11 April 2018
A number of St Helena residents have recently put forward their ideas and thoughts for the design and messages of a new community Health Campaign.
The Campaign, which will launch in May 2018, aims to encourage community members of all ages to make some small, but important, shifts in their lifestyle to reduce their risk of type-2 diabetes, heart attacks, stroke, and cancer. Many people are aware that being overweight, eating or drinking too much sugar, eating too much salt and fat, smoking, and not being physically active enough are not good for their health. Although there is currently a gap between knowing this and making the kind of small changes that would make a difference to people’s health.
The new Health Campaign seeks to encourage and motivate people, as well as advise the kind of realistic changes they can build into their daily life, around family, work, and their social life.
Design workshops were held with a diverse range of community members at various local venues around the Island. These included staff members of several local businesses, pub and hospitality venue regulars, road-workers, pest control staff, Prince Andrew School students, Girl Guides, teachers, parents of school age children and toddlers, and administrative staff. Participants considered images, logos, messages and tips that they felt would make people smile, think, and decide to take some action of their own.
The workshops were facilitated by Patrick Ladbury of the UK National Social Marketing Centre along with SHG Senior Press Officer, Liam Yon, and Lead for Health Promotion & Social Marketing, Dr Angie Jackson-Morris.
Dr Angie commented:
“The campaign will ‘go live’ shortly and will run alongside the various initiatives under the new Health Promotion Strategic Framework over 2018-19. The theme is to encourage people to take action on their own terms and to fit into their own daily lives and routines. This will be complemented by a range of community initiatives that aim to make the healthier choices easier in the places where we work, shop, eat and drink, socialise, relax and play.”
Chairperson of the Public Health Committee, Derek Thomas, added:
“I welcome this campaign and the wider strategy as ways to help reduce the high incidence of cardiovascular disease that cause much illness, and disability in our community.”
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SHG
11 April 2018
