HEALTHY AMBITIONS TO IMPROVE OUR QUALITY OF LIFE
| Published: 3rd June 2008 13:38 |
Local councils, the NHS, business and voluntary sectors, which together form the Suffolk Strategic Partnership, are developing a new initiative called Healthy Ambitions.
Dr Peter Bradley, Director of Public Health for the county, says that Suffolk is relatively healthy enjoying a good quality of life - but there is much that can be done together to make it even better.
"Improving health is not just a job for the NHS," said Dr Bradley. "Healthy Ambitions will build on existing partnership working to make it easier for people to improve their life quality by, say, being able to take more exercise, eat more healthily or having more help to stop smoking."
Healthy Ambitions is being supported by a group of well-known local people who are coming together to form a Champions Advisory Board. Under the chairmanship of James Hehir, Chief Executive of Ipswich Borough Council, the group includes hotelier, food broadcaster and writer, Ruth Watson and world champion kick-boxer, Marlon Hunt.
Mrs Watson said: "Healthy Ambitions covers all sorts of aspects of health for all ages, but I accepted the invitation to be on the board largely because I am interested in children learning from an early age about food, not just how to cook it but where it comes from too. Most children in rural areas have a clear understanding of where food comes from while children in urban need to learn more about real food and nutrition."
Partners will come together on 12 June to prioritise actions to take Healthy Ambitions forward. From October, Healthy Ambitions will be asking for pledges of support from the wider community, such as schools and local groups.
Clare Euston, chairman of the Suffolk Strategic Partnership, said: "To make Healthy Ambitions work, it is critical that everybody understands the different priorities of all partners. We really hope that we have a good attendance at our consultation event. By us all coming together and playing our part, we can help people to make a real difference to their health over the next 20 years."
