The next Castlebay Health Walk will take place tomorrow, Wednesday 30th January at 4.30pm, meeting at Castlebay Fire Station.

Join as a new walker this January and receive a free Silva pedometer worth £10! (Offer available while stocks last).

As we approach the end of Cervical Cancer Awareness Week (January 21st-27th) we would like to remind women that if they are late attending a screening appointment, or if it is your first visit, you can get more information about cervical screening from www.jostrust.org.uk

Mairi Campbell, Practice Nurse at Barra Medical Practice, said: “Practice nurses and GPs regularly participate in cervical screening tests and are therefore very skilled and knowledgeable. And practice nurses and doctors are happy to chat with anyone who may have questions before they attend. Please just get in touch with your GP practice – we want women to come to us, it saves lives.”

Every year in the UK over 3,000 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer is the most common cancer in women aged 35 and under, although it is important for anyone invited to attend their cervical screening appointment. 

If you are late or worried about attending a cervical screening appointment, or if it is your first time, read more about cervical screening here:www.jostrust.org.uk/about-cervical-cancer/cervical-screening 

Cervical screening saves lives – contact your GP practice to make an appointment.

The first Laxdale Health Walk of 2019 will take place tomorrow, Saturday 19th January at 11am, meeting at Laxdale Community Hall.

Join as a new walker this January and receive a free Silva pedometer worth £10! (Offer available while stocks last).

Move More will be holding the launch for the MacMillan Move More Programme in Uist & Barra @ An Caladh on Tuesday 15th January.

It is a Launch with a lunch, between 12-2pm, and will include guest speakers Dr Kirsty Brightwell and Councillor Paul F Steele.

People from Back, Isle of Lewis, and surrounding communities were invited to learn about a range of health and wellbeing opportunities available to them locally and how they can take control of their health in 2019.

The ‘New Year – New You’ health and wellbeing event was hosted by Back Football and Recreation Club on Saturday 12^th January with NHS Western Isles’ Health Promotion and Dietetics departments in attendance alongside a variety of other health and wellbeing organisations.

Karen Peteranna from NHSWI’s Health Promotion Department provided information on a range of health topics such as the importance of physical activity to our health and wellbeing. Advice was provided on local opportunities to take part in sport and leisure activities; including details on the ‘Walk on Hebrides’ Health Walks project.  Other information included details on NHSWI’s stop smoking service ‘Quit Your Way’, low-risk drinking guidelines, the benefits of receiving the flu vaccination and how to detect cancers (such as bowel and breast) early. Continue reading →

Join a Walk on Hebrides Health Walk in January and receive a free Silva pedometer worth £10!

At Walk on Hebrides Health Walks you are ensured a warm welcome. Everyone is welcome to come along and give it a try. All abilities.

All welcome to join a Health Walk at Aline Community Woodland tomorrow morning. Meeting point: car park at 11am

All new walkers joining in January will receive a free Silva pedometer worth £10 (while stocks last)

All welcome to join a Health Walk from Ravenspoint to Habost Hall tomorrow morning. Meeting point: Resource Centre at 11am

All new walkers joining in January will receive a free Silva pedometer worth £10 (while stocks last)

Get Fit for Free with the weekly timed 5km run / walk along Liniclate Beach and machair.

Every Sunday start 2:30pm, meet at Liniclate School
Register on the day or send a message via the Facebook Page: – www.facebook.com/BenbeculaParkrun/

Drinking more than 14 units per week can affect your health.

14 units = 6 medium size glasses of wine @ 14% alcohol strength OR 6 pints of lager @ 4% alcohol strength OR 6 pints of cider @ 4% alcohol strength #alcoholunits #alcoholfocus

Don’t let alcohol spoil the festive season for the family #drinkaware
https://www.sfad.org.uk/

As part of its winter campaign, the Outer Hebrides Alcohol & Drug Partnership published an article on ‘Alcohol & Mental Health’ in local newsletters and the Events magazine to inform the public on the affects of drinking too much alcohol; advice on cutting down and the longer term benefits. Links to apps drinks tracker and unit calculators were included.

Informative text messages were also posted on facebook, twitter and NHS website for 12 days over the Christmas and New Year period providing information on alcohol, drugs and safe sexual health and the OHADP Parents’ Night poster was also posted on facebook, website and twitter.

Text messages read: Continue reading →

At this time of year it can be easy to call-off outdoor exercise plans and think “I’ll wait until the weather improves in spring”.  However, we live in the Outer Hebrides; we know we can have four seasons in one day in June and glorious sunshine in November, so let’s get out there – but stay safe and be seen.

NHS Western Isles’ Health Promotion department, in partnership with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar’s Sport & Health Section and the Lewis & Harris and Uist and Barra Sports Councils, are offering walkers, runners and cyclists free hi-vis armbands to support them to stay safe and be seen. Continue reading →

ADP published information notifying staff, public and stakeholders about the new Scottish Government funding packages – The Challenge Fund and the National Development Project fund.

Further articles were also published informing all about the new Alcohol Strategy ‘Improving Scotland’s Health ‘Rights, Respect and Recovery – Scotland’s strategy to improve health by preventing and reducing alcohol and drug use, harm and related deaths’ and the new ‘Alcohol Framework 2018: Preventing Harm: next steps on changing our relationship with alcohol’.

The Outer Hebrides Alcohol & Drug Partnership, in partnership with Action for Children, provided a Safe Space area for the 6^th year end of year dance which took place in Stornoway Town Hall on 17^th December where approximately 200 young people gathered. Water was provided throughout the night and interventions were offered when required

A new animated short film has been launched to raise awareness of the importance of Vitamin D. Produced in a ‘whiteboard’ style, the animation provides viewers with an entertaining and informative story about Vitamin D; how it benefits our health and the ways in which we can obtain it.

The animation, developed by the Western Isles Maternal Infant and Nutrition (MIN) group, complements the three light-hearted and humorous Vitamin D films from 2016, which featured local children and adults from the Butt to Barra.  The animation can be viewed at: https://vimeo.com/296374851

Narrated by Dr Benjamin Jacobs, Consultant Paediatrician at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, the animation continues NHS Western Isles’ efforts in promoting supplementation of Vitamin D, particularly for mums-to-be, babies and children across the Western Isles, which is a priority of the MIN group. Continue reading →

The first BIG Lunch held in Balivanich Hall, Benbecula, recently proved a BIG success with individuals, families, neighbours and communities all coming together through friendship and fun.

Coordinated by NHS Western Isles Health Promotion Department and the Cuimhne Project Tagsa, with funding from the Life Changes Trust and Robertson Trust, the first ever BIG Lunch event attracted an excellent turnout.

Over 50 people, young and old, joined from villages around the Uists to enjoy a meal of locally sourced produce including venison donated by Storas Uibhist and vegetables from Cothrom and Tagsa, plus teas, coffees and home-baking.

Music and entertainment for the event was provided by the Fiddle Club and young people from Liniclate School who encouraged all to get up and dance. Continue reading →

The Outer Hebrides Alcohol & Drug Partnership (OHADP) is pleased to announce a new funding stream available up to £150,000 from the Scottish Government.   The two year Challenge fund, which is now open to applications, offers the opportunity for services to rethink systems, test change or implement new methods of working.

There are two opportunities to access the funds: ‘Getting ready for change’ funding of up to £35,000 which will support reflection and review of current systems and ‘Implementing Change’ funding from £35,000 up to £150,000 which can be used to deliver required developments or reshaping of services. Continue reading →