Christmas

We hope that everyone has a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year.

See you all in 2013. 

New SMP Worker: Karen Barbour

Hi there – just taking this opportunity of introducing myself as the newest member of the BHC team based here in the Machars.

My remit is to focus on our exciting new self-management programme for people with long term conditions, older people and carers.  I will be helping to support people in communities through improved access to information, advice and services with a view to promoting independence, and addressing issues such as isolation and financial hardship.

Our programme is funded through ‘Putting You First’, which places people at the centre of the services they receive and which supports people and communities, “to design, develop and deliver new ways of working that deliver sustainable, high quality services for the future”.

Our first event for 2013 is a drop in session in Newton Stewart Golf Club on 14 January from 10.15am to 12.15pm.  We are looking for your ideas in setting up a new social group, hope to see you there.

I am new to the area, and really looking forward to getting to know our local communities.   If there is anything you would like to chat over with me, you can contact me via our Whithorn office on 01988 501111, or email karenbarbour@nhs.net

Penninghame School – Feedback

Staff received a lovely Thank You card and a “Good Food” poster designed by Carinne, following the “Healthy Bodies” course delivered to P4. All the staff and volunteers involved thoroughly enjoyed their time at the School and hope to return at a later date.

Thanks P4!!

Riverside Day Centre Volunteers Christmas Dinner

Wednesday evening saw many of the people who volunteer at the Riverside Centre enjoying a Christmas Dinner at House o’ Hill, Bargrennan.

This was a thank you from all the Centre users.  (Click on picture to enlarge)

The Riverside Centre provides a warm, welcoming and friendly environment for people to socialize, enjoy activities and have a reasonably priced lunch, every weekday. They are always looking for new volunteers, especially drivers.

If you have some time to spare to volunteer or know someone that would benefit from using the Centre, please contact the BHC staff or Susan McCalman, Centre Manager, on 01671 402010 or by email: river-side@supanet.com

Rainbow, Brownies and Guides

Rainbows, Brownies and Guides

1^st Whithorn Group are looking for Volunteer Leaders for all 3 sections.  Full training will be given to any volunteers and they will not be left to run a unit unless they are ready and feel confident enough to do so.

This is a great opportunity to get involved in the local community. 

If you are interested please contact the BHC office or Sue Fielding (sue.fielding@live.co.uk)

Times are as follows,

Mondays                                Ages                            Time

Rainbows                                5 to 7                           4.30 to 5.30

Brownies                                 7 to 10-1/2                   5.30 to 7.00

Guides                                     10-1/2 to 16                 5.30 to 7.00

All of the above will take place at the Whithorn Community Centre.

Penninghame School Healthy Bodies Week 6

The sixth and final week of the “Healthy Bodies” course took place yesterday.  This was a repeat of week 5 with the groups swapping. 

Kirsty and Richard from the Health Improvement Team led the session which was well received by the children.

Thanks to BHC volunteers Fiona, Mioara and Luke for supporting the sessions and a big thanks to Penninghame School staff for their added input.

We are in the process of making a photo album for P4 outlining their involvement in this important project.

Love Food Zero Waste

Some BHC staff and volunteers last week attended a training course on Zero Waste, Love Food Hate Waste run by DGZero Waste. This involved looking at ways of reducing waste by composting and looking at ideas around why food is wasted in Scotland.  The course itself was very factual and enjoyed by all.  Linda Irving, DGZero Waste Volunteer Coordinator, presented facts, figures and wonderful food recipes made from leftovers. You can follow Love Food Zero Waste on Facebook with the link given below and send in any tips that you may have.  There is also a weblink on the side of the blog to look at.

http://www.facebook.com/dgzerowastevolunteers

Congratulations Heartstart!

Heartstart 1000

Heartstart (Newton Stewart & The Machars), a voluntary group, affiliated to the British Heart Foundation, this week celebrated training their 1000^th person in Emergency Life Support when Emily Keenan took part in a course at the Douglas Ewart High School.

Heartstart has been one of the initiatives supported by BHC over a number of years and congratulations are in order to David Hirst for his dedication to this project.

Creetown Youth Club Fruit and Chocolate Night

On Thursday, 6^th December, BHC attended Creetown Youth Club and facilitated a Fruit Kebab and Chocolate Sauce evening. Delicious!

 Fruit Kebabs and Chocolate Sauce

      Ingredients

• Small pieces of Fruit of your choice
• 300ml pouring cream
• 250g block milk chocolate broken into squares

Thread small pieces of fruit onto skewers. In a small saucepan, combine 300ml pouring cream, bring just to the boil, then add a 250g block of dark chocolate, broken into squares. Remove pan from heat, stand for a few minutes until chocolate is melted, then stir until smooth.

Pour the warm sauce into a bowl or just dip your fruit into it.  YUM YUM!!

OR

                        ·         Fruit, 8–10 oz / 250–300 g dark chocolate

      Cut large fruits into chunks, if necessary, then put all the fruit in a bowl or on a large platter. Break the chocolate into pieces, and put it in a bowl set over a pan of hot, but not boiling, water. Leave it to melt. Keep the chocolate hot.   

Penninghame School Healthy Bodies Week 5

Week 5: Healthy Plate and Healthy Cooking.

Kirsty McKie and Richard Line from the Health Improvement team split the class and had the children involved in cooking a healthy dish and food recognition and classification. This was greatly assisted by BHC staff and volunteers. Thanks Luke and Fiona!

 Recognising Foods and Food Groups.

Cutting Skills

Help from the Staff and Volunteers.

Annual General Meeting 29th November 2012

The AGM of the Machars Area Partnership was held today. 

The following people were voted into office

Chairperson:               Sue Reedman

Vice Chairperson:       David Hirst

Treasurer:                   Luke Utting

The Volunteer Voting Members are:

Neil McNaught, Anne Hirst, Jo Chambers, Mioara Brown, Tracey Hignett and Alex Currie.

Penninghame School Healthy Bodies Week 4

This was a very challenging yet enjoyable week for the staff who had to learn all about the functions of the body in order to relay this information to the children.

 Children learning about the inside of their bodies:

Skeleton, organs and muscles

 Who’s got big muscles then?

Checking their pulse.

Penninghame School Healthy Bodies Week 3

Week 3 of the course was all about how the body works.

Kirsty McKie, Health Improvement, led the presentation supported by Staff and Volunteers from BHC.

The parts of the body covered this week were:

• The amazing brain
• Nerves
• The five senses

The whole session was very interactive and informative for the children. 

They certainly enjoyed the “Taste Test”.

Introduction on How The Body Works

The amazing brain and how it affects what we do and what we can do

The senses and how they work

Smell and taste test

Eyes and ears test

Annual General Meeting

PUBLIC NOTICE

BUILDING HEALTHY COMMUNITIES
MACHARS AREA PARTNERSHIP

WILL BE HOLDING THEIR

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

at the

Whithorn Priory Church

Thursday 29th November 2012

11am – 12noon

ALL WELCOME

Local History: Date for the Diary 27th NOVEMBER 2012

JAMES IV CELEBRATION PROJECT 2013 : INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE

James IV, who died nearly five hundred years ago in 1513, came on pilgrimage to Whithorn each year of his reign; his Royal Arms grace the arch above The Pend. Under James's patronage, Whithorn's Prior reached the peak of his influence in Scotland and the town was at its most prosperous. The King came to St Ninian's shrine with a colourful retinue of musicians and performers, giving alms to the poor and administering justice.

Whithorn and District Business Association have joined together with a number of community groups, Whithorn School and the Douglas Ewart High School, to propose a community event recreating James's entry into Whithorn, to be acted out by young people and community performers, for a date in late May 2013. The group wishes to involve as many other community groups as possible, who may contribute to the many aspects which this performance involves : this includes acting, art-work, music, dance, costume, history, song and food. If funding bids are successful, specialist artists will work with schools and community groups to create a grand community performance at Whitsun next year.

We are inviting all groups who are interested in the project to send a representative to our Planning Day on Tuesday 27^th November 2012 to hear more and make suggestions as to what their group can offer and hear ways in which they can become involved. The session will be led by Martyn Robertson of Urbancroft, a company which specialises in event creation. If you would like to attend, please come to South Machars Community Centre at 2pm on 27^th November. The sessions will be informal and involve audience participation, so that as many community groups as possible can become involved and celebrate Whithorn's unique history.

For more information, please speak to Gill Bailey, Stuffit Upholstery, 01988 500038, or Donna Hoodless, 01988 500364 donna.hoodless@dumgal.gov.uk

PENNINGHAME PRIMARY SCHOOL “HEALTHY BODIES” WEEK 2 PHOTOS

Healthy/Unhealthy Body Feedback 

Crazy Dance Moves

Group Dancing

Demonstration of the Work 

Thanks to the volunteers that participated in this event so far.

Remembrance Sunday

To all the men and women who lost their lives 

Gone but never forgotten 

We're Back!!!

Many apologies for a lack of postings, but holidays and Illnesses have curtailed our ability to update.

Normal service has now been resumed. See below.

PENNINGHAME PRIMARY SCHOOL “HEALTHY BODIES” COURSE

This is a 6 week course which will be delivered to P4 pupils at Penninghame Primary School, as part of their Curriculum under their “Health & Well Being” subject.  Building Healthy Communities staff and volunteers together with the Health Improvement Team will attend every Wednesday afternoon from 2pm until 3pm starting 7^th November 2012, which was yesterday.

Our aim is to discuss with the pupils the many ways and reasons why having a “Healthy Body” is so important using a fun yet informative approach.

This is a new venture for us and we will try to feedback to you weekly!

The class of 32 pupils will be split equally into 2 rooms every week

Week 1 & 2

Healthy/Unhealthy Body and Car Mapping

Wii Dance, Wii Fit

Week 3 & 4

 “How the body works!”

Week 5 & 6

Eat Well Plate

Cooking Healthy Snacks

Week One Photos 

 

Jills of All Trades in the Community

Following a further request for the Jills to assist a member of the community with decorating, a practise session was held in the workshop. James, the volunteer helper, erected shelves and a simulated ceiling for the Jills to practise their “cutting in” skills. Thanks to Claire for the beautiful cakes!!

Claire's Cakes

James lending a hand 

Tracey painting round the edges

Dave’s Pasta Primavera Recipe

Ingredients

You can use any vegetables to make this simple quick Pasta dish.

½ Onion, slices of peppers,

Mushrooms,

Courgettes, garlic,

Mixed herbs,

Tomatoes,

Fresh passata

75 grams of cooked pasta salt and pepper.

OPTIONAL:  Chicken, Chorizo, ham etc (sliced thinly) we are using Frankfurters!

Method

Slice all the vegetables/meat.

Heat some oil in a wok/pan

If using uncooked meat, add this and cook for 1 or 2 minutes until browned.

Add vegetables and seasoning and stir fry for 4 or 5 minutes.

Add passata and any cooked meat and cook through.

Add the cooked pasta and warm through until well coated.

Serve with grated cheese or garlic bread

Healthy Cooking – Boys Brigade, Whithorn

A great evening was held on Wednesday at The Boys Brigade in Whithorn.

All the boys cooked an Italian meal from scratch and thoroughly enjoyed the prep, cooking and subsequent eating. Many thanks to Tracey, the "glamorous assistant" for volunteering and the parent helpers for their input.