Portfolio
New Leaf New Life was a portfolio of more than 30 projects across the area that aimed to improve health. The three-year programme - led by North East Strategic Health Authority in partnership with specialist providers in the voluntary, statutory and independent sectors - came to an end in the early part of 2011.
Almost 90,000 people benefited from the projects, which ranged from getting children and families more active and eating more healthily to improving people’s mental health through better employment opportunities.
All were commissioned in line with the national Big Lottery Fund Wellbeing Programme’s aims - to improve mental wellbeing, make people more physically active and encourage children, parents and the wider community to eat more healthily.
These themes feature strongly in the Better Health Fairer Health vision for the north east. NHS North East has also adopted a clear statement of its vision for the next 10 years which includes the aim of No Barriers to Health and Wellbeing.
Achieving health and wellbeing is a much greater and broader task than the activity of the health service, however. As well as bringing extra resources to the region, the wellbeing projects played a vital role as the frontline research and development function of the overall effort to improve health.
-
Projects
-
A cooking project for young people led by the ContinYou charity aimed to develop core food skills and competencies across the region. Each ten-week course was delivered by specially trained community food leaders in areas of most need.
Northumberland County Council delivered physical activity sessions to looked after children and young people to increase their participation outside school. It was hoped they would become more aware and enthusiastic about physical activity and sport - and perhaps go on to gain coaching awards.
The Quality of Life Partnership ran an active ageing programme for older people in Newcastle. The three-year project was designed to encourage greater participation of people over 50 in physical activity in a safe and supportive environment. Various courses ran throughout the year, including cycling sessions and Nordic Walking classes.
Many of the projects focused on improving mental health in the north east, which has a high rate of mental illness and above average rates of suicide.
One was the Mental Health First Aid programme delivered by Middlesbrough Mind. The 12-hour course provides a basic understanding of the most common mental health problems such as anxiety and depression, as well as crisis mental health first aid for people experiencing difficulties.
-
Contact
-
Wellbeing is part of the Big Lottery Fund’s £2.6bn UK-wide portfolio of programmes. See the Big Lottery Fund’s new programmes for further information.
To find out more about the New Leaf New Life portfolio please contact:
Kerry McQuade
0191 210 6424
mailto:kerry.mcquade@northeast.nhs.uk
