sexual health, identifying inequalities, and making effective referrals.
Upcoming dates:
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Sexual Health & Young People – Promoting Positive Choices (Online workshop)
Designed for professionals working with young people, focusing on contraception, STIs, and promoting informed decision-making.
Upcoming dates:
Training is FREE and delivered online via Microsoft Teams (unless otherwise stated).
View all training opportunities on the official 'Your Sexual Health Matters' website here 🔗.
For in-house training requests or further information, please email: dchst.yoursexualhealthmatters@nhs.net
Let’s work together to improve sexual health conversations and access across Derbyshire.
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National Campaigns 2025
APRIL
Bowel Cancer Awareness Month
April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month in the UK - a time to raise awareness about the importance of early detection and prevention. Bowel cancer is the fifth most common cancer, but when caught early, treatment is more effective.
Symptoms include changes in bowel habits, weight loss and blood in your stools.
Regular screening can help detect potential issues early. Support and educate those around you to be aware of symptoms and to regularly take up screening appointments when contacted.
Early intervention saves lives.
To discover more information on Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, view Macmillan Cancer Support's official webpage by visiting the following link 🔗.
Lastly, to access the official toolkit (social media graphics, posters, etc.) and get involved with the campaign, be sure to visit the link below.
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World Immunisation Week 2025
24th to 30th April is World Immunisation Week.
World Immunisation Week, celebrated in the last week of April, aims to highlight the collective action needed and to promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against disease.
The ultimate goal of World Immunisation Week is for more people – and their communities – to be protected from vaccine-preventable diseases.
Find out how you can get involved by visiting the World Health Organization's (WHO) official webpage below.
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MAY
National Walking Month 2025
National Walking Month, hosted by UK Charity - Living Streets 🔗, takes place every year throughout May.
The main aim of the campaign is to motivate individuals across the UK to explore the outdoors, enhance fitness and link in more with their local community.
National Walking Month also provides the perfect opportunity to boost both your physical and mental health whilst getting more familiar with nature.
Last year's theme, titled the 'Magic of Walking', recognised the positives walking has on personal wellbeing and invited people across the UK to capture and share walking highlights on social media using the official #MagicOfWalking hashtag.
This year's theme is set to be revealed soon. Nevertheless, staff and workplaces can celebrate the occasion by hosting walking meetings and group walks across lunchtime.
To stay up to date with the latest news about the campaign, be sure to visit the official website below.
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JUNE
Bike Week 2025
Bike Week will take place between 9th - 15th June 2025.
Organised by UK charity - Cycling UK 🔗, Bike Week is one of the UK's largest yearly campaigns highlighting the health-related and environmental benefits cycling can offer, ranging from lowering stress levels to cutting down on emissions by not using fuel-dependent transport.
Launched as part of the 2024 Bike Week campaign, a 5-year plan of action 🔗 (2024-29) was unveiled, covering Cycling UK's main goal of building "happier and greener lives" with cycling by tackling existing barriers and stigma.
This year's theme and digital resources will soon be published on the campaign's official webpage 🔗- watch this space.
To receive the latest updates from Cycling UK (including Bike Week), be sure to register to their mailing list on their official website via the following link 🔗.
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Social Media
Stay Connected With HWD
Want to get in touch? You can contact us via email at healthy.workplaces@derbyshire.gov.uk for general enquiries and/or to submit an article for the next edition of our newsletter (July - September 2025). A member of our team will get back to you shortly.
Finally, for further information on how Healthy Workplaces Derbyshire can support you and your workplace, be sure to visit our official website 🔗 and complete our 'Register of Interest' Form 🔗.
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