News

HEALTH CHALLENGE WALES IN GHANA

In August 2011 Angela Davies, Bridgend Borough Council Children and Young Peoples Partnership Manager, and her daughter Kathryn visited Ghana as volunteers. They spent their time teaching children in a summer school where the children made good use of some Health Challenge Wales promotional materials. Angela & Kathryn were able to promote health and wellbeing through physical activities that were both fun and educational.

Angela says ‘It was such a rewarding and humbling experience I would recommend it!!’

Click above to see picture.

ABMU Third Sector Mental Health Forum

- Presents -

A Third Sector, Service User and Carer event for the ABMU Community

8^th November 2011 - at Neath Port Talbot CVS

(Ty Margaret Thorne, 17-19 Alfred Street,

Neath, SA11 1EF)

Context

Bridgend, Neath Port Talbot and Swansea County Voluntary Councils wish to ensure that the thirds sector organisations, service users and carers have the opportunity to be informed and to influence the future planning of mental health services across the ABMU community.

Following the developments within the mental health measure, a number of key areas of work have been progressed within the mental health field, and as a regional forum we wish to ensure that these proposals are showcased to the sector for comments.

This event aims to inform delegates specifically about

- the triage developments and the role of the third sector, service users and carers

- update on the mental health measure

- changing for the better – consultation on ABMU mental health services.

Who should attend?

Third sector organisations, service user and carers interested in mental health developments across the ABMU community.

To book please complete the booking form and return to stuartburgejones@bavo.org.uk

Love2Walk festival back in Bridgend

The Love2Walk festival will return to Bridgend County Borough this October to celebrate the joy of walking – why not come along and experience the outstanding views, flora and fauna and landmarks that the county has to offer?

The festival, which is developed by a partnership of community organisations, private businesses and Bridgend County Borough Council, is set to be the biggest yet.

Walkers will have the opportunity to take part in over 40 walks to explore all areas of Bridgend County Borough from the 1 – 9 October 2011. Each walk will offer a different experience so there will be something available for all ages, abilities and interests.

New walks have been introduced on to the 2011 programme which includes zorbing on water, astronomy, archaeology and a dairy farm walk.

The programme also features the most popular walks from the last two years – ‘Ghostly Encounters’, ‘Wild Food Foraging’ and ‘Go Batty at Bryngarw’ plus a range of other favourites such as Nordic waking, and scenic and industrial heritage walks.

Love2Walk is also offering an opportunity to win a break in a Romany Caravan by entering a competition on Facebook. All you have to do is upload a photograph or video of your favourite walks in Wales and explain what makes them great.

Most walks will be free of charge and led by expert local guides. For further information contact love2walk@bridgend.gov.uk or visit www.love2walk.co.uk

This project has been funded by Reach Rural Development Programme, Bridgend County Borough Council and Capital Region Tourism.

Supported by Reach, Bridgend County Borough Council and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.

Part of the Love2walk festival

Visit our website for more information

and a booking form

www.bridgendlions.org.uk/walkinthepark

Or phone Tony on 07780 940033

Lions Club of Bridgend

A Walk in the Park or…... run if you like

Sunday 9th October from 2pm

Image by Martin Aaron @ BBC Wales Nature

Join Derek Brockway,

Wales’ favourite weatherman

and raise money for your favourite charity

or community group.

Chose from 1, 2 and 3 mile routes

At Bryngarw Park, Brynmenyn

A range of Arts and Crafts from throughout Bridgend will be on display to view and purchase. Free live performances will be running

throughout the afternoon as well as a free Arts workshops using

recycled materials from the park

Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board, local authority and third sector colleagues across the region are working collaboratively to develop a Celebrating Mental health Conference in conjunction with World Mental Health Day 2011.

Celebrating Positive Mental Health Conference is being designed to show case projects / services of good practice during the morning of the 7^th of October 2011 in Bridgend Recreation Centre (9am-1.30pm). The focus is to celebrate, promote and raise the awareness of Mental health Services and in this case to celebrate what it is we do well. This event has been designed to provide that platform, and key note speakers have been selected from a large number of abstracts submitted to the planning board. These projects/services will be show cased and a number of other organizations will be there on the day promoting services they provide.

"Achieving rural health and wellbeing - responding to a changing world”

What are you doing to celebrate?

The week aims to celebrate the successes as well as to raise awareness of the challenges involved in delivering health and care services to dispersed rural communities. Rural Health Week is designed to raise the profile of rural health issues locally, regionally and nationally by bringing together people at all levels, from individuals and voluntary organisations to health professionals and local government workers.

See below or click below for details of ERIC course for youg people

Bridgend Love 2walk Challenge 2011

Results

We are very pleased to announce the overall results for Love2walk. This is a combined result for the January and February Starts. Over 200 million steps were taken.

Team Results

The table (click below) contains the individual results for all the Teams. Special mention must be made to the Arachnids, Diana’s Dawdlers, Proclaimers, February walking Wounded, and Movers and Groovers who all scored over 99 ranking points, which involved both achieving a large number of steps , but also throughout the challenge consistently increasing the number of steps.

Individual Results

The table (clicks below) contains the individual results for the top 25 individuals. Special mention must be made to David Baraclough, Ian David, Terri Davies, Wayne Morris and Helen Rees who all scored over 440 ranking points, which involved both achieving a large number of steps , but also throughout the challenge consistently increasing the number of steps.

In order to mark the achievement of individuals who walked the most steps, and those who increased their steps during the challenge we have produced the final league table containing both elements. As there were 248 individuals involved the person with the most steps was given 248 ranking points, and the person with least steps 1 ranking point. The % improvement was based on using the steps achieved in the first week as a way of estimating the number of steps that would be taken during the whole 12 weeks. This was called the projected runs, and if the actual steps achieved was greater than the estimate this would be an improvement. The person with the greatest improvement had 248 ranking points, and the person that had the lowest improvement had 1 ranking point. The ranking scores for both elements were then added together.

Congratulations to you all.

The Love2walk Results are out click below for details.

The new ABM-wide GP Out-of-Hours Service being launched in July will have a single new telephone number covering Bridgend, Neath Port Talbot and Swansea.

The new number, 0330 123 9180, is a local charge rate number for landlines and mobile phones. It comes into effect from 6.30pm on Monday, 4^th July.

Patients and the public are asked to make a note of the number for future reference. In addition, their local GP surgeries will have the number on an Out of Hours voicemail message in the same way as for current arrangements.

The Arts can make a very positive substantial difference to health, and can also help recovery. Click below for information.