In January Voluntary Action Charnwood ran a four-week pedometer challenge for staff and volunteers.
Those taking part walked a combined 1000 miles! That’s more than Loughborough to Cornwall and back again!

Well done to all who took part, and especially to those who ranked in the top three:
• 1st place was awarded to Christine Johnson
• 2nd place was awarded to Michelle Smith
• 3rd place was awarded to Karen Shilliam.

The challenge was launched and concluded with a Health Check morning, where those taking part had the opportunity to ‘know their numbers’ and get tips on how to make simple beneficial lifestyle changes.

Similar Well-being initiatives will be taking place through the year.

To find out about other Well-being initiatives Voluntary Action Charnwood is organising, please get in touch with Sallianne Bishop on 01509 631785 or sallianne.bishop@
voluntaryactioncharnwood.org.uk

By Sallianne Bishop

Seagrave is a small, rurally isolated village in the north of the county. It is a vibrant village and constantly strives to provide facilities for its residents through various ventures and volunteer activity.

The Memorial Hall committee, supported by the Parish Council, has undertaken to provide a facility for the growing younger population of the village, in the form of a weekly youth club.

A youth co-ordinator has volunteered to act as the main contact for all funding and volunteer activity, and has already benefitted from a grant of £1,000 from the Rural Community Council for essential equipment.

The Memorial Hall has pledged premises, and some volunteers from within the village have come forward.

What we are lacking at this time is volunteers with experience of supervising a youth club, or other youth activities, and funding for training other volunteers.

The people of Seagrave would be very grateful to any volunteers who are prepared to help us in the initial stages of this venture, which is initially scheduled to provide a weekly facility between September and March.

If any person or funding body feels that they have the skills or capacity to assist, then please contact our Youth Co-Ordinator, Mrs Judith Latham, via email at seagraveyouth@fsmail.net

By Rodney Bint

Resolution is your local Stop Smoking Service. We are part the NHS Leicestershire County and Rutland Primary Care Trust, and offer free support to anyone wishing to quit smoking. We have numerous venues throughout the whole county, where our friendly, trained advisors can support smokers to break the addiction to Nicotine and the habit.

Medication including Nicotine replacement therapy, Zyban and Champix, is available through prescription (free if exempt from charges), and information tailored to individual needs, helps to ensure that the most suitable form of medication is given.

The majority of smokers who attend our service succeed in quitting, compared to just 3% of smokers who go it alone.

Despite the harmful effects of smoking being widely known, a staggering 450 young people take up the habit each day in the UK. Work is currently taking place as a pilot study in six target schools throughout the county of Leicester, to develop services to suit the needs of young people, and smoking cessation services are being offered in these, and other schools, to help young people break the habit.

Resolution also provides specialist support to pregnant smokers and their families to quit, and can offer home visits for this purpose.

To find out where help is available call Resolution on 0845 045 2828

By Heather Burton