Community Health Champions video transcript

Sheffield Community Health Champions forms part of the regional Altogether Better programme.

There are 12 host organisations in Sheffield co-ordinated by the Sheffield Wellbeing consortium in partnership with Sheffield City Council and NHS Sheffield.

Healthy Cross Community Project is one of these host organisations, supporting Health champions in North Sheffield.

Nigel: “We’re here at the Healthy Cross community project in north Sheffield we’ve got a group of people who are about to go on a healthy family activity session with some of the community health champions that are based here, we’ve got several of the health champions with us.

“One of the ideas behind this programme is that some of the areas around the city, what we’ve discovered is that the life expectancy is about 10 or 12 years less than it is in other parts of Sheffield.

“There’s no real reason for that, it doesn’t have to be that way.

“I’ve brought Michelle and Sarah in…”

Michelle and Sarah: “We’ve just spoken to a lady called Siama who’s hoping to raise awareness of childhood immunisations, mostly MMR as currently figures are really low within our community and surroundings.

“We’ve also been doing buddying support on a course called ICDH which is Introduction to Community Development and Health That’s just about giving extra support and one to one support for people with low confidence, low self esteem.”

Nigel: “I’ve got Paul Nash with me now who’s another of the health champions. So what kind of activities are you involved in, what are you running here?”

Paul: “Over the last 6 weeks I’ve actually got a golf session up and running, through myself, it’s basic instruction, they’re obviously gaining a bit of fitness through it, building their confidence and self esteem, some of them have become really empowered through it. Also leading to them taking up other activities.”

Nigel: “That’s excellent, so you’re hoping that you might get some paid work in this area and bring these skills to a paid job?”

Paul: “Yes, I think that’s the main goal, but obviously I’m enjoying my time with Healthy Cross helping people along the way.”

Nigel: “We’ve got Mick with us now, Mick’s a health champion here at Healthy Cross. Mick how did you first get involved in Healthy Cross, what brought you in here?”

Mick: “Basically there was a couple of my mates who were with Healthy Cross and went on to healthy champions and told me what it was about and I thought that’s a good place for me to want to go.”

Nigel: “What skills do you think you’ve picked up?”

Mick: “Probably working a lot more, a lot better with the community, because at one time I would be a bit shy, but now I find I can talk to people quite openly and that type of stuff.”

Nigel: “What sort of training are you looking at doing?”

Mick: “Right now I’m looking at stuff – counselling cross addiction, behavioural changes all stuff like that, and a bit of outdoor pursuits stuff, quite a lot really.”

Nigel: “What do you think makes a difference for people, why do you think people perhaps look at their situation and think I want to do this differently, I want to be healthier?”

Mick: “I think it’s all down to being happy with yourself at the end of the day, making a big change, making a big step for yourself. I can only speak as myself, my past experience hasn’t been a good one, I’ve always taken from the community whereas now I’ve been given that chance to give back to the community and help people out who actually need the help. I think that’s where I get my beneficial from, that because I enjoy it.”

Nigel: “I’ve got Adrian with me now who’s another of the health champions here at Healthy Cross. Adrian, how did you first get involved here?”

Adrian: “I’ve been volunteering for a year now here and I got involved in health champions about 3 months ago.”

Nigel: “What do you think the benefits of all of this are, have you seen people getting more active or how do you think they’re from being involved in the programme?”

Adrian: “Yeah, definitely. People who may tend to isolate a bit I think it gets them out, encourages them, and we’re the support and it also helps us doing it as well, it gives us a lot as well.”

Nigel: “What about what you’ve gained from it yourself, what do you think have been the pluses for you, what have you gained from being involved in the programme?”

Adrian: “Getting out, meeting people socially, doing a lot of training courses, that’s been the big thing for me, getting back into a career ladder.”

Nigel: “Where are you hoping to get to from that point of view, what kind of work are you hoping to get into?”

Adrian: “Probably support worker type, health worker with some type of physical activity incorporated into it as well.”

Nigel: “I’ve got Mick Rodgers with me now who is one the staff team at Healthy Cross. What do you think the impact of the programme is on the local area, do you feel that people are getting more active and more aware of health issues?”

Mick R: “Very much so, just the fact that the people here today, each person you’ve seen, have probably got 10-15 people with them and if you times that by 12 people you’re talking a lot of people that they’ve brought in themselves which is a big plus for the area.”

Health Champions. Christine and Marge, have set up dance sessions for people in their community:

“We’re both line dance tutors, we’re IDTA qualified, recently just passed our exams. We hold 2 dance sessions of line dancing a week at minute and we’re hoping to start a third one up shortly hopefully. It’s a way of motivating people into exercise through fun really.”

“This is for Healthy Cross Ballroom isn’t it, for the health champion thing that they’re doing round and about the area.”

“People say they want to do something in an afternoon or whatever, I just say well come ballroom dancing or line dancing. Your kids are at school, you’re there alright, to different people I know I said do you know anybody that needs to come and we’ve built it up and built it up from 5, there were 5 people coming when we first started, we’ve got 22/23 now. So we’re getting there and some children come as well which is good.”

“We’re able to reach out to the people more because we’re in the community maybe 4/5 days a week.”

“People know us, they know where we are they know us by name. So it’s not as hard…”

“Not the right name…”

“Yeah, by a lot of different names”

“It’s easy to get to people if you know them.”

Health Champions, Michelle and Claire, also organise a range of activities:

Michelle: “Today we’ve come to Longley Park we do an hours walk, but during the school holidays we thought we’d make it into a fun walk for grandparents, parents and for children to come along to.

“Me and Claire are doing a level 3 health worker and we’re both wanting to go a little bit further after and go into supporting people and being health workers. ”

Claire: “You could support them through anything then couldn’t you, with diets, stop smoking, drinking, drugs, anything they need supporting with you can support them and then you find the right places to refer them to.”

Michelle: “I feel healthier, I feel a lot healthier and I’m enjoying meeting more new people it’s a buzz seeing how much people, how well their confidence and everything goes. When you’re working with them you see how well they’re doing and how much it’s boosting, it’s a right buzz watching them bloom.”

Claire: “Me being a health champion has actually changed my life within myself I’ve got more confidence, I’ve learnt how to support others. I do get a lot out of it. Training, I’ve started training. We’ve changed as a family and it’s also changed my views on the community as a community should be rather than what I saw before I went into becoming a health champion.”

Thanks to: Sarah Horne, Michelle Pickford, Paul Nash, Mick Dobson, Adrian Moran, Christine Marshall, Marge Taylor, Claire Caterer, Healthy Cross, Altogether Better, The National Lottery, Sheffield Wellbeing Consortium.

Watch the Community Health Champions video.