Announcing Spring training for Champions!
We are encouraging all our Community Health Champions to take advantage of free and low-cost training opportunities on offer from VAST throughout 2026.
Every Champion is asked to complete the Health Literacy and Health Inequalities to give them the knowledge and skills required for the role.
Low health literacy is common throughout Stoke-on-Trent and many people struggle to read and understand medical information. Our Community Health Champions play a crucial role in bridging the gap between healthcare providers and the community and sharing important health information. Health literacy specialist Dr Mike Oliver will deliver two dedicated training sessions on Thursday 26 February and again on Tuesday 12 May.
The half-day sessions will help Champions to support people in their communities to make informed decisions and take the necessary actions to improve their health and well-being.
Understanding what health inequalities are and what people can do to address them is the focus of our Health Inequalities training for Champions which takes place on Tuesday 24 March and Tuesday 23 June.
Again, the training will be delivered by expert Dr Mike Oliver. Mike’s sessions are interactive and thought provoking and feedback from the most recent workshop praised “the facilitator, digestible content, opportunity to add own opinion – received graciously”.
Strategic Projects Manager Charlotte Bennett said: “Ultimately we want our Community Health Champions to feel confident to discuss health issues with members of their community and to share the information about where they can seek help to support for their health and wellbeing.”
Anyone who is registered as a Community Health Champion and has completed the core training can also take advantage of the extensive training programme on offer from VAST. Scheduled training sessions which you might find particularly useful include Introduction to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Engaging with Your Community and Having Difficult Conversations.