Local project is awarded almost half a million in National Lottery funding

STRABANE Health Improvement Project (SHIP) been awarded almost half a million pounds in National Lottery funding.

Announced yesterday (Wedesday) at the community group’s base at the foot of the Ballycolman, the new monies – £432,832.00 – will be channelled into a new health and well-being programme, entitled ‘Our Health, Our Wealth’ over the next five years.

A delighted SHIP co-ordinator, Jarlath McNulty spoke to the crowd in attendance and wholeheartedly welcomed the award.

“I would like to thank the Mayor Sandra Duffy, Novia Duffy and Sharon McCullagh from the Department for Communities and Lorraine Gallen from the National Lottery for attending today’s launch and I would also like to thank Lorraine from the National Lottery for kindly agreeing to fund our community health and wellbeing programme here in Ballycolman,” he said.

“I especially want to welcome the members of the local community and the representatives from the local community, statutory and education sectors for being here today, because it is the community that this programme is aim at and who will benefit most from it.

“Community health programmes such as this one, can only be successful, if the community works together, in partnership with each other and with the local statutory agencies both at local level and at a regional level, so maximising the health benefits of the programme for the wider community.

“So a significant amount of money is being invested into this area to benefit community health and wellbeing and that needs to be welcomed. Without support, programmes such as this would not be possible and simply could not happen.”

Explaining the programme, Mr McNulty said that Our Health Our Wealth will take a ‘person-centric’ approach to personal health and well-being.

He continued, “The aim is to recruit 50 participants a year over the five-year period, thus hopefully engaging with 250-plus people over the lifetime of the programme. Each participant will be supported in developing a Personal Activity Plan which will reflect both the participant’s health needs and their goals throughout the programme as well as the means to achieve those goals.

“To support the participants in achieving this, we will be using our own internal health programmes as well as community and statutory partnership programmes and, in turn, maximising the use of other local and regional programmes that are already funded and area well developed within the area, thus maximising these programmes to the benefit of all involved.”

Each personal activity plan will be reviewed regularly by SHIP staff to assess participants’ progress, allowing for any requested or needed adjustments.

“These reviews are an important element of the programme as they will be used to help encourage the participants as they progress through their Personal Activity Plan and flag up any underlying barriers the participant may face,” Mr McNulty clarified.

“Through this initiative, the aim is lead participants to existing services and programmes in the area which may further enhance their lives, health and well-being.

“We anticipate that, with our assistance, the participants will be able to increase their knowledge, confidence and skills whilst engaging in activities that will help achieve their personal health goals while using community and statutory resources at both a local level within Strabane and at a regional north west level.”