Executive Member

EXECUTIVE MEMBER

REPORT TO COUNCIL

13TH JANUARY 2010

Healthy Town Programme

Since my last report, work has progressed on the design and proposed delivery of the seven new/expanded projects approved by the Healthy Town Programme Board in early November - as a direct result of the various social marketing exercises undertaken. These projects include:

· Cooking Skills programme,

· Hemlington community allotments,

· Allotment Intensive Tidy-up,

· Dance studio at the Rainbow Centre,

· Digital learning tool for use in primary schools (Tees Valley Dance),

· Additional funds for Community Initiatives Fund small grants scheme,

· ‘Addressing Perceptions’ promotional campaign.

In addition, scoping of other potential projects is continuing, particularly in respect of creating an additional programme management staffing resource, a new cycle mechanic/training officer post at the Cycle Centre and mini allotments in Albert Park and several other locations. It has been resolved that three other possible projects being considered will now be progressed and hopefully funded directly by NHS Middlesbrough rather than the Healthy Town Programme:

· Healthy Town Coordinator at James Cook University Hospital site,

· New Wellness equipment in the Council’s X4 Centres,

· Supply of arcade-style Dance Mat systems into all secondary schools in the town to facilitate a ‘dance- mat league’.

Work on existing projects continues to develop satisfactorily, and during the period promotional events took place at Abingdon and Easterside Primary Schools and at Newham Grange Farm, recognising the work of projects in three different Healthy Town themes. The projects in question were the ‘Walking Initiatives in Schools’, the ‘Mini Health Trainers’ and the ‘Newham Grange Walking and Cycling Centre’, and all three events showcased the excellent and far-reaching community engagement work taking place at grass-roots level via the projects.

The programme management team have also spent time liaising with representatives of the voluntary sector and the Council’s community regeneration team to improve linkages between the Healthy Town Programme and community groups so as to facilitate increased participation. As a result, a workshop session is being planned for January with the Health and Social Care VCS Forum.

A second workshop is being planned for all Healthy Town project leads later in January covering social marketing – the purpose being to give all leads a greater insight into the concept and techniques, which will enable them to constantly review progress of their project against the needs of their target audiences.

The Management Team has now recommended 21 grants, which I have signed off, under the Community Initiatives Fund scheme committing some £64,000 of grant to a wide range of community-based groups. The Community Health Development Workers who have been running this scheme are now planning a Healthy Town event in March 2010 to bring the groups together to explore the wider health needs of the beneficiaries and promote the wider Programme to a larger community-based audience.

Childhood Obesity

In November the Department of Health and the Department for Children, Schools and Families National Support Team visited Middlesbrough. They looked at the work that the Council, NHS Middlesbrough and others were doing in this important area. They identified a very large number of what were termed ‘local strengths’. These included leadership and commitment shown by the Mayor and Lead member and the strategic direction for healthy weight incorporated within the Local Area Agreement, The Children and Young People’s Plan and the World Class Commissioning priorities. This was underlined by the commitment to joint working demonstrated by the joint appointment of a Director of Public Health (Peter Heywood) and a strong and well-presented Joint Strategic Needs Assessment.

At a practical level it is clear to the Team that there was a strong understanding of the importance of healthy eating within schools and the wider community. The Green Space Strategy demonstrates the strong understanding and the role of physical activity in addressing healthy weight and the Local Transport Plan demonstrates the strong commitment to active travel. Of particular interest to the Team, which has identified them as potential good or innovative practice of interest to others, were the Healthy Weight Intervention Training Package and the Educational Facility promoting cooking and growing skills at Newham Grange Leisure Farm.

Notwithstanding this the Team identified the scale of the challenge that we face in Middlesbrough and in particular highlighted the reliance on short term funding that many of our projects depend upon, for example the Healthy Town Project. On balance all involved found the visit by the National Support Team to be encouraging and supportive and we look forward to progressing many of their ideas as business plans are developed in the coming months.

Communities For Health Initiatives Fund

Launched in April 2009, a fund of £50k was allocated for voluntary and community groups to apply for grants of up to £5000 to help them improve their health. The demand for grants highlighted the variety of health initiatives that voluntary and community groups wanted to set up or develop. Owing to the success of the original fund a further £30k was added through the Healthy Town programme and this has enabled more people to become involved in activities that help to improve their health.

To date, the Council’s Healthy Living Team has received 95 enquires about the scheme, 39 applications have been submitted and 21 applications have been approved. £65,000 has been awarded to groups for activities ranging from sporting activities such as fencing, football, rugby and cycling to keep fit sessions, cooking skills, enhanced mobility, dance, gardening and community allotments. The fund has also been used to help train people to deliver health and fitness sessions and improve key skills.

In 2010 the Community Protection Services Healthy Living Team will work closely with voluntary and community groups to help them develop their projects even further and encourage more people to eat well and move more.

SPORTS DEVELOPMENT

HooPLa-la

Middlesbrough College students were given a taste of HooPLa-La, a great new dance & fitness session organised by Joanne Jacques Middlesbrough’s Activity through Dance Officer and delivered by Vicki Ahmed, a dance professional for the programme. The session was fantastic fun and over 40 people, both students and lecturers attended. They all seemed to have a great time and in just one session were able to HooPLa-La without losing control! Due to the great work of the Press Office the event was attended by Look North, BBC Radio Tees and the Evening Gazette and even appeared on the BBC World News Service. The students have the opportunity to continue with this type of session in lunch breaks at Middlesbrough College and St Mary’s College.

HooPLa-La is part of Middlesbrough’s exciting new Activity Through Dance programme and in the past 6 weeks over 500 people have attended a taster session and are regularly enjoying the benefits of this fantastic fun dance and fitness session on a regular basis here in Middlesbrough

Whilst the emphasis is on fun, it is definitely a dance class with strong fitness undertones. The hoops are specially designed and weighted for fitness and can provide in a 30 minute session, the equivalent energy expenditure of running 3 miles. Hooping also provides core conditioning due to the constant movement of the weight around the abdomen.

Primary Sports Hall Athletics

Over 300 Year 5 and 6 children from across Middlesbrough took part in the 4th annual Middlesbrough Primary Schools’ Sports Hall Athletics Championships on Tuesday 3rd November. The event was organised by Middlesbrough Council’s Sports Development Team in partnership with the Rainbow Leisure Centre, Middlesbrough’s School Sports Partnership and Macmillan College. The day proved a big success with the first two teams in both the boys and girls events being invited to represent Middlesbrough in the Tees Valley Primary Schools’ Athletics Championships to take place at Eston Sports Academy in January. The results were as follows:

Boys

1st Pallister Park 214 points

2nd Chandlers Ridge 200

3rd Marton Manor 174

Girls

1st Pallister Park 212 points

2nd Marton Manor 198

=3rd Chandlers Ridge 188

=3rd Lingfield

Supporting Activity with Healthy Towns

Three of Sports Development’s community groups have been successful in bidding for ‘Community for Health’ funding through the Healthy Towns Project. The fund has been set up to help community and voluntary groups to develop their own health improvement activities enabling them to be more active and help them make healthy food choices.

All of the groups bid for, and received, £1,000. Two of the groups have put the funding toward instructor costs to enable sustainability of their programmes, whilst the third group has purchased £1,000 worth of equipment which will enhance the variety and quality of the session.

MUNICIPAL GOLF CENTRE

Greener Golf

With a grant from the Forestry Commission, Golf Centre staff and volunteers have planted 2000 whips (small trees) of various types to both enhance the layout of the golf course in the future and to play their part in contributing to a greener Middlesbrough.

As part of that planting scheme the Golf Centre took part in a world record attempt to plant as many trees as possible within one hour on Saturday 5th December 11.00am – 12 noon. That attempt was part of an event called Tree O'clock, which was organised by the BBC Breathing Spaces team as part of the National Tree Week in December.

The Golf Centre target was to plant 700 native woodland whips at the Golf Centre in that hour and 20 Volunteers and staff worked hard together to achieve the total within the time allotted. We will find out in the near future whether the record attempt was successful.

THE NEPTUNE

General Activities

It has been a very busy time for the Neptune Centre. They have delivered free activities for under 16s including Polo, filpper+floats, rookie lifeguard sessions and of course free casual swimming.

The newest course of free swimming lessons for the Over 60s, funded through the PCT and Middlesbrough Joint Improvement Programme also proved very popular.

Training Courses

As part of their commitment to training people to deliver sport, the Neptune has delivered an Amateur Swimming Association Level One Swimming Teachers Course and a Royal Lifesaving Pool Lifeguard Course.

Grant Funding

Sport Unlimited funding has allowed free induction and use of X4 Health and Fitness clubs during the last 10 weeks on Friday evenings for local children between the ages of 14-16. This has been very well received by all involved.

Galas

The Neptune has also hosted the English Schools Gala on 19th November. This was really successful and was attended by schools from around the country. The flooding almost caused the event to be cancelled, however, most schools took part except for those from Cumbria.

BRENDA THOMPSON

EXECUTIVE MEMBER FOR PUBLIC HEALTH AND SPORT