Health Champions funding boost

20th March 2018

Volunteers at a GP surgery in Woodley have been given a funding boost, by a local business, to carry on the great work they are doing.

The Alvanley Family Practice Health Champions – as they are dubbed – were formed about a year ago following an appeal from the practice manager for volunteers.

Seventeen patients, all with different skills, stepped forward to offer help and have been working together ever since to improve the health and wellbeing of people in the local community.

The group runs a whole range of regular events like weekly walks for all, pram pushers walks, Singing for Health singalongs, knit & natter get-togethers and running a practice allotment growing vegetables.

Lists of all the events and how to sign up for them are kept at the practice reception desk, in the waiting room and in each GPs consulting room.

On Thursday (15th March) bosses at The Leading Edge Hair & Beauty Salon in Hyde handed over a cheque for £500 raised in a raffle by staff and customers.

The salon’s co-owner Alan Havery said “The Health Champions are a really unique group who do so much good work for our local community and customers.

“The work they do is quite innovative so we were happy to choose them as the charity we were going to support.”

Receiving the donation, the group’s chair Dave Chorlton, said “We’re delighted to get this money. We’ve got lots of projects that we’re keen to start so it will be well spent.

“It’s a testament to how well this is working that not one of the volunteers, who started with us 12 months ago, has dropped out.

“Everyone brings something different to the group – we’ve got musicians, gardeners, chefs – so each of us has an equally important role to play.

“We help our GP practice tackle unhealthy lifestyles as well as social isolation. So far we’ve got several hundred people involved in our events and it is really having a positive impact on the wellbeing of our community.”