Health

Volunteers from Crosby parkrun celebrated last weekend (Saturday, November 17) to mark the event’s third birthday.

Initially launched by Sefton Council’s Active Sefton, the parkrun hosts free weekly 5k runs that are open to the entire community. The event relies entirely on the support of volunteers and the Crosby parkrun has a team of volunteers to thank for helping it to reach it’s third year.

Crosby parkrun is one of 578 in the country and has held 156 events since its launch in 2015. Events take place every Saturday by Crosby Leisure Centre at 9am.

Cllr Ian Moncur, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, said: “Happy birthday to Crosby parkrun and thank you to all of the volunteers who make sure these events happen each week.

“As we approach the end of Sefton’s Year of the Volunteer, it’s so important for us to celebrate groups that support events like the parkrun that allow Sefton residents to get involved in great activities at no cost to themselves.”

Jan Mullin, Event Director of Crosby parkrun, has given up her time to commit herself every Saturday since the event began. She added: “We have gone from strength to strength over the 3 years and this week we saw over 200 people take part.

“Crosby parkrun has a great inclusive team of volunteers from across the community including pensioners and young people who are still at school. There are many different roles which need to be covered each week and we would welcome anyone who would like to get involved!

“We’re so happy we can offer this opportunity for people, every week we experience so much positive feedback and hear so many positive stories. We like to think we create an approachable community down here at Crosby parkrun where everyone feels welcome.”

Sefton is also home to the Southport parkrun which takes place every Saturday at 9am in Hesketh Park.

If anyone would like to join the team of volunteers at Crosby parkrun or Southport parkrun, please email crosbyoffice@parkrun.com or southportoffice@parkrun.com

Anybody interested in taking part in a parkrun can register online here: https://www.parkrun.org.uk/register/

It’s November, which means that as a part of ‘Movember’, health teams in Sefton are focusing on men’s health this month.

NHS South Sefton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and NHS Southport and Formby CCG are encouraging men in the area to look after their health and make sure they know about some of the most common health problems that could affect them.

According to the Men’s Health Forum, men are much more likely to drink alcohol than women and are more likely to consume unhealthy amounts.

This week (19^th – 25^th November) is also Alcohol Awareness Week, highlighting how much of an issue drinking can be.

The overconsumption of alcohol can have many negative effects on your health and lead to heart disease, stroke and numerous kinds of cancer.

Dr Rob Caudwell, local GP and chair of NHS Southport and Formby CCG, said: “It is recommended that you do not drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week – that’s about four pints of lager or a bottle and a third of wine.

“Even if you are staying within the recommended intake, drinking most days of the week, no matter how much, can have bad effects on your physical and mental health.

“Why not try and have a few alcohol-free days a week?”

If you think your drinking has become a problem and you want to reduce your intake, Ambition Sefton offers a range of services to help with this.  Run by Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust, the service provides help and support to the residents of Sefton who have a drug and alcohol problem through a wide range of recovery focused treatment pathways.

Call Ambition Sefton on 01704 534 759 in Southport or 0151 944 5334 in Bootle.

Another health issue which has a major impact on men is cancer.  Men’s Health Forum have found that males are more likely to get cancer than women.  Prostate cancer is the most common type, accounting for 1 in 4 cases of the disease in men, and the cause of 13 per cent of cancer related deaths.

Dr Craig Gillespie, local GP and acting chair of NHS South Sefton CCG, said: “With all types of cancer, it’s important that men don’t give in to bravado and talk about any concerns they have.

“If you have an increased need to pee, straining while you pee and a feeling that your bladder has not fully emptied, you should see your GP as these are all symptoms of prostate cancer.

“Passing blood is also a symptom you should get checked out.

“But just because you may have some of these symptoms, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have cancer, but just highlights there could be something we need to look at a little further.”

For healthy lifestyle information and support then Living Well Sefton is the place to go as its mentors and partners can help people improve their wellbeing.  Call them on 0300 323 0181

For any health advice you should call NHS 111 or visit your local pharmacy.

Local groups have been given a boost now that wellbeing organisation Living Well Sefton has launched the fifth round of the Community Resilience Grant.

Community groups and community-minded individuals are being encouraged to apply for funding for projects designed to get more people out of their houses and linking in with their communities.

Michael Swift, who runs Southport’s Stepping Stones social group for those with health conditions, was successful in securing funding from a previous round and said: “We wouldn’t have been able to do the drama without the funding and it has helped give people confidence and bring them closer together.”

Karen Nolan, co-ordinator of Living Well Sefton, explained: “The focus of our latest funding is about helping people get out and about so they feel less lonely. So we want to hear from community groups that have ideas on how to make this happen.”

The Community Resilience Grant has supported local communities with a range of projects from enhancing wellbeing through gardening or craft workshops to providing cooking classes that improve healthy eating.

There are grants of up to £2,000 for organisations and £500 to individuals, who are supported by a organisational partner. Grants are subject to specific criteria being met and will be approved by a judging panel. The deadline for applications is Friday, November 30.

Anyone interested in applying can complete the application form on the Living Well Sefton website where there are guidance notes on how to complete the form as well as the criteria for applying – www.livingwellsefton.org.uk

Paper versions of the application form can also be downloaded from the website.

Call the team direct on 0300 323 0181 or email LWS@seftoncvs.org.uk for further details.