A groundbreaking project is set to help people in Hastings & Rother to lead healthier and longer lives.
NHS Hastings and Rother and NHS East Sussex Community Health Services are launching a new Health Trainer service, which will see specifically trained local people helping others in their community to lead a healthier lifestyle.
The team of Health Trainers are local people who have lived or worked in the areas they will serve and so understand the issues people in their neighbourhood face when it comes to making a change to their lifestyles.
Stuart Ramsbottom, Health Promotion Commissioning Specialist with NHS Hastings and Rother says:
“The Health Trainer service is a fantastic way of giving people one to one support to help them lead healthier and longer lives, whether that means giving up smoking, drinking responsibly, taking more exercise, eating healthily, improving their mental wellbeing, or looking after their sexual health.
The Health Trainers have all undergone an extensive training programme including gaining the nationally accredited Level 3 City and Guilds Health Trainer Certificate with Hastings College.
This means they can help people in their neighbourhood decide what aspect of their lifestyle they would like to change, identify any barriers to making that change and then draw up a personalised plan with realistic and achievable goals.”
Hayley Martin, the Health Trainer Co-ordinator NHS East Sussex Community Health Services, adds:
“The Health Trainers will be able to do much more than simply providing basic information or guiding people to the right local service.
They will be able to give people lots of encouragement and personal support, including going with people to visit a service or start a new activity, and perhaps most importantly they will have time to listen and help people achieve big differences through small and gradual steps.”
The Heath Trainers will offer their service to anyone over 18 in areas including Sidley and Bexhill, Greater Hollington, Central St Leonards and Gensing, East and Central Hastings, and Rye (where the service will be targeting older adults only).
Sophie Willis, Health Trainer in the Greater Hollington area says:
“I know all the Health Trainers are keen to get out and support people in our neighbourhoods to lead healthier lifestyles.
Having been there ourselves we know how hard it can be to make changes, let alone sticking to them.
Receiving that little bit of extra support and encouragement could make all the difference.”
If you would like more information, please visit :
www.eastsussexhealthtrainers.nhs.uk or contact:
Hayley Martin,
Health Trainer Co-ordinator,
NHS East Sussex Community Health Services
Tel 01424 457133
E-mail healthtrainers@hastingsrotherpct.nhs.uk
