RUSHMOOR HEALTHY LIVING

1. The Executive Member has approved the appointment of the Partnership Manager (Blackwater Valley and Hart Primary Care Trust / Hampshire Social Services) as a Director of a new company (funded by guarantee) with charitable purposes, which is being set up to take forward the work of Rushmoor Healthy Living Initiative. This is in accordance with the submission made to the New Opportunity Fund prior to the award of £800,000 over 5 years.

2. Rushmoor Healthy Living is a co-ordinated package of nine programmes targeted at meeting the identified health and well-being need of the local communities living in five deprived wards in Rushmoor. Each of the nine programmes addresses some of the social determinants of health and quality of life around socio-economic, environmental, lifestyle and access to services in these communities. A management committee consisting of representatives from Blackwater Valley and Hart Primary Care Trust, Hampshire County Council Social Services and Rushmoor Borough Council has been established as a not-for-profit unincorporated body to oversee the project. It is the process of applying for charity registration as a company limited by guarantee.

Many local partners are involved in the project, including:

· Blackwater Valley and Hart PCT

· Hampshire County Council (Education, Social Services, Youth Services)

· Hampshire Youth Bureau

· Hampshire and IOW Strategic Health Authority

· Pavilion Housing Association

· Rushmoor Borough Council

· Rushmoor Voluntary Services

· Surrey Hampshire Borders NHS Trust

· The Source

The nine programmes are:

Walking Bus and Breakfast Club

This programme is targeted at four schools. It is a co-ordinated and educational "walk to school" for children aged 3-11, followed by supervised breakfast based on adequate nutrition, re-hydration, tooth care and group activities. The main objectives are:

To improve nutrition; re-hydration; alertness and attendance at school.

To assist working parent with childcare; enhance physical activity and social interaction.

To provide supervised play and childcare.

Looking Good, Feeling Good

Directed at young people aged 12-16 the overall aim is to encourage a healthy lifestyle and increase self-esteem among young people in a fun and interactive way. Its objectives are:

To encourage young people to make the link between adopting a healthy lifestyle and "looking good"; to explore ways of "feeling good" without needing to resort to drugs and alcohol; to fund training for volunteers and others working with young people on this programme and to provide "sign posting" to locally available information and advice. The programme will be delivered through a series of workshops and events.

Youth Mentoring

The initiative is based on training volunteer members of the community to provide accessible support and mentoring to 14-21 year olds. One-to-one mentors will provide consistent and stable support for young people to enable them to make the often difficult transition from childhood to adulthood. It will aim to empower young people to make informed decisions about their lives. They will be helped to build the self-confidence and skills required for resolving common concerns of poor relationships, truancy and exclusion from school. Its main objectives are:

To reduce the occurrence of mental health problems; reduction of drugs and alcohol misuse; reduction of unwanted pregnancies. To promote higher self-esteem and greater confidence and the reduction of youth offending and homelessness.

Healthy Arts

This involves a range of arts and crafts courses and workshops including music therapy for those with mental health problems and art clubs such as after-school activities for 7-11 year olds. Other art forms will include painting, pottery, drama, dance, mosaics and creative textiles. The main objectives include:

Improving self-esteem; co-ordination and sense of achievement; improving physical activity; fitness and socialisation. The programme will link closely with all other appropriate programmes within the healthy living project.

Mayfield Community Amenity Area

This is a creation of a community amenity and recreation area on unimproved open space in the Mayfield ward. Extensive consultation with local residents has determined objectives such as:

Encouraging residents to take an interest in their surroundings; improving facilities available to children and families. Furthermore, to improve physical activity and mental health; provide an area for youth outreach and mentoring facilities and link with "Mayfield Drop-in" initiative and relevant programmes on drugs, alcohol and crime issues.

Physical Activity for Older Adults

This is a multifaceted and co-ordinated programme of physical activity opportunities for older adults, linked to existing and new activities. Indoor and outdoor activities include chair-based exercises; referral to "Exercise on Prescription"; group sessions such as Tai-chi; active transport programme like cycling and walking; door step walking; green gym garden clubs and allotments; walking the way to health schemes; links to dance and badminton clubs and to U3A activities. The outcomes include:

Improved protection against CHD, stroke, non-insulin dependent diabetes and osteoporosis; reduction in accidents; improved strength and co-ordination; reduction in depression; improved cognitive functioning; better weight control and promoting independence.

Clever Kiosks

Five touch-screen computers were planned to give access to health and social information, specific to the local area.

The benefits include: better access to information on anonymous health and social issues; increased public knowledge and access to services.

Pride of Place

A gardening tool and reference books resource library will be created in the North Town (former Belle Vue) ward. The initiative will enable the residents to look after their gardens and maintain the local environment. A programme to include children is also being developed. The overall objectives are:

Increased pride in environment and sense of belonging; community development and social inclusion; increase fitness and improve mental health.

Total Parents - Traffic Kids

This "good parenting" programme, targeted at young parents, is an ongoing programme of building trust with young parents. It addresses topics such as child development, parental skills, health and lifestyle messages on smoking, contraception, self-esteem, healthy eating, assertiveness and peer support.

The overall objectives are: prevention of unwanted pregnancies and reduced incidence of second and third unwanted births to teenagers; improved diet; quitting smoking and prompting confidence.

Felicity Hindson, MBE

Executive Member for Social Care

4IR590603