Good Practice Database

The Changing Lifestyles Project was one of the 14 Mentro Allan projects in Wales. The project was funded by the Big Lottery Fund and supported by a national partnership. The aim of the project was to increase the physical activity levels of sedentary black and ethnic minority (BME) people aged 18-64 years living in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan. This was achieved by increasing their recreational use of the local, natural environment.

The not for profit programme makes fresh fruit and vegetables available to local residents at very affordable prices and encourages local people to include them in their families' diets. The co-op intends to source as many items as possible from local producers, and in the longer term will seek out mutual arrangements with Welsh farmers and local allotment holders, cutting out the distribution chain and enabling the provision of food at prices attractive to both parties. This will enable communities to greater access to a healthier diet and lifestyle and provide farmers with a viable trade.

Based on the Healthy Home Tutor model, the Fun, Food & Fitness project promotes a joined-up approach to increase awareness of healthy eating and physical activity, and achieve positive changes in attitude and behaviour for overweight and obese children aged 5-11 years old and their “families” in Caerphilly county borough. The families are supported to enable them to have positive attitudes and to make realistic lifestyle changes that are sustainable in the long-term, such as increasing their activity levels, eating an improved diet and experiencing enhanced well-being. The advantage of the Home Tutor is that they can offer individualised, tailored advice and support to families in a familiar environment. . It has filled a gap in services as previously no targeted intervention existed in Caerphilly. Overweight and obese children are a local and national priority area, and are a group shown to be at risk of significant health concerns.

A community weight management project that involves Weight Watchers, exercise on referral and community and social activities (already linked with Food Co-ops and Want to Work).

Weight watchers programmes are delivered in two venues within the valley. The main group was specifically set up to be delivered in the Garw Leisure Centre alongside the exercise referral scheme

Exit routes from the scheme for individual patients planned and supported by a wellbeing broker to facilitate a seamless transition to community based activities and social support to ensure sustainability of lifestyle changes.

The programme targets specific groups that are generally less active than the wider population. Each of the projects is funded for four years to increase the physical activity levels of its target group, making best use of the local natural outdoor environment close to where people live. The programme is collecting evidence on the effectiveness of specific interventions designed to increase people’s levels of health-benefiting physical activity.

In Swansea the project targets Carers aged from as young as 7 years upwards and we currently deliver a weekly timetable of activities ranging from walking, chair based exercise, pilates, nordic walking, dance and cycling. The project is providing carers with opportunities to be more active and importantly providing them with a social environment as many carers are very isolated.

As the project is now in its final stages we have created an Operational Group of Carers who have been constituted and opened their own bank account and they are going to continue the project on beyond June 2011.