Being a Community Health Champion
What is a Community Health Champion?
Community Health Champions are people like you, people who live or work in Stoke-on-Trent, who want to make a difference in their communities.
Maybe you’re involved with a local organisation, active on social media, are really connected in your community, or just want to know how to keep your friends and family well. Whatever your position, if you’re keen on keeping people safe and healthy, this is the role for you.
We want to make sure that important health messages are getting to those who need them, and importantly, they are being understood. We provide a network of Champions to highlight the incredible health and wellbeing organisations who are active across our city, and each quarter we host an event to get together and celebrate our Champions’ achievements.
What does the role involve?
The role of a champion is flexible and is all about sharing good information as part of your normal routines. When you join us, you join network of like-minded champions and are provided with information on the latest local health and wellbeing news and local services. Read the CHC role description here.
We regularly update our news and resources for you to read and share. We also provide you with a weekly e-bulletin, and a printable news round-up every month to help tackle digital exclusion. Our team is on hand to guide you along, to listen to any concerns from you or your community, and we want to share your stories… so please do keep in touch!
Training for Community Health Champions
As a Community Health Champion you have access to a wide range of FREE training, events, and workshops with Community Health Champions and through VAST’s training programme. These sessions provide a fabulous opportunity to meet new people, learn new skills and gain a better understanding of health and wellbeing in our city.
Health Literacy Training
Low health literacy is common throughout Stoke-on-Trent; this means that many people across the city may struggle to read and understand medical information.
As a Community Health Champion, you play a crucial role in sharing accessible information that is easy to understand. By sharing this information, you’re helping people to live their happiest, healthiest lives. Your ability to communicate health messages clearly and compassionately can help tackle health inequalities and empower people to take control of their well-being and lead healthier and more fulfilled lives.
This training, delivered by Dr Mike Oliver, Chartered Psychologist and Registered Health Psychologist of Health Literacy Matters, includes tips, activities, and resources on how to communicate health messages well, and provides opportunities for you to practise this within a group setting.
Making Every Contact Count (MECC)
Making Every Contact Count is an eLearning programme for anyone who has contact with people to ‘make every contact count’ and develop health knowledge.
The Making Every Contact Count programme is freely available amd is for everyone, it’s not restricted to one person, profession or organisation.
It is designed to support learners in developing an understanding of public health and the factors that impact on a person’s health and wellbeing. It focuses on asking questions, and importantly, listening effectively.
MECC is split up into ‘interactions’ and each interaction takes just a few minutes. It’s designed to fit in around your commitments as and when you can find the time, and not to add to existing busy workloads.
Becoming a Community Health Champion
What we do...
Provide up-to-date, local and national, health and wellbeing news.
Arrange specialist training sessions exclusively for Champions.
Send weekly emails with the latest news and health campaigns.
Provide monthly printable newsletters for you to share with your comunity.
Provide Networking opportunities for Champions to get together.
Share bespoke resources to use online and in your community.
Support your throughout your journey as a Champion and listen to your concerns and feedback.
Share your feedback and concerns with local health and social care representatives, networks, and providers.
Share your success stories and the fabulous work you do in your community.
What you do...
We don’t expect you to dedicate all your time to being a champion, it’s something that can fit in with what you’re already doing. Whether that’s scrolling through facebook and sharing our posts, popping some of the monthly newsletters in your local community centre, or sharing some health information in your organisation’s staff room. Being a Champion is easy, and even small actions can make a big difference!
All we ask you to do is:
Share health and wellbeing information with your freinds, family, colleagues, and your community.
Share feedback and concerns from your community with us.
Promote the Community Health Champions project and share its work others.
Join in with networking sessions to support the project and your fellow Champions.
Respond to relevant calls to action to support your community and to speak up on their behalf.
So, if you want to play a part in building a healthy and happy commuity for everyone in Stoke-on-Trent, join our growing network of Community Health Champions!
