Free passes to leisure and swimming, blood pressure tests, health MOTs and advice from a range of experts will be on offer when Westbury Area Board stages its very own health and wellbeing fair.
The event, which will be at the Laverton, takes place from 4.30pm on Thursday 9th October.
The first two hours will feature the Health Fair, with a variety of stands representing local charities and organisations who are dedicated to supporting a healthy lifestyle.
They will be on hand to provide advice, information, quizzes and much more, ranging from support for an older relative, help to shift a pound or two, information about local exercise and activity sessions or simply checking your blood pressure.
You can try your hand at exercise machines, get a free seven day pass for swimming and leisure and find out about a range of activities to suit you – whether that’s zumba, aerobics or a peaceful swim in the town’s Victorian pool.
There will be more than 20 stalls on offer with a whole range of health and wellbeing information. Organisations taking part range from the White Horse Health Centre through to the local walking group. There will also be information and help on some of the specific issues affecting the community – such as encouraging healthy eating for children and raising awareness about domestic abuse.
A dementia awareness session will provide an opportunity to gain an understanding about dementia and how you can use this in practical ways in your daily life.
When the area board starts at 6.30pm it will kick off with a film and presentation from members of Wiltshire’s Health & Wellbeing Board about the new proposals to enable people to stay active and well and supported in their own home and their local community as long as they wish.
The area board meeting will be slightly shorter than usual but will feature updates on the changes to youth services, latest traffic and transport news, funding applications for grants and updates from partners, including the police. For more information just go online to see the agenda at www.wilt shire.gov.uk/areaboards
Area board chairman David Jenkins said, “If you, a family member, friend or neighbour are concerned about their health or that of people they care for, then this special health and wellbeing event will be of interest to you. People can just drop in or come from the whole evening – everyone is very welcome.”
Programme of events:
4.30pm – 6.30pm Health Fair (to include refreshments)
5.45pm – 6.30pm Dementia Awareness Session
6.30pm – 7.15pm Better Care presentation
7.15pm – Westbury area board
Any queries please contact community area manager Sally Hendry on 07768 027265 or email sally.hendry@wiltshire.gov.uk
Westbury and health
Statistics about lifestyle and health turned a spotlight on the wellbeing of people living in the Westbury area.
Not only did it show that local people take less sports and active recreation than the Wiltshire average, but it also highlighted issues from breastfeeding to childhood obesity.
For instance, the percentage of overweight and obese children measured in Reception Year in schools in Westbury at 25.2% is above the Wiltshire average of 21%.
But there was good news too – for instance Westbury has a high number of children walking and cycling to school.
The Joint Strategic assessment report which demonstrated a range of health and wellbeing statistics led to the area board committing to tackle issues that had been identified as priorities by local people. These range from increasing access to the countryside, walking and cycling routes to raising awareness of domestic abuse.
Become Dementia aware
People coming along the health fair will get the chance to learn more about dementia.
A Dementia Champion trained through the Alzheimer’s Society national awareness programme, will be hosting a special presentation to make everyone more dementia aware.
The presentation will include mythbusting misinformation and misconceptions around dementia, explaining how it affects people and how we can all help by becoming more aware.
It will also provide information about where friends, relatives and carers can go for more information and support. At the end of the lively and interesting session, people will be able to sign up being a dementia friend if they wish.
The presentation starts at 5.45pm – just turn up if you would like to take part.
