Game Changer

It was the hottest day of the year so far on 19th July 2016 and I spent the morning back at primary school, with the Widnes Vikings squad, outside in the sun. The purpose of the morning was to launch Game Changer, an innovative  project that has come from our CCG's work with the Cheshire and Merseyside Women's and Children's Services Partnership and with Widnes Vikings. The programme works with children of a primary school age and was launched at Weston Primary School. Game Changer has a specific focus on using the power of sport to engage with the most deprived and disadvantaged groups with a core focus on providing physical activity and social engagement opportunities to those most at need. We are starting with rugby league but the concept is replicable into any sporting arena.

The Game Changer programme aims to make children fitter and healthier, promote inclusiveness and reduce isolation and increase mental resilience. The specifics of delivery are developed with each school and tailored to their needs but the main thrust of the programme is to encourage children to be physically active for 8o minutes each day and take up healthy options for food drink. By using the brand of the local sports club and their players and coaching staff, in this case Widnes Vikings, this increases engagement and the club is able to give something to the local community.

Thanks very much to Weston Primary School for hosting the launch of Game Changer, there were some very excited and engaged children throughout the day. Thanks also to James Rule, Chief Executive, Widnes Vikings and to Denis Betts, Head Coach, Widnes Vikings and their coaching staff and players for their support for this project.  

Simon Banks

Halton People’s Health Forum

Every three months or so we host the Halton People’s Health Forum.  These meetings are planned by a steering group of local residents and are one of the ways in which we engage with our local communities.  The steering group sets the agenda, asks key speakers to attend and, with our support as a CCG, run the events.

The Halton People’s Health Forum has been running for around four years now.  The next meetings are on Tuesday 12^th July 2016, starting at 5pm, in The Brindley, Runcorn and Thursday 14^th July 2016 in Halton Stadium, staring at 1pm.  These meetings are open to the public.

The forthcoming meetings will focus on our work as a CCG with arts and culture in the borough, we will also hear from our local Director of Public Health on the refresh of the borough’s health and wellbeing strategy.  Finally, there will also be a session on our One Halton programme and the work we are undertaking with our partners to improve the health and wellbeing of the people of Halton.

For more information on the Health Forums please contact Alex.schofield@haltonccg.nhs.uk

Contributions recognised

Congratulations to our Chair, Dr Cliff Richards, was named in the list of Members of the Order of the British Empire in the Her Majesty The Queen’s Birthday Honours List on 11^th June 2016.  Dr Richards received the award for service to healthcare.

Congratulations also to Owen Ashworth, Administrative Assistant (Communication & Engagement), NHS Halton CCG. Owen was ‘crowned’ as Innovation Champion in the Widening Engagement category of the Adult Learner’s Week North West Awards in Health and Care 2016.  These awards are supported by the Innovation Agency (Academic Health Science Network for the West Coast) and NHS Health Education England. Owen is an integral and much respected team member who firmly believes disability rights should be at the top of the NHS’s agenda and is helping make this happen by example.

We are really proud to work with both Cliff and Owen. Well done.

Owen receiving his award, photo justjaqphotography@gmail.com

Dr Cliff Richards MBE