The project focuses on residents living in Norley Hall, Worsley Hall and Marsh Green areas of the Wigan borough.
Community health and support workers help people in the local community to find ways to improve their overall health (including poverty, housing, the environment, stress, feeling alone and unfair discrimination). They are also involved in a range of activities that promote physical and mental health and wellbeing.
Community health and support workers also play an important role in getting health information out to parents and community groups in the area, including: stop smoking, healthy eating, physical activity, safety and information packs as part of campaign weeks (e.g. child safety week)
Physical activity sessions are also provided – for the parent and toddler groups this has included:
For older people’s groups, this has included sessions run by the Active Living Team, walks in green spaces and tea dances. Most of the sessions are free.
Activities
(Healthy snacks are provided in all the sessions they run or are involved in, which follow Sure Start Food Policy guidelines)
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Sunshine babies (Monday morning 10.00am - 11.30am)
The aim of this session is to have a relaxed, informal atmosphere for parents to meet with their babies, with the opportunity to discuss their babies’ development, concerns and to source information. The Staff provide information on child development, healthy eating, play and stimulation.
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Get fit get active (Monday afternoon 1.00pm – 2.30pm)
This session’s aim is to get the message across at an early age about the importance of physical activity. With children having an opportunity to interact with their peers, have fun and learn. While their parents also learn about health related matters and pick up ideas of different things to do with their children. These sessions are for preschool children in term time, and older children are welcome in the holidays.
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Sunshine kids parent and toddler group (Tuesdays from 9.30am – 11.30am term time only for pre school children)
The main aim of the groups is to provide an opportunity for parents to meet other parents and to engage in enjoyable activities with their child. The groups offer: toys and books, art and craft, song time, healthy snacks, health information and visiting speakers.
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Tuneful Tots
This session takes place on a Wednesday 1.00 – 3.00. the session is for parents of babies and toddlers to get to get together for a sing song with their children. You will also have the opportunity to have a chat to friends and staff in a relaxed atmosphere. As with the other groups a healthy snack is offered during the session.
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Sunbeams group (Friday mornings from 9.30am – 11.30am)
This group is targeted at vulnerable families who do not access other groups. The group is run by two community health workers and offers a similar range of activities to Sunshine Kids. However, group members need to be signposted to the group by a health visitor, 0-11 service, Homestart etc. Members are offered one-to-one support and numbers are kept below 12 ( 6 adults and 6 children).
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Teenage pregnancy group (Tuesday afternoon 1.30pm – 4.00pm at Westfield’s Children’s Centre)
The senior and community health worker attend the sessions to provide information and engage with the parents, we run the session along side of the midwife who delivers parent craft sessions. Once the parents have had their babies we provide information about healthy food, weaning, child development and arrange guest speakers. The work take place in a separate room to the pregnant mothers.
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Men and children’s group (Alternate Saturday morning from 10.00am -11.30am)
These sessions are a joint initiative with Westfield’s Children Centre. The sessions take place at the children centre. All male carers and their children have the opportunity to play, undertake craft activities, and spend quality time together, as with all the other groups, health information is given out and sign posting takes place. Some of the men engaging in the sessions come from the contact centre which runs at the same time.
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Weaning group
These sessions usual takes place in a community venue (depending on demand). Because they are run on demand, please get in touch if you have a new baby and you are looking for practical support with weaning. They run 4 sessions with this targeted group cooking food which is healthy and appropriate for the whole family, health advice and general discussion about age appropriate food is provided as well as recipes suitable for babies.
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Cook and taste
These sessions usually take place in a community venue such as Norley community Centre, they are a structures 6 week course lasting 2 hours each. The sessions usually get booked up quickly so ring if you are interested. Here you will learn about and cook healthy cheap meals, you will also have your evening meal ready to take home after the session.
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Summer and holiday activities
The project now delivers sessions during the summer holidays and half terms, these will be advertised as and when they are organised.
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Support for parent and toddler groups.
The project also supports a network of parent and toddler groups in the area: St. Mark’s (2 groups), Marsh Green (2 groups), Bramble House and St. Francis. This involves looking at their needs and organising a programme of activities for each of the groups and evaluating the activities at the end of the year. The art and craft activities are provided and run by community health workers.
Please use the contact details below for more information on the projects and activities:
