Community Health Action Partnership (CHAP) through the `Can Do
Projects` supports local people of all ages in Charlestown and Lower
Kersal to make a difference to the health and well being of their
community. CHAP invests resources directly into helping people run
short term projects.
How does it work?
The community are invited along to a planning event where they are
asked to think of ideas for a project that they can work on with family or friends. Help will be given to turn their idea into a project that will last for three months, and they will be provided with the support and resources needed. When a project idea is accepted, a grant of up to
£1,000 will be made available and work can commence on the
project immediately.
What are CHAP looking for?
Projects that will tackle, or begin to tackle, an issue that affects
your health or that of your friends or neighbours e.g smoking control,healthy eating, physical exercise (all ages) etc.
For further information contact Cath Saunders on 0161 743
0088.
Previous Can Do Projects
Fit Kidz – Weekly keep fit fun for 5-11 year olds.
Leader: Jane Passmore
This project set out to show young people that GETTING FIT IS FUN! Over 30 young people registered for the project, and 20 became regular attenders.
Community Sculpturing –
Stimulating confidence through sculpture
Leader: Ron Cohen
People from Duchy House and the Young Persons Project worked together
to plan, design and produce a sculpture, enabling delegates to increase their confidence and rediscover personal skills.
Nutritional Advice –
Improving healthy by improved eating.
Leader: Mary Connor
Weekly classes on Nutrition helped local people to understand, in plain language, what can go wrong when people do not eat a nutritional diet.One to one sessions helped people manage specific illnesses by improving their nutrition.
Multi-Cultural Cookery
– Exciting multi-cultural cooking for all.
Leader: Miwanda Bagenda
This project set out to teach people about multi-cultural healthy food using available ingredients on a limited budget. A group of local women, including refugees and asylum seekers, led the project and trained 11 local people in Basic Food Hygiene. The group have
discovered new reasons for getting together too, such as art, exercise, drama and shared cultural events.
Sink or Swim – Swimming lessons for those aged over 40
Leader: Lesley Wheeldon
This CHAP project aimed to improve the health of local people aged over 40 by teaching them to swim and providing a weekly opportunity for swimming exercise. Eleven people, aged between 56 and 82 registered for the course, and an average of 9 people attended weekly for 10 sessions.
Baby Massage – Stress reduction for babies and parents
Leader: Shelley McGuiness
The Baby Massage project set out to improve babies’ and
mothers’ physical and mental health by teaching mothers how
to massage their babies.
Nit Wits – Advice,training and packs to banish head lice.
Leaders: Danielle Hough/Jean Elliott
Practical demonstrations on hair care were coupled with professional
advice and free hair care products in an attempt to banish head lice
from the local area.
Stress Busters –
Pampering techniques for all.
Leader: Gilli Gladman
These sessions were offered as 'health tasters' to encourage local
people to participate in a complementary approach to health by learning easy stress management techniques.
Saturday School –
Helping the children of refugees and asylum seekers to improve their
learning.
Leader: Donna Hewitt
This project was established to give children of refugees and asylum
seekers an opportunity to improve their learning in a safe, supportive environment. It aimed to improve the language skills and confidence of children to enable them to integrate fully into their social surroundings. Over 50 children have regularly attended the classes, assisted by 7 volunteers.
My Time – Art project
for Mothers
Leader: Liz Shone
My Time was a pilot art project to support new mothers by allowing them time for themselves while learning a new skill.
Visions of Health –
Photography & Video Project
Leader: Barry Jones
This project aimed to build a photographic record of NDC and CHAP
events -a living archive of health related initiatives undertaken by
NDC. Projects have been photographed, and an archive maintained.