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them to achieve positive improvements in their health and lifestyle.

Targeted Communities: The HEAL project effectively targets the most

disadvantaged areas as the Enterprise Centre is located in the heart of these communities. Trust is a huge hurdle when it comes to getting people to ‘step through the door’. As the Centre is a local facility, already well known and used by many residents, the barriers of the “unknown” are already removed and word of mouth between local residents is one of the most effective tools in engaging people with the project.

Whilst the HEAL project is aimed primarily at the disadvantaged and health deprived areas of South West Burnley, geographically the boundaries of the project also cover areas where residents enjoy higher socio-economic status. We do not turn anyone away from the activities offered on the grounds that they do not live in a disadvantaged or deprived location. As poor health issues are not exclusive to deprived communities and healthy living is something which practically the whole nation needs to address it is not considered that the project could serve to “widen the gap” between socio-economic groups.

Evaluation: Monitoring and evaluation of the HEAL project is ongoing and a

formal evaluation of the project, from conception to completion, will be carried out in the months prior to the end of the project.

Contact Details:

Christine Launder

South West Burnley Community Enterprise Ltd. +44 1282 42 84 99

[email protected]

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The Healthy Living Clinic is a free drop in clinic in Whitehaven, one of the most deprived wards in Cumbria. It operates on a weekly basis where a qualified practice nurse provides blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar monitoring and height/weight assessment for indications of obesity.

Aim: The aim is to provide support, information and advice to people on a Drop

In basis. To enable individuals to make informed choices about their own health and well being to reduce social exclusion and health inequalities through the provision of a free service which also encourages social integration.

Design: The Senhouse Centre ‘A Place for Healthy Living’ opened in 2000, after

working in partnership with BNFL, Community Action Network, local GP’s and The West Cumbria Development Fund, finance was secured to renovate a building for the centre. The purpose of the centre was to empower the whole community to improve their health through the provision of a large range of services aimed at helping the local community to make positive choices about health and well being and promote healthy living in the community. This holistic approach to health has been achieved by the use of the centre by a variety of therapists, counsellors and community groups using the facilities that supply a range of treatments and services.

When North Cumbria was designated as one of the first Health Action Zones in the country due to the average death from early heart disease and stroke being a major problem, funding was made available for projects that would have a direct impact on reducing death from these causes and in tackling obesity in the community which is on the increase and a major contributor to early death. The Whitehaven Community Trust set up a working group to create a service at the

Senhouse Centre that could provide assistance to the community to achieve the governments health objectives.

The Healthy Living Clinic commenced in September 2001 and is a free drop in clinic that has operated on a weekly basis where a qualified practice nurse provides blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar monitoring and height/weight assessment for indications of obesity. Advice is provided on healthy eating and exercise and a wide range of leaflets and information is available. The practice nurse will refer the client to their GP or another agency if the health screening identifies anything that requires further investigation. The Healthy Lifestyle Clinic is based in a central location easy to pop into when doing other business in town. The clinic offers an informal non medical setting where appointments are not necessary and time is available to discuss problems. Clients attend with problems that they think they do not want to ‘bother’ their GP with or are 'time wasting' to the GP which frequently lead to action being taken that contributes towards a healthier life style. The clinic has been well used since its inception providing a free service that is much needed in an area of deprivation.

Support: The Healthy Lifestyle Clinic commenced in September 2001 through

funding from New Opportunities, a further three years funding was granted on the basis of the success of the project from the Northern Rock Foundation.

Trigger: The Government’s White Paper on Health illustrated heart disease,

obesity and stress related diseases are on the increase in Britian with the Borough of Copeland and indeed North Cumbria being no exception. The Borough of Copeland is in the most deprived local authority list, unemployment is high and the area faces an uncertain economic future. North Cumbria was one of the first designated Health Action Zones in the country and the initiative to set up the ‘Healthy Lifestyle Clinic’ in 2001 was based on these factors.Case studies and statistics show the effectiveness of ‘The Healthy Life Style Clinic’ in early detection of problems such as cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes and heart problems from the subsequent referrals to GP’s. The literature and advice given at the clinic aims to promote good health and wellbeing among all local people,

Healthy Living Clinic

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