Promoting Well Being

7 October 2010

New Health and Wellbeing Project to REACH out to Local People

A new project was launched recently which will work with individuals, families and communities across the Southern Trust Area to improve their health and wellbeing.

 The REACH (Regenerating Environments and Communities’ Health) project has been funded in the Southern Area for 5 years with a grant of just under £1 million from the Big Lottery Fund's Safe and Well programme.

REACH will help people faced with inequalities in health such as people with a disability, people with a mental health problem, ethnic minority groups including Travellers and disadvantaged families and individuals, to improve their health and wellbeing. The project aims to help thousands of people in the next 5 years to increase health awareness, knowledge and skills and improve health behaviour to allow people to make positive lifestyle changes.

Mrs Mairead McAlinden, Acting Chief Executive, Southern Health and Social Care Trust, speaking at the launch event said; “The Trust is delighted to be involved in this innovative project which will benefit thousands of people in the Southern Trust Area. The REACH Project is a partnership between a number of organizations committed to working together to improve the health and wellbeing of the most disadvantaged people in our communities.”

REACH aims to improve people’s health and wellbeing by delivering a range of programmes on physical activity, healthy eating, cooking skills and weight management. REACH also includes other innovative schemes such as the Green Gym, provided by Conservation Volunteers Northern Ireland. This scheme involves communities in practical conservation work such as: managing woodland, wildlife gardening and growing food.

Barbara Boardman, Director Conservation Volunteers said; “The natural environment holds many positives elements to influencing and improving people’s health.  We are thrilled to be working in partnership on the REACH Programme, to incorporate our Green Gym to benefit local people, improving their health and their living environment.”

Frank Hewitt, the Big Lottery Fund's NI Chair said: "The grants awarded under the Safe and Well programme mark a major investment by the Big Lottery Fund into creating partnerships to run innovative projects to boost the health and well-being of Northern Ireland's most disadvantaged communities. I am delighted that the REACH project is supporting some of the most disadvantaged communities across the Southern Trust area."

The Reach Teams are employed by Southern Health and Social Care Trust and Conservation Volunteers NI and hosted by partners in the project.

For more information on the project please contact Stephen Dallas (CB) – Tel: 028 3839 2777, Donna Sloan (NM) – Tel: 02830 261022, Ellen Morton (A&D) 028 8772 9690