Thanks to funding from the NHS Psychological Support Fund and the Cumbria COVID-19 Response Fund, ICan Health and Fitness CIC has created a series of 12 podcasts to help people manage their wellness better. 

The series features important conversations with local health and wellbeing experts and guest speakers with lived experience sharing their stories. Topics include stress management, mental health, mindfulness and bereavement. 

Find out more on their website here...

North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) volunteers, Ben and Nicola, are members of the organisation's Patient and Public Panel (PPP) and both work for Deafway, a Preston-based charity for deaf people. Ben is profoundly deaf and uses British Sign Language (BSL) to communicate.

Ben volunteers in the influence level of involvement in the PPP, which means he regularly participates in meetings, including NWAS' Cumbria and Lancashire area learning forums and digital strategy sessions.

“I work as a communities engagement officer for Deafway, helping to improve access for the deaf community who face so many barriers in their daily lives.

“Joining the PPP allowed me to engage with NWAS and give the deaf community a voice. NWAS already has a text 999 service for deaf people, which is fantastic. I’m currently working with colleagues there to improve the pictorial handbook – a tool for ambulance crews to use to help patients who are hard of hearing or may have language barriers.”

Nicola is Ben’s manager and also volunteers in our influence level and has supported several projects;  “I have been working for Deafway for many years as their fundraising and development manager. We help provide support for people who are deaf, particularly by promoting equal access in all parts of society.

“We’re also really pushing service providers to become more deaf-aware. If you’re a profoundly deaf British Sign Language-user (BSL), the obstacles to accessing services are pretty profound as BSL is very different from standard English.

Joining the PPP has enabled Deafway to work more closely with NWAS to help them to increase accessibility for deaf patients.”

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Wellness Walks is a new initiative and unique collaboration between a lovely lady called Jo, Cumbria CVS’s Living With and Beyond Cancer and Lakeland Mountain Guides. The fully guided walks have been designed for three specific groups of people, those recovering from Cancer, Carers, and those who are bereaved, providing informal walking groups where people can connect.

The idea of Wellness Walks came from Jo. Jo experienced cancer as a carer and later as a bereaved person. In caring for someone with cancer, Jo believed that walking was a good method of getting gentle exercise to rebuild fitness after surgery and treatment; literally starting with small steps and working up to longer walks. In doing so, Jo has enjoyed the benefits of walking outdoors herself. Jo says “Walking is fantastic for well-being and something I do regularly, I think many people have found walking and being in the outdoors hugely beneficial in difficult times, particularly we have all witnessed how much it has helped so many through the last 12 months.”  

The first 3 dates for the Wellness Walks are:

• Group 1: Patients in recovery: May 20th 9.30 start
• Group 2: Bereavement walk May 24th 9.30 start
• Group 3: Carers Walk 9th June 9.30 start

The route chosen is just over three miles and should take about three hours. It’s a mixture of walking through fields, on rugged trails and lakeshore paths. The route involves some short ascents, but these are rewarded with some spectacular views. Suitable for people of all hillwalking experience and a basic level of fitness is required. 

If you are interested in joining or for more information, please email janem@cumbriacvs.org.uk or message the Facebook or Instagram pages: @wellness_walks_cumbria

#FusePAW The Power of Football: Improving Health and Physical Activity in the Community

Tuesday 18 May 2021, 14:00 to 16:30

With representatives from the North East Football Foundations of Middlesbrough FC, Newcastle United FC and Sunderland AFC

In the UK, the gap in health inequalities is widening. This is particularly true in groups who are often termed ‘marginalised’. A reluctance to engage in traditional health services, the lack of trust in health professionals or the failure of individuals to recognise that they have poor health in the first place may be amongst the reasons for health inequalities. Local football may play an integral role in closing this gap, especially in men.

The power and passion of football in local communities is often inter-generational. Some of the earliest memories of adults are of walking up the steps of a football stadium and in the words of Sir Bobby Robson, “gawping at that hallowed stretch of turf beneath him, and without being able to do a thing about it, falling in love.” Many Club Community Organisations (CCOs) use this love to engage individuals within communities and deliver positive health messages. Authors of the validated Men’s Health intervention “Football Fans in Training” described the power local football had in recruiting and retaining men.

The next Fuse Physical Activity Workshop will focus on how CCOs can engage marginalised audiences and deliver interventions to improve health and physical activity in the community.

This event will take place on the Zoom platform with video or dial in options available.

Find out more and register here...