COVID-19

Due to the COVID-19 Coronavirus situation,The Machars Area Partnership for Building Healthy Communities have been advised to cancel all groups until further notice. This has come into effect from this morning. Any group users who want further information please contact 01671 404267.

Wigtownshire Stuff Coffee Morning and Stalls

Exercise for Health

Monday Club

On Monday 3^rd February we had Jamie Clark from Scottish Fire and Rescue  come along and give us a talk on Fire Safety. The talk was very successful and a wide range of questions were asked.

Members were given advice re safety in the home and were made aware that FREE Fire Safety Checks were available. To book your free check, contact Jamie via the photo below.

 

At our next Monday Club session on 17^th February we have Elaine Grubb, Stroke Liaison Nurse Services. If you would like more information please contact Wigtownshire Health and Wellbeing Team: 01671 404267 or email: samanthaomalley@nhs.net

Visibility Scotland Support Group Dates.

 

 

 

Isle of Whithorn - Dancercise

The Dancercise group at the Isle of Whithorn meets every Tuesday from 10.30 - 11.30 at St Ninian's Hall in the Isle. For a short video of the group dancing, click here.

This is a vibrant expanding group supported by Building Healthy Communities and the Machars area Partnership and they are pleased to announce that a new facilitator, Emma Louise Abel, will be taking over the teaching of the group from Tuesday 10th February 2020.

Emma Louise is very well known within the area providing dancing sessions at all levels and to all ages across Wigtownshire. Her popdance classes are very popular everywhere! It is expected that new routines will be learned at a pace that suits all. Emma Louise has her own website, www.emmaloisedance.co.uk 

The group sees this as an opportunity to grow and expand as well as learn new routines. New members are always welcome, just turn up and join in. there is a voluntary contribution of £2.00 for each session.


For further information about this, or any other activities, please contact Building Healthy Communities on 01671 404267

Monday Club Programme from January to March 2020

Heartstart Creetown Youth Group

More Lifesavers in Creetown

Monday saw the Creetown Youth Group invite the team from Heartstart to run an Emergency Life Support training session for them.  Team members David Hirst, Anne Hirst and Margaret McAllister, together with a member of the Wigtownshire Health and Wellbeing team, Samantha O’Malley, presented the 2 hour hands on course to 25 participants covering recognition of a Heart Attack, how to deal with it (including the use of a defibrillator) how to deal with someone who is unconscious, is choking or has severe bleeding.

Having mastered the simple techniques which save lives, the Youth Group members were presented with Certificates. This was the third course in Creetown in recent weeks, following the siting of their first defibrillator at the Waverley Hall and means there are now 65 people in the village trained in its use. Creetown Initiative are arranging further courses after Christmas and there are plans by the Creetown Gala Committee to install another defibrillator in the near future. These will vastly improve survival rates following a Heart Attack from less than 10% to as much as 50%.

Courses in other areas of Dumfries & Galloway can be arranged through David Hirst on 01988 700637 or email davidhirsthome@gmail.com. Instructors are volunteers so the only costs are for travel expenses and in some cases, such as this one, can be covered by the NHS.

 

Launch of the Machars Cancer Drop-In

Today, the Machars Cancer Drop-In was officially launched at the Newton Stewart Health Centre by NHS Board Member Penny Halliday.

The Drop-In is open every Thursday from 10am to 1pm at the Newton Stewart Health Centre.

Please come along to our free service and meet one of the trained volunteers who can provide you with: -

• A listening ear

• Cancer information

• Sign-posting to other services

• Friendly, confidential and relaxed place to talk

• Tea or coffee.

Monday Club

Today at the Monday Club our guest speaker was Joan Rhind, D & G Co-ordinator for the Project Linus UK. Joan brought us all different sizes and types of blankets for children of all ages. The blankets go to hospitals,Women’s Aid and Social Work.

If you would like to find out more information please click on the link https://m.facebook.com/ProjectLinusUK/

At our next Monday Club session, on 18th November, we will be having  one of our popular Healthy Cooking Workshop with Dave Groves, Community Healthy Support Worker within the Wigtownshire Health & Wellbeing Team, who helps deliver the Building Healthy Communities Programme with the Machars and Newton Stewart Area.

African Drumming / Rhythm Circles

What a great turnout yesterday at the fortnightly meeting of the African Drumming / Rhythm Circles initiative delivered by a volunteer for Building Healthy Communities.

14 members joined in from a diverse range of backgrounds and abilities. The group is led by Ann, who uses her own drums and percussion instruments to create an authentic sound. It is so good to see people enjoying themselves and creating music!

The group is open to all the community and takes place at the Newton Stewart Centre, opposite the Library, from 10.30am - 11.30am.

The next session is on 13th November 2019.

There are 2 further initiatives also running on Wednesdays at the Centre: "Login and Connect" - bring your phone/laptop/tablet and let people help you how to overcome difficulties that you may be having. This runs weekly from 10.30am - 12.30pm and " Dancercise" runs on alternate Wednesdays from 10.30am - 11.30am - the members take themselves through a series of gentle dance routines for all abilities. Next date for Dancercise is 6th November 2019.

For any further info on these or any other activities offered by Building Healthy Communities, please phone 01671 404267

Whithorn Drop-in

Good to catch up with some of the Building Healthy Communities volunteers yesterday.

It was lovely to hear about the activities they are involved in as well as plan other community projects coming up very soon like the Drumming Group and a 14 week Self Management course which will be run by the Community Link workers, Michelle McAuley and Susan Sloan, who are part of the Wigtownshire Health & Wellbeing Team.
Watch out in future posts for more details.

The Whithorn Drop-in is held every Monday morning from 9.30 to 12.30pm at the South Machars Community Centre. Anyone is welcome to attend and chat, to the staff and volunteers about the Building Healthy Community Programme.  Advice, information and/or support like completing forms, modern technology, being referred to a local service, etc..... are also available as well as a free cup of tea or coffee.

Machars Cancer Drop-In

WANTED - African Drums/Percussion

Following a successful taster session of African Drumming and Rhythm Circle at the South Machars Community Centre last week, the Machars Area Partnership for Building Healthy Communities are hoping to set up a new weekly group in the near future.

To enable this, we are asking anyone who may have African drums or percussion instruments hidden away in their lofts, cupboards, garages etc if they would consider donating or loaning them to this exciting new initiative to enable the group to start whilst the partnership look for specific funding for new equipment.

Please spread this far and wide amongst your friends and networks and if you can assist your community with a donation of an instrument, please contact: Nathalie Guillaume on 01671404267 or 07825111684, nguillaume@nhs.net

Jills in the Community - SMCC

For a couple of sessions, the Jills have been replacing missing and damaged tiles at the South Machars Community Centre in Whithorn.

For some members, this was their first experience of tiling!

The results show a far more appealing area in both the ladies and disabled toilet facilities at the centre.

Anyone interested in Joining the Jills of all trades, please contact the BHC office on 01671 404267