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Community health is centre of attention at major seminar
In Northern Ireland there are 19 Healthy Living Centres (HLCs) all of which are operating to reduce health inequalities. They improve health by engaging residents through community development approaches and focusing on local health needs. These valuable HLCs were the centre of attention at the Healthy Living Centres: the fully engaged scenario seminar held in Belfast today.
Speaking at the seminar, Danny Power, Chair of the Healthy Living Centre Regional Alliance (HLCRA), said: “The concept for HLCs was that they should be used as a method of including local people in health and wellbeing programmes, which allowed them to ultimately take responsibility for their own health. HLCs are both physical and virtual involving local people in the planning and design of health programmes in an effort to maximise cooperation between the local community and statutory organisations. HLCs have proved to be successful since their establishment and have given many people in the community the vital lifeline they need at a very important time in their life.
“The success and substantial impact of the HLC initiatives have been recognised by the fact that many of the services are now being funded by the Health and Social Services Boards. There are numerous initiatives going on in all the centres with many resulting in local people taking a more responsible approach to their health and tackling the serious issues that affect their lives. A significant number of projects are helping people in disadvantaged communities access vital health services for possibly the first time in years and this is a major achievement.”
The HLCs all supply a wide range of services for their people and are seen as local flagships for health in the community, involving those who are often excluded from opportunities for better health. HLCs emerged as a result of a Government initiative in 1999. The Big Lottery Fund (BIG) was responsible for the development and delivery of the Healthy Living Centre Programme in Northern Ireland representing an investment of £13.5 million.
Dr Leslie Boydell, Associate Director for the Institute of Public Health in Ireland, said: “A recent evaluation of Healthy Living Centres in Northern Ireland carried out by the Institute concluded that they are good value for money and the centres are providing services to substantial numbers of people living in disadvantaged communities, improving their health and wellbeing and helping to create community cohesion.”
In Northern Ireland one in four of the population, that’s almost 440,000 people, live within the catchment area of an HLC and can take advantage of their services which cover health issues including smoking cessation, mental health, physical activity, nutritional advice and sexual health.
Taking one example, ARC Healthy Living Centre, Irvinestown, along with associated projects, has provided services to over 50,000 people in the Fermanagh area and has become known as a ‘service delivery hub’. It caters for many community needs ranging from Sure Start right up to services for older people. These services are made accessible to rural dwellers through the provision of a transport and childcare infrastructure. The most significant achievement is the contribution this particular HLC makes to reducing the health gap between richer and poorer people in the area.
Over 100 delegates attended the seminar during which they had the opportunity to see the work carried out by HLCs by viewing a DVD which gave the organisations the chance to showcase the services they provide to the community. While giving an overview of what the centres provide it also enabled the viewer to gain a real insight as to how a particular service can have a dramatic impact on an individual’s life.
The seminar enabled those attending to share and reflect on experiences and learning gained over the past five years of the HLCs programme and to jointly consider how the momentum could be taken forward. The HPA, the Institute of Public Health in Ireland and BIG supported the HLCRA with this event. Details about the work of HLCs and the HLCRA can be found by visiting: www.healthpromotionagency.org.uk/Resources/alliances/hlc_brief2006.htm
ENDS
Notes to the editor:
There will be a media facility at the Maureen Sheehan Centre, Belfast on Thursday 19 April between 11.00 and 11.30am when a number of speakers will be available for interview.
Copies of the DVD viewed at the seminar will be available by contacting the HPA.
Research conducted by the Institute of Public Health in Ireland, 2006. A summary of the evaluation is available at www.publichealth.ie2007.
For further information contact:
Jenny Dougan or Rosie McGaughey on 028 9031 1611 or Danny Power on 07879 882292.
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