Category: Health & Wellbeing

Staying cool in a heatwave: Advice from Age UK

Advice from NHS:

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Summerhealth/Pages/Heatwave.aspx

Advice from Age UK

The sun and skin health

It very important to ensure that your skin isnt exposed to the sun for long periods, as this can lead to sunburn and make you more susceptible to skin cancer. Anyone can develop skin cancer, so it important to protect yourself whatever your skin type.

Protecting your skin

  • Use sunscreen of at least sun protection factor (SPF) 15 with four or five stars. Apply it generously and top up at least every two hours and if you’ve been in water, reapply when you are dry. The sunscreen star rating shows its ability to protect your skin from damage and premature ageing.
  • Apply sunscreen to any uncovered parts of your body. A hat will protect your head, face, ears and eyes.
  • Choose sunglasses that have a CE mark, UV400 label or a statement that they offer 100 per cent UV (ultraviolet) protection.
  • When the weather is hot, your skin may also feel drier than usual. Using moisturiser can help keep your skin healthy.
  • If you have moles or brown patches on your skin, they usually remain harmless. But if they bleed, or change size, shape or colour, show them to your GP without delay. For more information visit the Cancer Research UK website.

Sun exposure and vitamin D

Although it important to protect your skin, some direct exposure to the sun is essential for the production of vitamin D.

Dont let your skin burn, but try to go outside once or twice every day without sunscreen for short periods from March to October. The more of your skin that is exposed, the better your chance of making enough vitamin D.

There are some food sources of vitamin D – salmon, sardines and other oily fish, eggs and fortified spreads – but sunshine is the major source.

The Government recommends vitamin D supplements for some groups of the population, including people aged 65 and over.

If you think you could be at risk of not getting enough vitamin D, particularly if you are housebound or cover your skin for cultural reasons, raise this with your GP. Always speak to your GP before starting to take a vitamin supplement or over-the-counter medicine on a daily basis.

Dehydration and overheating

Extreme heat and dry conditions can cause you to dehydrate and your body to overheat.

It important to eat a balanced diet to help your body replace any salt you lose by sweating.  Aim to drink 6 – 8 glasses of liquid a day, and more if it hot.

You may also need to be careful if youre taking some types of medication that affect water retention. Speak to your GP if youre concerned.

Watch out for certain signs – particularly for muscle cramps in your arms, legs or stomach, mild confusion, weakness or sleep problems. If you have any of these, rest in a cool place and drink plenty of fluids. Seek medical advice if your symptoms persist or worsen.

Heat exhaustion and heatstroke

Heat exhaustion

The symptoms of heat exhaustion include headaches, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, intense thirst, heavy sweating and a fast pulse.

If you have any of these symptoms you must, if at all possible:

  • find a cool place and loosen tight clothes
  • drink plenty of water or fruit juice
  • sponge yourself with cool water or have a cool shower.

Your symptoms should improve within 30 minutes. If you’re feeling better but still have any concerns, call your GP or NHS 111 for advice.

Heatstroke

Heatstroke can develop if heat exhaustion is left untreated – it can also develop suddenly and without warning.

The symptoms of heatstroke include confusion, disorientation, seizures and loss of consciousness.

Heatstroke is a life-threatening condition. If you or someone else shows symptoms:

  • call 999 immediately, or 112 if you are in the European Union (you can call 112 from a mobile for free)
  • if you have a community alarm, press the button on your pendant to call for help
  • while waiting for the ambulance, follow the advice given for heat exhaustion but do not try to give fluids to anyone who is unconscious.

http://www.ageuk.org.uk/

More information: http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Summerhealth/Pages/Heatwave.aspx

Connecting Chorlton, Fallowfield & Whalley Range Report

The report of the participatory neighbourhood event held in November 2018,

Connecting Chorlton, Fallowfield & Whalley Range

Promoting Cross Sector Neighbourhood Working.

It is intended that this can be used as a resource for people who might want to run similar events and gives details of how the event was initiated and run, and what came out of it on the day and from the action points .

e.g. the development of ward based cross sector groups, new health and wellbeing activities, the continuation of networking lunches, and the establishment of a Self Care and Social Prescribing forum.

The resource includes contact details and links to useful websites.

Click below to read the Report:

Connecting Chorlton Fallowfield Whalley Range Report February 2019 – reduced

Celebrate Festival Photos 2017

Photographs from our volunteer photographers who captured the fantastic atmosphere of the 20th Whalley Range ‘Celebrate’ festival.

Our theme this year: The Heart of Whalley Range.

Photographs from Anthony Morris

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photographs from Andrew Thompson

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Central Manchester Community Explorers – Information for sharing

Please find attached the following information for sharing:

 

Manchester Suicide Prevention Plan 2017_19

Stakeholder bulletin issue 4 version 4 formatted

ChWR Public Mtgs March 2017 – Flyer V 0 2

 

 

LIVE WELL MAKE ART – GM bid to Great Places

LIVE WELL MAKE ART GM bid to Great Places
Great Places is an Arts Council England initiative which aims to pilot new approaches that enable cultural, community and civic organisations to work more closely together. The Greater Manchester Joint Authority has been short-listed for inclusion in the initiative and is in the process of submitting a bid, which includes building on arts and health work in the city region, paying attention to the principles of arts and health as a social movement. The successful pilot areas are likely to be announced in March 2017.
An important aim in GM bid is to make stronger connections between the arts sector (voluntary and professional arts, and cultural venues), the health sector and people living and working in Greater Manchester. At the end of the Great Places initiative, the intention is that arts activity would be a core element of health planning across GM for the future

Read more: Live Well Make Art newsletter (1)

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https://100momentsuk.wordpress.com/

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https://www.thersa.org/discover/publications-and-articles/rsa-blogs/2016/08/live-well-make-art

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Whalley Range on Wheels shares Cycling UK Best Community Project award!

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Community cycling groups Onna high after sharing award!

The quality of entries for our Best Community Project award was so high that it ended up being shared between two extremely worthy and hard-working groups – Whalley Range on Wheels and Onna Bike. Both are Cycling UK Community Clubs, both have been heavily involved in our Big Bike Revival – and both have been helping people to cycle, with fantastic benefits to their respective communities.

Whalley Range on Wheels

Whalley Range on Wheels comprises a band of committed volunteers who have worked tirelessly over the last 18 months to make Alexandra Park in South Manchester a real hive of cycling activity.

Project co-ordinator Eve Holt has made it possible for hundreds of people to get on their bikes, with regular activities and events for the whole family, including adults learning to ride for the first time, improver sessions for rusty returners, road training, bike maintenance workshops and social rides.

Cycling UK Trustee Welna Bowden, Chair of the Awards Committee, said: “People attend the sessions come rain or shine and the atmosphere is always positive and welcoming.

“A small group of volunteer mechanics has helped bring donated bikes back to life so that some participants now have their own bike.

“The project has grown through word of mouth and with there being a physical presence in the park. It an excellent example of fluid working across organisations with volunteers working alongside Transport for Greater Manchester and Manchester Parks services.

“Whalley Range on Wheels is exactly the sort of project that can make a real difference.”

Project co-ordinator Eve said: “The appetite from local people has been wonderful.  People of all ages and backgrounds come to the sessions and both participants and volunteers alike talk about the impact it has on their wellbeing and lives.

“Thanks to the Big Bike Revival, we have been able to revive 40 second-hand bikes over the summer, some from out of skips, and give them to Manchester asylum seekers who have been attending our regular Monday sessions so they can #ridefree.

“We are all looking forward to a celebratory ride along the Fallowfield loop on 17 October followed by a Spooky kidicalmass ride for families on 30 October. Happy bikes make for happy people and a happy planet.”

Onna Bike

Onna Bike offers free weekly sessions for the local community in Bradford, with the aim of teaching people to ride and improve skills. The club has developed strong links with Belle Vue Girls School and facilitated a project which has resulted in 180 girls undertaking cycle training and reaching Bikeability Levels 1 and 2.

The project enabled 90 girls – at two events – to participate in cycling activities which included Bikeability training, bike maintenance, making smoothies (using a bike to power the motor) and also having a go on cycling rollers provided by the Cycling UK-affiliated Otley Cycle Club.

The project was made possible through funding from Cycling UK, the support of WYCA City Connect and collaboration with a number of organisations, including Zara Sports Centre and Bradford Council Bikeability Scheme co-ordinated by Aubrey Cooper.

Welna said: “The pilot was hugely successful, creating a buzz of excitement and resulting in the project being rolled out across all the remaining 800-plus students at the school.

“Onna Bike also established links with OnTrak, receiving 20 refurbished bikes, and was able to donate the bikes at no cost to the girls attending the cycling project.

“That was particularly important given that a vast number of students are unable to buy or access a bike, as they live in a socially deprived area where finances are strained.

“Although the club is in its infancy, it has made a promising start to what should be an amazing journey of discovery and adventure.”

Onna Bike, founded by Mumtaz Khan, runs weekly cycling sessions with fellow cycling coach Andrew Gray, at Zara Sports Centre, next to Belle Vue Girls School, on Saturdays from 6.00-7.15pm, followed by a ride for more confident cyclists.

Mumtaz said: “Cycling is becoming very popular in Bradford and for people just starting out, or for those who enjoy cycling at a more leisurely pace, mainstream cycling clubs can seem quite daunting. Onna Bike offers an alternative which appeals to novice and intermediate riders.”

The Belle Vue girls also attended an informative and humorous presentation by round-the-world cyclist Reece Gledhill. They were then given the task of developing their own expedition, focusing on the countries that they would like to visit – with Dubai, Jamaica, Japan and Australia coming out as hot favourites.

Samantha Crabtree, a member of the Belle Vue Girls School staff, commented: “All of our Year 10 girls have now completed the Level 1 Bikeability Award and the majority the Level 2 Award. The girls have thoroughly enjoyed the experience and with the help of the professional instructors have developed better and safer cycling habits.

“Some of the girls had never ridden a bike before and many do not have the opportunity to cycle, but the course has made them more comfortable and confident in the saddle.

“The opportunity for some of them to then take away a bike at the end of the course has been a great incentive and will hopefully encourage more girls to cycle to school or in their free time.

“Cycling is a great way for the girls to get around, get some exercise and reduce the amount of time spent stuck in a car or on the bus and socialise with their friends.”

Belle Vue Headteacher Mary Copeland said: “It has been a great opportunity for one year to take part in this project – not only learning a skill for now and the future, but also exploring sustainability and environmental issues important to today society.”

Whalley Range on Wheels and Onna Bike received their awards at the Cycling UK Members Get Together in Manchester on Saturday (8 October). Making the presentation was transport campaigner Caroline Russell, London Assembly Member and national transport spokesperson for the Green Party of England and Wales.

Tony Upfold
14 October 2016 – 12:41pm

Manchester Community Cycle Group in Alexandra Park

Whalley Range on Wheels comprises a band of committed volunteers who are working tirelessly to make Alexandra Park in South Manchester a real hive of cycling activity.

Over the last two years the group has engaged with over three thousand local residents helping more people to experience the joy, independence and wellbeing a bike can bring.

For adults

Regular activities take place every Monday in the park with learn to ride sessions, road training, improver sessions for rusty returners and social rides taking place 9.30-11.30 and 12-2.00pm,  supported by instructors from Transport for Greater Manchester.  Volunteer mechanics are also on hand to help keep the fleet in good working order and help people to get their bikes fixed and to learn basics of good bike maintenance. Monthly Women in the Workshop bike maintenance training, for both beginners and improvers, run throughout the year on Saturday afternoons.

For kids

Kid cycling sessions after school on a Monday between 3.30pm and 5pm have proved very popular so the club is looking for ways to run more in partnership with  the PushPedalScoot project run by BikeRight! Futures CIC.

For the whole family

Throughout the year the group organises cycling themed events for the whole family often in collaboration with other local groups.  Through a series of Big Bike Revival events, supported by Cycling UK, held across Moss Side, Hulme and Whalley Range, more than 200 bikes were revived.  Many had been gathering dust in people sheds and back gardens.   In conjunction with Manchester City of Sanctuary they also helped 50 asylum seekers to get riding and to then #ridefree by fixing up  2nd hand bikes donated from the police, general public and retrieved from skips.

For Halloween,  the group supported a spooky kidical mass ride from the park along the Fallowfield loop.  50 people of all ages participated.  Further events are planned for the winter period including a light your bike up like a xmas tree ride on 17 December.

Project co-ordinator, Eve Holt, a resident in Whalley Range, cycling instructor and campaigner, is clear that everyone is welcome.  “People attend the sessions come rain or shine and the atmosphere is always positive and welcoming.  The appetite from local people has been wonderful.  People of all ages and backgrounds come to the sessions and both participants and volunteers alike talk about the impact it has on their wellbeing and lives.  Happy bikes make for happy people and a happy planet. ”

Whalley Range on Wheels recently received an award from Cycling UK in recognition of their work.

More info:

Regular sessions in Alexandra Park are free and are run as an open drop in.  No booking needed.  All equipment provided.  We meet in the car park off Russell Street, M16 7JL (behind tennis courts) at 9.30am and 12 midday.  Kids sessions then start at 3.30pm and 4.15pm (all children must be supervised).  For details of other events, workshops and activities coming up see Facebook page or Whalley Range on Wheels.  Donations of bikes, equipment, money, skills and time always appreciated. Project co-ordinator can be contacted at eve@happencic.org or 07812 157761

Tai Chi (Taiji) and Qigong for Beginners: all adults welcome.

 

Thursdays at 1:30-2:30pm @ JNR8 Youth & Community Centre

82 Cromwell Avenue, M16 0BG

(Back of Manley Park Church)

Taiji has been developed by the Chinese as a complete system for promoting mental health and physical health.

It consists of a series of choreographed slow relaxed movements called the form.

It is suitable for people of all ages and physical abilities and requires no special equipment; and can be performed in a small area.

Tai chi is often described as “meditation in motion,” but it might well be called “medication in motion.” There is growing evidence that this mind-body practice has value in treating or preventing many health problems.

This gentle form of exercise can help maintain strength, flexibility, and balance, and could be the perfect activity for the rest of your life.   Harvard Medical School.

 

Call Chris on 0161 881 3744 for more details.

www.whalleyrange.org

Scottish Country Dance Classes in Whalley Range!

Please note we have a new venue, so any previous adverts we have placed should be removed from your site or amended. Our current details are below and our flyer is attached.
What: Adult Beginner’s Scottish Country Dance Classes
Time: 7.30 – 9.30 PM
When: Starting Tuesday 3rd September 2019 through to April 2020.  (New starters welcome throughout September and January)
Where: Dance Studio, Chorlton High School, Nell Lane, Chorlton, Manchester, M21 7SL

ManchesterFlyer_ChorltonHigh_Sept2019_Rev0

Who these lessons are for: All adults of all ages (18+), all genders, all ethnic backgrounds and all fitness abilities who wish to learn a new form of dance.
Other details: Parking available on the school car park. Studio is a 2 minute walk across the site. Please wear comfortable clothing for exercise and flat lightweight shoes or trainers. Please bring a bottle of water as no refreshment is available.