News – Community Health Champions

New health resources for City’s sign language users

vast — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 13:42:37 +0000

New health resources for City's sign language users

1 in 5 of Stoke-on-Trent’s residents are deaf or hard of hearing. The charity dDeaflinks Staffordshire aims to support local deaf people to thrive in all aspects of their lives.

Health literacy has been identified as a real issue for people whose first language is sign language and the Tackling Health Inequalities grant funding is enabling dDeaflinks to share important health information throughout the local area.

Ddeaflinks worked with medical students on placement from Keele University to research and select nine health conditions they felt most important to highlight through the scope of the project.

This has resulted in the production of British Sign Language translated videos in conditions ranging from Alzheimers disease and Diabetes to Prostate and Breast cancer.

Downloadable posters which link to the videos have also been produced and will be distributed to health centres and GP practices throughout Stoke-on-Trent.

Laura Thirlwall, Manager at Ddeaflinks Staffordshire, said: “It is our hope that these nine videos will promote change and encourage NHS services to work towards ensuring all health information documents are accessible to the British Sign Language community that we strive to support.”

“Armed with these clear and informative resources, we will be attending local engagements events and offering Deaf Awareness tips and best practice to health care professionals working in our area.”

October is Menopause Awareness Month

vast — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 12:53:16 +0000

October is Menopause Awareness Month

Menopause Awareness Month shines a light on the experiences of women going through menopause, promoting education, support and empowerment.

The campaign also encourages healthcare professionals, families and communities to be supportive of those experiencing menopause.

Menopause is a natural life transition that typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, and it can bring a range of physical and emotional symptoms such as hot flashes, sleep disturbances, brain fog, mood changes, and fatigue. These symptoms can significantly affect a person’s productivity, confidence, and overall well-being.

Nationally, there are some useful resources on menopause in and outside the workplace, on the Menopause Friendly UK website.

There also a number of groups who meet locally to offer support and share information.

Menopause Friends 2025 meets in Stoke Library (ST4 4SZ) one Saturday a month and the next meetings take place 1st November and 13th December from 11am – 1pm. This brings people together to talk all things menopause, to have a good laugh and to learn something new. The group can be found on Facebook.

This month also sees the launch of a new local initiative, Luna Pause, which aims to try and break the stigma associated with menopause and highlight the urgent need for change.

Founder Birgit Allport said: “Luna Pause is more than a project, it is a movement. Too many people have suffered in silence for far too long. Our mission is to break the stigma, provide trusted information and create supportive spaces so women can thrive, not just survive through menopause.”

Luna Pause will also hold a monthly Menopause Café on the last Friday of the month from 1pm – 3pm. The Moments at Luna Café will take place at the Better Together Community HQ in Woodberry Close, Trent Vale.

The sky is no limit for Community Health Champion Asmaa

vast — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 11:59:53 +0000

The sky is no limit for Community Health Champion Asma

Asmaa signed up to be a Community Health Champion earlier this year and hopes to inspire others with her passion for sport and fitness.

Asmaa Akhtar has loved running, sport and fitness all her life and although she now has five children, she shows no sign of slowing down.

A great role model in her community, Asmaa recently competed in the Calisthenics for beginners competition in the region and picked up a 1^st and 2^ndplacing. She has also taken up sky diving as a personal hobby – proving that the sky is no limit for someone with her drive and determination

Last year Asmaa graduated from University of Staffordshire with a degree in Sport and
Exercise (Strength and Conditioning) with ambitions to become a Personal Trainer.

However, understanding that the local market for clients was limited, Asmaa approached VAST with the intention of setting up a Community Interest Company.

Now launched, the South Asian Health Initiative runs weekly fitness classes for women in Dresden, Burslem and Hanley.

Asmaa also found out about the Community Health Champions project and has continued her learning with the Health Inequalities and Health Literacy training on offer.

She said: “I’ve learnt so much about my approach and I’ve attended a lot of training and feel as though I am working with the community in a better way.

“With women and Asian women in particular, there are a lot of barriers to participation in sport and fitness and but I try to get them to understand the health benefits and help them prevent illness and injury where possible.”

Public consultation on future of maternity services in Stafford and Lichfield now closed

vast — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 09:08:17 +0000

Public consultation on a proposal to permanently close freestanding midwife-led birthing units in Stafford and Lichfield has now ended.

More than 1,400 people took part in a survey designed to gauge public opinion on the proposal which will mean that patients will have to travel to units at Royal Stoke University Hospital, Royal Derby Hospital or Queens Hospital in Burton-on-Trent to have their baby.

Under the plans, antenatal and postnatal appointments will continue at County Hospital, Stafford and Samuel Johnson Community Hospital in Lichfield. Home births will remain an option for patients considered to be low risk.

The plans have also been shared in public meetings and visits to antenatal clinics, postnatal support groups and well-baby clinics.

All feedback is being reviewed over the next few months and the report will help the NHS Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board (ICB) to make their decision.

Both midwife-led birthing units stopped their birthing services during the pandemic and have not reopened because of a national shortage of midwives and falling number of babies born in these units.