Working with the Health Improvement Team at your local Primary Care Trust

My name is Rahela Khan and I am project managing the Healthy Transitions programme for Salford Foyer.

I originally liaised with Salford PCT and Sure Start in 2003 when I used to teach cookery and crafts. Last year, I was recommended by one of the Health Improvement Team Staff who was an ex-student. A six week course was organised by Janet, the Health Improvement Worker for the PCT and delivered in the autumn. A further course funded by the Foyer was completed in March.
We have involved Janet with the Health Action Team and have worked closely to identify activities and information that would be more beneficial to the Young People. Janet will be involved with the Launch event and Tasters doing activities and displays around nutrition, healthy eating and relaxation. We will bring Janet into the Foyer to do Smoothie demonstrations with the other regular groups and sessions we hold.

We have found Janet a great source of information and contacts due to her connections with the PCT.

I also work for Barnardo’s in a Children’s Centre and find we can liaise really well with the PCT in so many different ways such as infant feeding peer support, young mums groups, sexual health, drugs and alcohol awareness and smoking cessation to name a few. One contact is one foot in the door to many opportunities.

And now a bit about our Foyer Health programme ..
Our Healthy Eating programme will be launched on Thursday 1st May at Salford Foyer 12noon-3pm where we will have local agencies attending and 3 different activities, baby massage, reflexology and creative arts. The Young People Leaders, i.e. The Health Action Team, will prepare a free buffet for everyone to savour. Our tasters will each include a number of activities, with free buffet and beverages. Healthy Eating will offer 3 demos around Quick Food and Food Fun activities. Physical activities for the Young People to partake in will be boxing, Caribbean and street dance and Chi Gung. A late buffet will be served at 3pm.

The well-being taster will bring Thai cuisine demonstrations, relaxation and reflexology. Food and Spice goody bags with recipes will be given to the Young People as prize draws. The 40 cookery sessions will consist of short courses around ‘Make it and eat it’, ‘International cookery’, ‘Food Challenge’ and Food Collages.

Future plans include setting up a breakfast club called ‘Mid-morning Mission’ with quizzes, activities and food demonstrations.