Hearty Lives Cookstown
Cookstown currently has higher rates
of early deaths from heart disease than the Northern
Ireland average.
Hearty Lives Cookstown is a
£225,000 project, working in partnership
with Cookstown District Council,
Northern Health
& Social Care Trust and the Public Health
Agency.
Our aim
To improve the heart health of people living in Cookstown and
the surrounding area. Our Heart Health Educator is working with a
range of local partners to set-up initiatives by:
- working to identify gaps in primary care services for
heart patients and providing support and advice to
primary care teams in Cookstown
- working in partnership with local companies to develop
innovative projects and programmes to improve heart
health
- working in partnership with the local community to increase
awareness of coronary heart disease and reduce the
risk of developing heart disease.
Success so far
Since the launch of Hearty Lives Cookstown in Autumn 2009 we
have been working hard to improve the heart health of people living
in the Cookstown area. Our achievements so far include:
- working with the Vion factory in Cookstown to improve the
health of their employees through smoking cessation services,
mental health first aid training, nutrition advice and zumba
classes
- working with key local groups to provide community activities
in Pomeroy and Loup, and heart health programmes for people with
learning disabilities
- holding a Flames:
Lighting the Way programme for pupils from Cookstown High
School and Holy Trinity College. 150 young people took part in
activities aimed at developing leadership skills, supporting local
people and improving heart health
- working closely with eight GP practices to identify priority
local health needs. This has included health screening for men
between 40 and 55, smokers and people who are unlikely to visit
their doctor
Our screening work has shown that by working in partnership,
individuals who are at particular risk of poor heart health can be
identified and given appropriate support and information.
More info
For more information about Hearty Lives
Cookstown please contact Area Development Manager Stephanie
Leckey at leckeys@bhf.org.uk.