 Welcome to the April edition of the Healthy Telford newsletter
We hope you've had an eggs-traordinary Bank Holiday weekend and are feeling refreshed.
April is Stress Awareness Month, and the theme this year is 'little by little', focusing on those little changes that we can all make to our daily lives to increase our self-care and reduce our stress. Connecting with others, moving more and spending time in nature are just some of the changes that can be made, and we've got plenty more ideas for you to try in this edition!
So start the day gently by getting yourself a drink and reading about what's going on to support your health and wellbeing in Telford and Wrekin this month.
And don't forget to test your stress levels with this month's quiz...
 Calling all crafters!
A new monthly 'Knit and Natter' group started at Southwater Library in March, and the second session will take place on Friday 5 April, 11am to 12noon.
The first session was a vibrant success and library staff, many of whom are keen crafters themselves, are hopeful that the group will become popular. The idea behind it was to offer a way of tackling loneliness, as one member of staff at Southwater says:
"A lot of people who enjoy hobbies like knitting and crocheting can feel quite isolated as these are very much activities you do at home, by yourself. We wanted to welcome people of all ages, but particularly anyone who might be feeling lonely."
So why not drop into Southwater Library with your current craft project for an hour this coming Friday to meet fellow crafters, compare notes and enjoy a cuppa in company?
 Are you the parent or carer of a child aged 7-13?
NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin would like to hear your views on a range of issues relating to the mental health of children and young people. Your feedback will help inform changes we make to services, and how we communicate with local people.
The survey should take no longer than 10 minutes to complete.
This survey will close on 8 April 2024
 Help is at hand to stay steady on your feet
One in three people over 65 have at least one fall a year and the risk increases to at least two falls per year for the over 80s. Age and decreased muscle have a big part to play in this.
A new gentle exercise class that creatively mixes seated and standing movements will be taking place in various venues across the borough from Monday 8 April onwards. These ‘Moving On’ classes are aimed at those aged 50+ and will enable residents to maintain good mobility, strength and balance, and improve levels of fitness, helping people to ‘stay stronger and steadier on their feet’.
The classes will also be a great place to connect with others in the community, supporting people’s wellbeing.
Fit 4 All Instructors will be delivering the classes, which Telford & Wrekin Council are supporting. The cost is £3 per session, but purchasing four classes in advance costs just £10!
Visit the Fit 4 All website for more information and to register your interest in Moving On community classes.
Fit 4 All also offer Falls Prevention classes for people aged 65+.
Visit the Fit 4 All website for more information and to register your interest in Falls Prevention community classes.
Alternatively, you can call Fit 4 All on 01952 908738.
 12 weeks of Tai Chi in Donnington and Brookside
Thanks to some grant funding from Sport England, Faye Tai Chi Friends are running a project providing 12 weeks of Tai Chi for health and wellbeing from Thursday 11 April at two different locations:
- From 11.30am to 1pm every Thursday at Turreff Hall, Turreff Avenue, Donnington, Telford TF2 8HG
- From 1.30 to 3pm every Thursday at The Sambrook Centre, Grange Avenue, Stirchley, Telford TF3 1FL
All sessions are FREE and include some social time with drinks after the activity.
Interested? Complete the online booking form to take part in these sessions via the button below.
Or, for more information, email fayetaichifriends@gmail.com
 Helping each other to live well
A new weekly Community Live Well Hub is set to launch on Wednesday 10 April, from 10am to 1pm at Madeley Community Library within The Anstice.
Helping yourself, a family member, a friend or someone in your community to live well improves our quality of life, supporting us to be happier and healthier. We all have questions about our health, wellbeing, care needs (now or in the future) and how we can connect more. Telford and Wrekin Council have joined forces with Madeley Town Council, Telford Mind and a range of partners to pilot and set up the first Community Health & Wellbeing Hub.
You’ll be greeted by a member of the team who will have a conversation with you to understand what matters most to you about attending and then directed to the most relevant person(s). Together you will explore the best options to support you with your concerns and what your next steps are.
The Live Well hub brings together a range of services, organisations and groups under one roof and provide a one-stop shop to help YOU to manage your health, wellbeing, social and care needs with support. You will be able get advice and support from services such as Telford & Wrekin Council’s Healthy Lifestyles advisors and Social Prescribers from MIND, while representatives from Telford & Wrekin’s Independent Living Centre and Social work teams will also be on hand. Free blood pressure checking will also be available weekly.
Get in touch
There will be spaces available each week for different partners to talk with residents. If you are part of a service that aims to improve the health and wellbeing of the community, and you think our local residents would benefit from your advice and expertise, please get in touch and book your place.
Whether you’re a resident wishing to attend the Live Well Hub, or part of a service that wants to join us, you can find out more by contacting Charlotte Dade at Madeley Town Council by emailing charlotte@madeleytowncouncil.gov.uk or calling 01952 567288.
 All age carers consultation
Telford and Wrekin's population has grown significantly over the past decade, with increasing diversity and an ageing demographic.
1 in 10 people in the borough reported that they were providing unpaid care in 2021, a higher proportion than the national and regional averages.
A carer is someone of any age who provides unpaid support to a family member or a friend, who would not manage without that help.
A draft All Age Carers Strategy has been developed, following engagement with carers, professionals, organisations and groups across the borough.
Share your views
Public feedback on the draft All Age Carers Strategy is now needed, so that local issues can be addressed and health, social and voluntary services for carers can be enhanced over the next five years.
You can provide your input through a public consultation running from 18 April to 21 June 2024. This survey will be available online from the 18 April. If you prefer a paper copy of the survey, you can request one by emailing allagecarers@telford.gov.uk or calling 01952 380536 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm).
Following the consultation, the final All Age Carers Strategy, along with an action plan for implementation over the next five years, will be published during Summer 2024.
 Free online training sessions
The Haven Wolverhampton is offering some free online Domestic Abuse Awareness training for community groups in Telford and Wrekin on the following dates:
- Thursday 25 April 2024
- Monday 13 May 2024
- Wednesday 17 June 2024
All the above sessions will run between 9.30am and 12.30pm via Microsoft Teams.
To book onto one of these training sessions, or to enquire about face to face sessions for groups of 20 or more people, please contact Tracey Secker via email at Tracey.Secker@havenrefuge.org.uk, or call 01952 599108.
Visit The Haven Wolverhampton’s website for more information about this organisation
 Feel good event for family, friends and footie
AFC Telford United Foundation and Telford & Wrekin Council are organising a 35+ Community 5-a-side Football Tournament aimed at men aged 35 years and older from all nations of Telford and Wrekin, plus their family and friends.
It will take place on Saturday 11 May from 10am to 1pm in 'The Goal Zone' at AFC Telford, off Haybridge Road, Wellington TF1 2NW, and spectators would be very welcome to come along and enjoy watching all the friendly matches!
During the event there’ll be lots of health and wellbeing stalls for players, their families and spectators to visit for a blood pressure check, healthy lifestyle advice, information about mental health support services and much, much more.
Refreshments will also be available and a Prize Cup will be presented to the winning team by local and football VIPs!
No booking required – just come along to spectate anytime between 10am to 1pm, but for more details about the event email robert.wilson@telford.gov.uk
 Time to get outdoors!
Telford Walk Week is back for 2024 and offers a packed programme of free activities for all ages, abilities and interests.
Taking place across the borough from Monday 27 May to Sunday 2 June there are a range of walks, trails, workshops and have-a-go activities to sign up to.
Events include:
- Guided trails
- Dementia friendly walks
- Clay workshops
- Storytelling trails
- Nature and history walks
- Park Run/Walk
- Wheelchair friendly walk led by Telford's own Mickey Bushell MBE Gold Paralympic gold medallist
- With much more to choose from
And on Sunday 2 June there will be walks starting from across the borough all ending in Telford Town Park for refreshments and even a free bus ride back to various locations on a special bus service for this event.
Visit the Visit Telford website for more information and to sign up.
 Making mental health the main event through boxing
Telford & Wrekin’s three England Boxing affiliated grass-roots community boxing clubs are joining forces to apply for grant funding to run a joint project tackling mental health issues for men.
According to UK mental health charities, mental health problems affect one in four people, meaning everyone is likely to know someone who is experiencing mental ill health. Men’s mental health is a particular issue as according to national data three times as many men as women die by suicide, with men also less likely to access mental health services and therapies than women.
Members, staff, volunteers and coaches from Wellington Boxing Club, Telford Amateur Boxing Club and Donnington Boxing Club are keen to take part in “Box In Mind” training, which has been developed by England Boxing in conjunction with mental health charity Mind. The training course aims to increase awareness around mental health problems within boxing clubs, covering topics such as how to spot the signs that someone is struggling with their mental health and explains what they can then do to speak to them sensitively and how to signpost them to the right help.
Funding is being applied for to cover the costs of the Box in Mind training as well as facility improvements, new equipment, promotional material and additional training courses such as Level 1 and Level 2 Boxing Coaching Qualifications, Safeguarding training and specialist First Aid training.
The additional equipment will help all three clubs cater for a larger, wider, diverse audience, allowing them to do a different range of activities with their members.
Although the projects is specifically aimed at men, the project will benefit all staff, members, volunteers and coaches of the clubs, plus their friends, family and local community, thereby potentially reaching many hundreds of local residents.
If you’re interested in being involved, contact healthimprovement@telford.gov.uk for more information.
 100 dedicated people across Telford and Wrekin are giving their time to improve health and wellbeing in their communities
What an achievement and thank you to our amazing Health Champions!
In case you don’t already know, Health Champions are local residents that are interested in health and well-being and want to help others to live healthier lives.
Health Champions come from all walks of life and play a key role in sharing health related messages across the borough. These messages help to prevent residents from experiencing health conditions and help people to know where and how to access support.
Health Champions also get involved in local health and wellbeing related events and activities. They have been working hard to support Telford & Wrekin Council’s Blood Pressure project- they are a key part of the project and have helped the Health Improvement Team to take the Blood Pressure of over 700 adults!
Would you like to be part of this great network?
There are both structured and flexible opportunities available. Perhaps you would like to support Telford & Wrekin’s Council’s Blood Pressure project? Or maybe you have less time to spare and would prefer to help us share key health messages across the Borough in your own time?
As a Health Champion, you will receive both one-to-one and group support. You will also have the opportunity to meet likeminded people and have to access interesting and useful training to support the role and your own development.
If this sounds like your kind of thing, please email Health.champions@telford.gov.uk or call 01952 385114 to find out more.
 A free way to get fitter and healthier
Members of community groups from across Telford & Wrekin are currently taking part in free Leadership in Running Fitness courses with England Athletics Coaching to enable them to run free ‘Couch to 5k’ programmes with their members and local community.
The training will prepare the trainees to provide a safe and enjoyable running experience for anyone aged 12 years and older, and covers risk assessments, warm-ups, cool downs, first aid, safeguarding, and how to lead fun running sessions for a mixed ability group of runners.
The newly qualified Run Fitness Leaders will then work in partnership to increase physical activity through programmes of supported running groups across the borough.
This will start with a series of Couch to 5k running programmes held before the end of October this year.
Want to take part in a free Couch to 5k programme?
Couch to 5k is a popular running plan for absolute beginners, designed to gradually build up strength and stamina to take people from their couch to running 5k in just a few weeks.
If you’d like to join one of the new Couch to 5k running groups led by our newly qualified Run Leaders contact healthimprovement@telford.gov.uk for more information.
 Did you know that high blood pressure usually has no symptoms?
Knowing your blood pressure numbers could save your life. You could be one of millions living with high blood pressure without knowing it. If left untreated, high blood pressure, also called hypertension, can increase your risk of a number of serious and potentially life threatening health conditions, such as heart attacks, stroke and vascular dementia.
Around 1 in 4 adults in the UK have high blood pressure. Some people are more likely to have undiagnosed hypertension, for instance if you are over 55, over 40 and living with obesity, living in deprivation or are from a South Asian or Black Caribbean origin. If you meet one of these criteria then it's even more important to get yourself checked.
Where can you get checked?
Free blood pressure checks are being offered through our Community Blood Pressure Project which is out and about in Telford visiting local venues and events:
Visit the Healthy Telford blog to find out where our blood pressure checkers will be next.
And local community pharmacies are also offering free blood pressure checks:
Visit the NHS website to find a pharmacy that offers free blood pressure checks.
Checks are quick and easy, and while high blood pressure is serious, it is treatable with medication and/or lifestyle changes.
 Bowel Cancer Awareness Month
Raising awareness about cancer by talking about signs, symptoms and screening is vitally important because spotting it early makes it easier to treat and saves lives.
April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month. Bowel screening aims to find cancer early or to find changes in your bowel that could lead to cancer. A bowel cancer testing kit is sent out every 2 years to people who can take part. The test is called a FIT - Faecal Immunochemical Test, and it looks for tiny traces of blood in your stool. You do the test at home and the kit contains instructions of what to do including a prepaid envelope to send the sample back to the hospital.
The earlier bowel cancer is spotted, the more treatable it’s likely to be. In fact, more than 9 in 10 people survive bowel cancer when it is diagnosed at the earliest stage. However, this drops significantly when diagnosed at the latest stage.
Visit the NHS website to find out more about the symptoms of bowel cancer.
200 Cancer Champions and counting...
The Cancer Champions project was introduced by the Lingen Davies Cancer Fund charity, in partnership with Oswestry-based Qube and NHS Shropshire Telford & Wrekin, as part of a national drive to encourage more people to undergo cancer screenings.
In the last two years, the project has recruited and trained over 200 local people to have conversations within their community to raise awareness about the signs and symptoms of cancer and encourage people to take up cancer screening invitations.
Lingen Davies, which marks its 45th birthday this year, has a prestigious history supporting local cancer patients. It also fundraises to deliver and fund projects in the wider community including to help those living with and beyond cancer.
Emma Backhouse, Acting CEO for the charity, said the success of the Cancer Champions work was a tremendous testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved.
“To have almost 350 people throughout our region now fully trained to hold important conversations within their local communities goes a long way to raising awareness.
“We all know that getting an early diagnosis is key to achieving the best outcomes and treatment options. We are helping to encourage people to talk about cancer, how to make it part of everyday conversations, and to understand the importance of attending cancer screening invitations.”
Visit the Cancer Champions website for more information on how to get involved.
Alternatively, contact Kerry Morgan via email Kerry.morgan@lingendavies.co.uk
 New scheme to support 7 common conditions
Pharmacy First is a brand-new scheme which launched earlier this year, enabling your local community pharmacists to supply prescription-only medicines to treat seven common conditions without needing to see a GP.
This service is available within all pharmacies across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, making it easier for you to access help, advice and treatment.
Pharmacy First enables you to access prescription-only medicines and gain expert healthcare advice for seven common conditions, without having to visit a doctor, A&E or Urgent Treatment Centre. This includes support from trained health professionals within pharmacies for symptoms of:
- sinusitis
- sore throat
- earache
- infected insect bites
- impetigo
- shingles, and
- uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women.
Some factors such as age or past medical history may determine eligibility for the service. Local pharmacy teams will be able to advise on the right service for your medical need.
Visit the NHS website to find your nearest pharmacy.
 Last week, over 50 people from Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin came together to celebrate the huge impact that Sport England's recent funding, disseminated by Energize STW, has made across the county.
Nearly 100 local voluntary, community-based physical activity providers have benefitted from a share of over £320,000 grant funding between 2020-2023 to deliver activity projects supporting people most-in-need in their communities.
The event brought together local activity providers, sports clubs, groups, organisations as well as stakeholders from Shropshire Council, Telford & Wrekin Council, NHS and more. The event offered a chance to share and learn how the funding invested has enabled thousands of local people to be active and hear from participants who engaged in the activities the life-improving and enhancing effects experienced as a result.
Visitors to the event were also able to attend a selection of themed sessions which included top tips to help their activity provision or organisation to grow and thrive in 2024 and beyond.
Amy Griffiths, Empowering Communities Manager at Energize STW reflected on her thoughts following the event:
“The event was a real showcase of the best of our voluntary community sport and physical activity sector, with a real demonstration of the ongoing hard work and commitment to reducing health inequalities and barriers to accessing activity to improve people’s lives across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.
We were thrilled with the outcome of the event, not only the fantastic turnout but the energy and enthusiasm of the attendees was infectious! We’re very excited to see what 2024 has in store and to continue our work in supporting the sector to thrive and strive.”
Visit the Energize website for more information about how Energize can support local clubs, groups and organisations to benefit from funding.
 How stressed are you?
As it's Stress Awareness Month let's measure your stress levels with the Stress Management Society's Stress Test.
Depending on your score, you can find lots of advice on ways to manage your stress levels on the Stress Management Society's website.
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