New cross-border health and well-being initiative launched

The ‘CoH-Sync’ project, which is short for Community Health Synchronisation, is a cross-border programme available to anyone who wants to begin their journey to getting healthier but doesn’t know where to start.

Whether it is help to quit smoking, lose weight, make new connections in your community or just generally feel better about life, CoH-Sync can help.

According to the Mayor, John Boyle, CoH-Sync is not about making big changes to your life.

Lorraine McGowan (Donegal Local Development Company DLDC CoH-Sync Project Community Health Leader, Aoife Balfour (CAWT CoH-Sync Project worker) & Seamus Ward (BBHF) Bogside & Brandywell Health Forum , General Manager.

Commenting on the initiative, Colr. Boyle said: “The new year is often a time for people to think about making improvements to their lives. If you want to take that first step to leading a healthier life then the CoH-Sync service could be for you. It’s about enabling people, of all ages and fitness levels, to make some simple changes to their life, with the friendly advice and support of a trained Health Facilitator throughout. This ongoing support will help participants to keep on track and reach personal goals.”

Funding for the CoH-Sync project was secured by the cross-border health services partnership, Co-operation and Working Together (CAWT) from the European Union’s INTERREG VA programme. The Western Health and Social Care Trust is a CAWT partner organisation.

Bogside and Brandywell Health Forum was successful in winning the £364,325 contract to develop a CoH-Sync health and wellbeing hub in the Derry City and Strabane area.

This hub is facilitating people to improve their health and wellbeing in areas such as physical activity, mental health, nutrition, smoking and alcohol consumption.

Sam Duncan (CoH-Sync Project Community Health Facilitator Waterside Neighbourhood Partnership), Anne Ferguson (CoH-Sync Project Community Health Facilitator Strabane Health Improvement Project), Jayne Lecky (CoH-Sync Project Community Health Facilitator Derg Valley

The focus for the hub is to prevent chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart and circulatory related or respiratory illness happening in the first place.

Seamus Ward, General Manager of BBHF, said: “The Bogside & Brandywell Health Forum offer a range of health and well-being programmes in workplaces, schools and in our community. We are delighted to be delivering this new programme and ensuring that the CoH-Sync service is accessible to a wide range of people across all communities.

“I would encourage people to sign up to an initial consultation with one of our CoH-Sync Health Facilitators. It is a free service and could open the way to new activities and connections in your area.”

One participant on the programme from the Bogside and Brandywell Health Forum said: “If I did not take part in this programme I would not be sitting here today as I was finding it difficult to deal with my postnatal depression. I would like to thank everyone for helping me turn things around.”

For more information on the CoH-Sync project or to book contact tel: 02871 365330 or email: [email protected]