 Welcome to the April edition of the Healthy Telford newsletter
The clocks have gone forward and the weather is steadily improving. With the increasingly lighter, longer days it's now much more tempting to get out and about. So let's talk about keeping healthy, staying connected and getting involved in Telford and Wrekin this April.
Allow yourself a break and a drink while we share some of the latest opportunities in the borough. And don't forget this month's quiz - it's delicious!
 Have your say
Shropshire Wildlife Trust has launched their biggest ever public survey about wildlife found across the British Isles. The charity wants to learn more about what people think about our nature and how we, as a society, should protect it.
Ambitions also include finding out what people already do to help where they live and learning about how connected people feel with the natural world. The survey takes approximately 15 minutes to complete and is open to everyone with all viewpoints equally welcome, valued and respected.
The Great Big Nature Survey is out now.
Visit the Wildlife Trusts website to take part.
 Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 April mark the reopening of the Telford Bike Hub. To celebrate the reopening we have a weekend packed full of free activities to get involved with simply turn up to get involved. Kids Bike Fix is on a first come first served basis.
- Dr Bike will be on hand to diagnose and help solve any bike problems.
- Kids bike fix from 10.30am to 11.30am
- Looking for a bike ride with a difference? Why not try out our tandem cycles for free!
- Balance Bike practice for little ones
- Easter Bunny Trail
- Kids Bike Hire for £1!
Standard bike hire will also be available throughout the day, it’s a great way to explore the park and beyond. If you have any questions our staff and instructors will be on hand to help, so why not pop down and say hi!
Following the opening weekend The Bike Hub will then be open every weekend and every day during school holidays until October half term.
The Bike Hub is located next to the visitor centre in Telford Town Park.
Visit the Telford Bike Hub website for all the latest information.
 Make your own Easter Wreath
Join us this Easter holiday to make your own eggstraordinary wreath.
What will your eggs look like? Will they be stripy, spotty or sparkly?
Suitable for ages 4-11
Monday 3 April 2pm to 3pm at Wellington Library, Larkin Way TF1 1LX
Wednesday 5 April 2pm to 3pm at Southwater Library, Southwater Way TF3 4JG
Tuesday 11 April 2.30pm to 3.30pm at Newport Library, 53-55 High Street TF10 7AT
Places are free but booking is essential.
 Have you considered cycling?
Recently we’ve been looking at various types of exercise and activity, to explore different ways to help us to meet the recommendations for weekly activity.
According to the UK Chief Medical Officers, every week adults should do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity, or 75 minutes vigorous activity, or a mixture of both, with strengthening activities on two days also.
Regular exercise can reduce our risk of illness, prevent us from gaining excess weight, boost our mood, reduce stress and anxiety, and if done in a group can help us make new friends and tackle loneliness and isolation too. In this edition we’re going to take a look at cycling, as there are huge benefits of making cycling part of your everyday life.
Cycling is great for physical and mental health, as well as being an environmentally friendly and cheap form of travel. And for people who don’t drive, cycling offers independence.
You can cycle as fast or slow as you choose - even cycling slowly is good exercise for your heart and muscles and can help you lose weight, and you will be surprised at the distance you cover in no time. Fast cycling gives your body an intense work out and is a great way to get fit while travelling around.
Did you know that cycling has a lot of benefits, for you, your community and the environment?
For you…
- Cycling is good for your heart, lungs and circulation, reducing your risk of strokes, high blood pressure and heart disease
- Can help weight loss and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes
- Good for reducing stress, depression and anxiety
- Improves muscle strength, and because cycling is low impact it’s gentle on your joints
- It’s a cheap way to travel
For your local community…
- When more people cycle instead of driving, the air is cleaner and the streets are quieter and safer, which is especially good for children.
For the environment…
- Cycling doesn’t produce carbon emissions and it takes much less carbon to make a bike than a car, as well as being easier (and much cheaper!) to repair.
As with all forms of activity, if you are new to exercise or have a health condition that may be affected by exertion, you should talk to your GP before starting cycling.
Whether you want to get back to using a bike, or ride for the first time, there’s help for you in Telford and Wrekin
Telford Bike Hub run a number of cycling activities throughout the year which includes Learn to Ride group sessions, Led Rides, 1-2-1 training, Bike Maintenance courses, Adult cycle training and more.
Visit the Telford Bike Hub for more information.
And if you live in Ketley Bank, Oakengates or St George’s, you can take part in our KOG Community Cycling Project, which aims to enable local residents, primary school children and community groups to enjoy cycling for leisure, exercise and travel.
Interested in taking part? Contact Holly our Community Cycling Advisor via KOG@shropshirecyclehub.uk or 07379 301131.
 Coming soon ….
The Covid-19 Spring Booster is being released on 17 April for those aged 75 years and over.
Those living in care home settings are due to be vaccinated between 3 April and 16 April.
Anyone 75 years and over will be vaccinated in the community from Monday, 17 April. We will be organising clinics around Telford & Wrekin in community venues and on the vaccination bus.
Visit the Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin NHS website to ind out where we will be and when.
We will advertise events on the above website a week prior to the event, but will also be hand delivering leaflets in areas where the over 75s live and placing posters in local shops, as well as promoting on social media.
If you are eligible for the vaccination please keep an eye out for the posters and check the website for the closest clinic to where you live.
 Community organisations in Telford and Wrekin can now apply for grants to fund projects to boost the use of the borough's Council owned green spaces for physical activity.
The money up for grabs is from Telford & Wrekin Council's ‘Green Spaces Are Go’ Grant Fund.
The council has created the fund to make its green spaces more attractive as a place to be active - improving people's physical and mental health.
Research shows that exercising in green spaces can boost wellbeing, reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, and promote happiness.
Any not-for-profit organisation that could provide opportunities for people to take part in any sport, exercise or physical activity should apply. The grant can also fund on-the-ground improvements, innovative uses of technology, printed materials, provision of equipment, and training for individuals.
There is a team on hand to support you through the application process and any questions you might have.
Have an idea? Don’t delay, the closing date for applications is 21 April 2023.
Visit the Green Spaces Are Go Grant Fund page for more information and to make an application.
 Beep Beep Day Wednesday 26 April 2023
Aimed at children aged 2-7 years, Beep Beep Day offers the opportunity to teach road safety basics to young children. Everyone is affected by road dangers and by learning some simple road safety rules such as using a car seat, crossing the road in a safe place and holding hands with a grown up, can help even the youngest children stay safe.
Beep Beep Day will be taking place across nurseries, schools, childminders and playgroups.
Visit the Brake website for more information or to sign up for your free action pack.
 Calling all residents of Madeley, Sutton Hill and Woodside
Residents of Madeley, Sutton Hill and Woodside are being asked to complete a survey that gauges their current levels of wellbeing.
The survey will be used to identify opportunities for improvement, whether that be signposting to existing services, making changes to existing services to meet the needs of more people or aiming to implement new services to better serve residents in the area.
Charlotte Dade, Wellbeing Officer at Madeley Town Council, is encouraging as many residents as possible to complete the survey.
“Without knowing the actual needs and issues our residents are facing it is impossible to bring about change which serves to improve wellbeing and quality of life.
“Therefore, if you live in Madeley, Sutton Hill or Woodside I’m urging you to complete the survey and tell us how life is for you at the moment. We want to hear from everyone, so don’t just complete one on behalf of your household, get each individual in the house to fill one in. And if you have relatives in those areas that won’t see this, pass the information on, give them a survey, help them voice their views.”
The wellbeing survey will be open until Friday 28 April. It can be completed online using the button below.
The survey is also available in the latest edition of Madeley Matters, or for an electronic copy or printed version please contact Charlotte at Madeley Town Council.
Email: charlotte@madeleytowncouncil.gov.uk
Telephone: 01952 567288
 The Healthy Telford blog has some top tips for staying sneeze-free this spring and summer
A trip to the pharmacist can be a cheaper, easier and quicker way to manage your hay fever symptoms.
Pharmacies have a range of treatments for hay fever in stock, including nasal sprays, eye drops and tablets which are often far cheaper than prescriptions.
Visit the Healthy Telford website for further tips on managing the symptoms of hay fever.
 Do you have Type 2 Diabetes?
Would you like help to understand and manage it better?
If so, you can sign up to NHS-approved group-structured education programmes which are free to anyone with Type 2 Diabetes.
For more information or to book a place on the free X-PERT Diabetes Prevention and Management 6 week course, contact Shropshire Community Health on 01743 277696 or shropcom.xpertdiabetes@nhs.net
 A series of multi-language videos have been created to raise awareness about the importance of cancer screening – and improve uptake in the area.
The videos have been produced in Mandarin, Punjabi, Ukranian, Bulgarian and Polish and are available to view on the newly created Cancer Champions website. They focus on breast, bowel, and cervical cancer, as well as a general video to highlight signs and symptoms of cancer.
NHS Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin has partnered with Lingen Davies Cancer Fund and Oswestry-based Qube to deliver the Cancer Champions project as part of a national NHS England drive to address low engagement with health screening in deprived communities.
The videos, encouraging people to take up cancer screening invitations, are available to view on the website and to download for organisations and GP practices to use in their own facilities. The idea being that the more venues and organisations showing and highlighting this video the better.
Visit the Cancer Champions website for more information and to see the videos.
 How much do you know about Easter treats?
From hot cross buns to chocolate eggs, there are so many temptingly toothsome choices to make at Easter. Do you know how to look after your heart, whilst still enjoying these seasonal treats? Take the British Heart Foundation's Easter quiz to find out.
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