Health 4 U, and you, and you....

No image supplied

The Public Health Agency’s Northern Neighbourhoods Health Action Zone in partnership with Ballymoney Borough Council supports local communities to focus on health and well being.

Over 120 people from the Ballymoney area recently attended a health fair, on Friday 12th February, at the Joey Dunlop Leisure Centre in Ballymoney.

The health fair organised by Glebeside Community Association provided attendees with information and advice on a range of health and wellbeing issues, including healthy eating, dental health, heart health, physical activity, smoking cessation, diabetes, breastfeeding, cancer awareness, bereavement support, community safety, energy efficiency and stress management. The Action Cancer Big Bus was also available on the day to promote their services and provide screening and health checks.

Commenting on the event, Colette Rogers, NNHAZ Co-ordinator, said:
“Glebeside is a Health Action Zone neighbourhood, one of 14 targeted neighbourhoods in the Northern area, receiving direct support from the Public Health Agency to tackle health inequalities and improve health and wellbeing. NNHAZ are delighted to be involved in this event, to support the work of the local community group and their efforts to improve health within their neighbourhood and the wider Ballymoney community.”

Speaking at the event, Alderman Frank Campbell, Mayor of Ballymoney Borough Council said:
“I would like to thank all the organisations that have come here today to provide information and advice on wide range of health and well being issues from healthy eating, physical activity and smoking cessation to community safety and energy efficiency and I am delighted that Action Cancers Big Bus is here to provide screening and health checks. This event demonstrates how we can have a positive impact on the health and well being of our local people by working in partnership with community groups, voluntary organisations and our colleagues in the health sector.”

The event provided an ideal opportunity for Glebeside Community Association to launch two new health resources on the day – including their ‘no smoking’ cards and a health information booklet ‘Health 4 U’ which provides useful information, tips and hints on health and wellbeing together with useful contact details for helplines and support organisations.

Speaking about their new health and well being resources, Noel Anderson, Community Development Officer with Glebeside Community Association said:
“The Health 4 U booklet will prove a valuable resource for the local community in Ballymoney. It will provide people with easily accessible information on health and well being topics as well as providing useful websites and helpline numbers. The ‘no smoking’ cards are an innovative way of increasing people’s knowledge on the dangers of tobacco. When Glebeside Youth Club designed the ‘Life Chances’ board game a number of years ago, we realised that health promotion messages needed to be communicated to young people in ways that captured their interest”.
 

Notes to the editor

1. The Public Health Agency’s Northern Neighbourhoods Health Action Zone is a community led partnership that aims to tackle health inequalities and improve health and wellbeing. NNHAZ currently operates in 14 neighbourhoods within the Northern area.
The 14 NNHAZ areas include:
• Ballycastle (Moyle District Council area)
• Antiville (Larne Borough Council area)
• Armoy (Moyle District Council area)
• Ballee (Ballymena Borough Council area)
• Ballysally (Coleraine Borough Council area)
• Bawnmore (Newtownabbey Borough Council area)
• Craigyhill (Larne Borough Council area)
• Glebeside (Ballymoney Borough Council area)
• Glenfield (Carrickfergus Borough Council area)
• Longlands (Newtownabbey Borough Council area)
• New Mossley (Newtownabbey Borough Council area)
• Parkview & Riverside (Magherafelt District Council area)
• Ratheen, Greenvale & Sullenboy (Cookstown Borough Council area)
• Rathenraw (Antrim Borough Council area)

2. The Health Fair was funded through the Small Pockets of Deprivation Fund – via the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and the Department for Social Development

3. Glebeside Community Association ‘No Smoking’ Cards and the ‘Health 4 U’ booklets were funded through the Community and Voluntary Grants Programme, which was administered by the legacy Northern Health & Social Services Board.