The Public Health White Paper, Choosing Health, includes reference to a new government initiative to recruit and train members of local communities to be available to provide health promotion advice and support to their peers.  These individuals are known as Volunteer Health Champions. FLC took part in a pilot project in 2006 to test the Health Trainer concept in rural Derbyshire and has secured funding to continue this initiative from 2008-2011.  Led by our Community Development Worker, Penny Ward, six Volunteer Health Champions will receive accredited training and support to allow them to work with farming families who would like individual help to make changes to their lifestyle in order to improve both physical and mental well-being.  Two key aspects of this project will be our plans to develop a community garden here at the FLC and to run a “Walking to Health” project, again based at the FLC.

A Health Champion works on a one-to-one basis with individuals who want to improve their health – educating, encouraging, supporting, mentoring … Our health trainer project seeks to recruit six volunteers to take on this role and develop the skills and knowledge to help individual farmers improve their health.  No previous experience or qualifications necessary!  If you would like to find out more about volunteering as a Health Champion, contact us.