Mallow Community Health Initiative
MALLOW Community Health Initiative is a partnership project between HSE (South) and Le Cheile Family Resource Centre. The aim of a community health initiative is to improve the health and lifestyle of a community, through a series of health focused initiatives that build on existing services and facilities. The plans for the Mallow initiative for the remainder of 2016 include:
We Can Quit
• Women in the Mallow area who want to quit smoking are invited to join the We Can Quit programme starting soon. We Can Quit is an initiative of the Irish Cancer Society in partnership with local Community Organisations, the HSE, Mallow Primary Health Care Centre and local pharmacies. The programme, which is due to start in September in the Le Cheile FRC is free of charge and offers the opportunity for women to join forces with other women and to support each other in quitting smoking together. • Participants in the We Can Quit programme will attend weekly group sessions and will receive one-to-one support. They will also be offered 12 weeks of free Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT). Research has shown that smokers who use a combination of group support and two NRT products for a 12 week period are four times more likely to quit and stay smoke-free for good. • We Can Quit is open to all women smokers living in Mallow who are over the age of 18 years and are interested in quitting smoking. Martina Daly, Community Health Worker at Le Cheile Family Resource Centre said: “We are welcoming all women smokers in the Mallow area who would like to take part in ‘We Can Quit’. This is the first time we are running the programme in Mallow. We want women to know that with ‘We Can Quit’, you are not alone when you embark on your quitting journey. You will join a group of women who have a shared goal and together, with our support, you can quit smoking for good. We Can Quit has proved hugely successful in other locations and it is fantastic to see the joy and confidence of the participants who have quit with the help of this programme. We are now bringing We Can Quit to Mallow, it is a completely free programme and we are calling on women to sign up and reserve their place.”
For further details on We Can Quit or to sign up for your free place on the programme, contact Lorraine or Martina in Le Cheile FRC on 022 42439 or register online at www.cancer.ie/we-can-quit.
Mallow Health Week
The aim of this health week will be to bring together local organizations and encourage them to focus on a community health aspect. It will also be an opportunity for local groups to promote the great things they are already doing in relation to health.
Establishing a local walking group; this will take the form of a strollers group which will enable people of all levels of fitness to take part in a healthy activity while also creating an opportunity for participation in the community and social engagement.
If you or your organization would like any information about the Mallow Community Health Initiative please contact the Community Health Worker Martina on 087-4335047 or email communityhealthworker@lecheilefrc.ie.