Burngreave Health Matters

The Burngreave Health Matters project is an initiative between Burngreave New Deal and the Primary Care Trust based on the following:

• Burngreave has worse health than other parts of Sheffield. There are high rates of emergency hospital admissions for heart disease, chest disease and mental ill health.

• People with long term health problems can be helped to cope with their symptoms and improve their quality of life. People at risk of developing illness can also be supported to change lifestyles and so protect their own and their families health and prevent illness.

• Access to health promotion, health education and appropriate and timely treatment can make real differences to individuals and the community making Burngreave a healthier place to live.

• Good health means prevention as well as cure and the Health Matters programme will work with other agencies to improve access to health services, increase healthy eating, physical activity, reduce smoking and social isolation.

• The Heath Matters programme will make best use of Burngreave’s greatest assets, its people, services and local resources to tackle inequalities in health.

The Burngreave “Health Matters” shop, located in Spital Hill, has been opened now for 3 months and in this time there have been a number of health drives set up for people in the Burngreave community to both increase and simplify access to healthy lifestyle initiatives.

The shop is now fully staffed with three health trainers, office manager, community development and health workers, smoking cessation specialist and a Food in Sheffield worker so that there are a number of citywide services represented in the shop.

So far the Health Matters shop have had over 75 people come through the door either wanting advice and information on their personal health, or to take away information for someone else. In fact, the uptake has been so quick that we are toying with the idea of searching for larger premises within the Burngreave area to cope with the demand that has been shown by community members and professionals.

There has been lots of consultation work done with the community which has resulted in the creation of a smoking cessation group and a drop in session. The group is in the afternoon 5.30pm till 6.30 pm to allow access to people who have full time jobs, the drop in session is run every Tuesday, 12.30pm till 2.30pm at the health shop.

The health shop is working with Sheffield City Council to support existing health walks in the area and encourage access to the walks.

The “Health Matters” staff are continuing to work with the local community to provide healthy lifestyle choices that are needed.

The Burngreave Health Matters shop can be contacted on:

• Telephone: 0114 2920464,

• E-mail: health.matters@hotmail.co.uk.

The shop is open Mon – Fri from 9.00am to 5.00pm.