Thetford Healthy Town Newsletter January 2011

free NHS health checksfree NHS health checks

eat well move more live longereat well move more live longer

www.thetfordhealthytown.co.uk

The NHS Health Check aims to help youlower your risk of four common, butoften preventable diseases: heart disease,stroke, diabetes and kidney disease. Thisis for adults aged between 40 -74 whohave not already been diagnosed withany one of these four conditions.

Patients of School Lane Surgery and Grove Surgery, in conjunction with Thetford Healthy Town, areinvited to attend these checks at the Healthy Living Centre. At the check, your risk of heart disease,stroke, kidney disease and diabetes will be assessed by a Health Care Assistant and if appropriate you’llbe offered personalised advice by an NHS Health Trainer to support you in lowering your risk.

The check will take around 20-30 minutes which will involve:

• Recording your height, weight, sex, ethnicity and age

• Taking your blood pressure

• A simple (finger prick) blood test will check your cholesterol level.

In some instances, additional tests may berequired and these must be done at your own surgery. This will enable your own GPto review the results and if necessary offerany treatment required, for example medicine to lowerblood pressure. This means some people will not get all their testresults immediately and may be asked to make an appointment attheir own surgery at a later date for this discussion.

Everyone is at some risk of developing these four diseases in thefuture. By identifying and taking steps to reduce your risk early on,you can improve your chance of maintaining or improving yourhealth as you get older.

School Lane and Grove Lane Surgeries are therefore encouragingall eligible patients to respond to the offer of a free NHS HealthCheck to help you improve your health, and prevent a disease that may otherwise have developed.

Heart disease

Kidney disease

Stroke

Diabetes

Free NHS Health Check

Helping you prevent heart disease, stroke,

diabetes and kidney disease.

NHS Norfolk Health Checks

Could you be at risk of developing

any of these diseases?

If you are aged 40-74, an NHS

Health Check could be for you!

Ask inside for further details.

“Thetford Healthy Town would like to wish you and your families a Happy, Healthy and Hearty 2011”

About Thetford Healthy Town Insert 10_Layout 1 14/12/2010 15:31 Page 2

www.thetfordhealthytown.co.ukwww.thetfordhealthytown.co.uk

Fruit and Veg – the convenient alternative!Are you aware that the Londis store on the Redcastle Furze Estate joined3 other convenience stores in the county to celebrate becoming part ofthe Change4Life Convenience Stores Programme?

The scheme is a partnership between the Department of Health and theAssociation of Convenience Stores, aiming to increase the availability offresh fruit and vegetables in shops. Anyone who now visits the store willfind it difficult to miss the brightly coloured signs outside and the displaystands located prominently at the front of the store. These small changeshave already made a noticeable difference to sales of fresh fruit andvegetables as noted by the Store Manager, Lyn Hargrove. Lyn had nohesitation in joining the scheme which she describes as ‘marvellous’,especially with their close proximity to the Redcastle Furze primaryschool. Lyn, and daughter Kelly who also works in the store, believes it isimportant to show children there are alternatives to sweets.

Local primary school children played an important part in the launch forthe store with one class of 7-year olds being invited to visit and pick uptheir free piece of fruit. The children took part in a quiz with the help ofteachers and shop staff as well as Thetford Healthy Town’s Holly Gilbert.Questions had children searching the store for fruit and vegetables onsale and thinking of their favourite meal with vegetables in. Goodie bagswere handed out to all before heading back to class for the day. The event was such a success that Lyn and theteam aim to make it a more regular event, helping to educate children further.

Many thanks to Alexandra Lynch at NHS Norfolk for organising the launch and to Lyn, Kelly and Regional SalesManager for Londis, Jon Chapman, for bringing such a great initiative to Thetford.

In November five Thetford schools ‘virtually’ raced the 1869 miles from Thetford toLapland in Finland! Every time a pupil, parent or staff member cycled to school theywould gain ‘virtual’ miles helping them reach Lapland, in readiness for the start of thefestive period.

The competition was fierce, and despite the chilly weather, over the 10days 1684journeys were made by bike!! The winning school, who reached Lapland first, and travelled 3410 miles over all, was our newest Bike It school Redcastle Furze! The school havewon a day of ‘cycle sports’ with a ‘British Cycling’ coach, well done Redcastle!

The Bishops school came in second place, followed by The Admirals, Norwich Road andQueensway Junior. Each school was presented with a commemorative wheel to celebratetheir efforts during the race.

Despite snow, 91 cyclists turned up at the Admirals on the penultimate day of the race. Thefamily pictured travelled together, with little Ben wrapped up warm enjoying his ride to school.

Bike It Officer, Georgie Burr said “I was overwhelmed by how many pupils got involved in therace, and I was really pleased that the whole school community got behind the initiative. Itreally felt as though the schools were in Lapland on the last day of the race as the snow fell” .

The Race to Lapland



We all need a bit of fat in our diets, preferably unsaturated, to help the body absorb vitamins and stay healthy. But weshouldn’t have too much of it because our bodies find it hard to process, so we start to store it up which means we get moreunhealthy and find it harder to move. This can lead to diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers.

’Good’ fat v ’bad’ fatWe do need to have a little bit of certain kinds of ‘good’ fatsin our diet because they actually help make us healthier! Soyou have to be really careful that you know the difference andare making sure the kids are having the ‘right kind of fat’.

Saturated fat is the ‘bad’ type of fat and the one that weneed to really watch in our diets. Saturated fat can really buildup in the system, eventually leading to high blood cholesteroland increasing the chances of developing heart disease.Unfortunately it is also found in lots of foods.

Unsaturated fat is a morehealthy kind of fat, and weneed to make sure we havesome in our diets. This isbecause it helps us absorbvitamins and can actuallyhelp to reduce cholesterol,as well as giving usessential fatty acids thatour bodies need. However,we still need to be careful– we don’t need too

much in our diet to keep us healthy, so it’s bestto have in small doses. For more information : www.change4Life.co.uk

Where does the fat we eat go?

1. Body: If we eat too much fat, our body can’t process itso fatty deposits get stored everywhere and can slow usdown and make it moredifficult for us to move about.2. Heart: Too much fat in ourbody clogs us up so our heartfinds it harder to beat. Thismeans that it struggles to doits job and carry the bloodround our body, but it can alsomean that it slows down andgets poorly later in life.3. Liver: Our liver helps us todigest fat so when we have toomuch of the wrong kind of fatin our body the liver getsclogged up and struggles to doits job properly.

4. Arteries: Arteries are big veins that carry blood aroundour body. When we have too much of a bad kind of fat

called saturated fat in our system, thesearteries can get clogged up so our bloodfinds it difficult to get through.5. Lungs: If we have too much fat in oursystem it means that our lungs have towork harder to get oxygen round our body.This can make your lungs feel strainedand tired, and we may feel short of breathor even develop asthma.6. Blood: Too much fat in our blood cangive us something called ‘high cholesterol’as we get older. This is where the bloodvessels become so thick and sticky withfat that the oxygen can’t get through,making us tired and out-of-breath.

these foods are high in

saturated fat?

• Processed meat like bu

rgers and sausages

• Butter and lard

• Cream and ice-cream

• Cheese, pastries , cakes

and biscuits

did you know... did you know...

you can find unsaturated fat in:• Oily fish like mackerel, salmon, trout and sardines • Avocados

• Nuts and seeds • Sunflower, olive, vegetable and spreadsmade from vegetable oil

did you know... did you know...


The MEND programme descends on Thetford in January and if you haven’t booked your placeyet, now is the time! If you have a child that is 7-13 years old and you are concerned thatthey may be an unhealthy weight, then this 10 week programme could really help you andyour family out. For both kids and adults, the sessions are fun and definitely not aboutlecturing or telling you what is ‘good’ and ‘bad’ or ‘right’ and ‘wrong’.

What they do offer is an opportunity for kids to play games in a place that is completely safeand comfortable, with the aim of helping you to understand the small changes that yourfamily could make to lead healthier and happier lives. There is no cost to the programme, yetyou get to be involved in food tasting and supermarket tours amongst other activities. The programme begins on Friday 14th January, so book your place early! Call Toby on 01603 761122.

Mind, Exercise, Nutrition, Do it!


Sustrans Bike ItChampion wins award:Carl Clark, The Bishops School ‘Bike It Champion’, isto receive a certificate from Malcolm Sheppard,Sustrans director to thank him for being such afantastic volunteer. Carl was nominated for a Sustransvolunteer award because of the energy andenthusiasm he has given the Bike It project at theBishops school. Carl, pictured, spends a large amountof his spare time fixing bikes for pupils and families ofthe school, and has set up a parent loan scheme sothat families can enjoy cycling together. For somefamilies this has been the chance for them to discovera new and healthy way to spend time together. He alsoruns bike events with the community Spirit youth club.Georgie said “Carl gives so much to his communityand the success of The Bike It project on the AbbeyEstate is largely due to Carls commitment, enthusiasmand generosity”.

NHS Health Checks - Want to know more?As mentioned on the front page of this month’s newsletter,Grove Surgery and School Lane Surgery are offering 40 - 74year olds the opportunity to get a free NHS health check.

If you have some questions about the checks or would just liketo find out more, then you can come and see us at variouslocations across Thetford in January. Together with the NHSHealth Trainers we will be able to answer questions and bookyou in for an appointment at the Healthy Living Centre.

Visit us on:

Fri 7th Jan: Wellspring, Church on the Way, 18.00 - 20.30

Tues 11th Jan: Gazebo, King Street, 10.00 - 14.00

Wed 12th Jan: Meet Up Café, 10.00 - 14.00

Thurs 13th Jan: Abbey Neighbourhood Centre, 10.00 - 14.00

Fri 14th Jan: Thetford Library, 9.00 - 13.00

Mon 17th Jan: Breckland Leisure Centre, time TBC

Tues 18th Jan: Sainsbury’s Thetford, 10.00 - 18.00

Several other locations are to be confirmed nearer the time andwe hope to visit a number of cafes in the area as well, so pleasekeep your eyes open for details in the local press and on ourFacebook page or give us a call on 01842 757350 to find out more.


Adult gardening sessionsOver the summer andautumn months, theThetford Healthy Towngardening projectshave been busy. Theadult gardening sessions at Riversdale Communitycentre have been packed with participants learningabout growing herbs, vegetables and making theirown compost. The group has taken some of theproject’s produce; basil, chard, carrots and potatoeshome to try out tasty ways of using what they havegrown! During each session there has been a‘gardener’s question time’ where Pat the trainer hasanswered of questions on growing vegetables. Over thecourse of the year, gardeners have battled the elementsfrom the cold and wet, to some exceptionally hot sessionsover the summer! Thanks to Kate who volunteered to shareher enthusiasm and experience with our gardening group.This training has now finished, but thanks to all involvedwho made it such a great project.


Schools sessionsAt the Thetford Academy, pupils have harvested and cookedtheir own potatoes, planted raised beds, learnt to makejams, weeded and tended beans, carrots and all manner of

vegetables. Pupils have gottheir hands dirty, got active byplanting and weeding, as wellas learning all about growingtheir own produce.

At Bishop School younggardeners have busiedthemselves building raisedbeds and with help from other

Thetford Healthy Town projects, filling them up withvegetables and plants through the term.

The schools projects will continue in January 2011, so ifyour child would like to get involved please contact LucindaLeonard on 01362 698216 or [email protected]

CompetitionWe are giving away a signed Darren Huckerbyfootball and a pink smoothie maker to the best newsuggestion for a swap!! Tell us your idea, with yourpreferred prize. New ideas will be passed on to thechange4life team as they are keen to publicise newideas.

Simply send your idea on a card with your name,address and contact telephone number and send itto Thetford Healthy Town, The Limes, 32 BridgeStreet, Thetford, IP24 3AG, or drop the card into anyof our survey collection boxes located at: TheLibrary, Grove Surgery, School Lane Surgery, HealthyLiving Centre, Abbey Neighbourhood Centre or TheMeetup Café. Alternatively email your swap towww.thetfordhealthytown.co.uk. The competitioncloses on 31 January 2011. Entries will not beaccepted with anyone from the THT Programme.The Programme Managers decision is final.

The Great SWAPATHON!Change4Life are starting2011 with a bang launchingthe GREAT SWAPATHON!!!This is a chance for youand your family to pledgeto make a small change inyour life that will make abig difference to yourhealth. From January there will be a tool on theChange4Life website http://www.nhs.uk/change4life andFacebook page which will help you to pledge your swap.

Here are a few suggestions to get you thinking:• Spending less time sitting indoors playing games and

more time outside playing in the park• Instead of having a pack of crisps in your lunchbox

swap it for a yoghurt and piece of fruit• Take the stairs rather than the lift whenever you get

a change• Twice a week, swap the car for your bike or walk on

short journeys to school or work • Swap an evening a week in front of the TV for an

evening of learning to dance • Replace a morning alone indoors for a morning in the

great outdoors with new friends at a walking group



After the mince pies, Christmas pudding andturkey, what better way to start your New Year’sresolution than by motivating yourself to set a new goalwith like minded people to help you? How many of ushave set ourselves healthy challenges, stuck to themperfectly for the first few days and then for one reason oranother have lost the will by the end of the week?

Life4Life is a programme aimed specifically at tackingthe issues which stop us from achieving that New Year’sresolution of shifting those extra pounds. Life4Lifecourses have been run across the county with somefantastic results, with many people recording weightlosses after just 4 weeks, together with reductions inwaist size (all important for fitting into those jeans!).

The programme is made up of 4 sessions which last just2 hours each, and best of all they are free! Courses willrun when there are enough people wanting to take part,so call Lynn or Paul on 01493 853159 to find out more.

Festive Fun

The Thetford Healthy Town team joined in the town’sfestivities in early December at the Christmas lightsswitch on. The Joy of Food’s Sean West kindly preparedhomemade winter vegetable soup which the teamhanded out to those braving the cold. Many left, withrecipe in-hand, to meet Santa Claus who arrived in stylevia a TARDIS! As Santa took to his more typical mode oftransport - his sleigh - we continued to dish out hotsoup to hungry onlookers. The whole event was a trulyfestive occasion with the street lined with colourful stallsand all were serenaded by carol singers.

New Year at the Leisure Centre January is traditionally a time when people make New Years resolutions but are oftenshort of money and time to commit to a gym membership. Unfortunately by the timeFebruary comes around, the motivation and enthusiasm has already been lost and all thegood intentions of improving our general health and fitness are lost for another year.

To help you out, Thetford Leisure Centre has 3 great value for money offers available inthe New Year:

• Get Off Your Sofa - Join our 'Expressions' membership now through till 31st January and pay absolutely nothing whenyou join. The sooner you join the more money you save! No fee's to be paid until February! Membership includesunlimited usage of the gym, swimming pools, and group exercise classes.

• Swim 2012 - Monthly swimming membership now available for just £20.12/month.Prices Frozen until 2012.

• Flabelos - Recently installed vibration technology now available. Burn fat, lose weight,and increase muscle tone. Lose a dress size in 3 weeks!! Each session provides acomplete body workout in just 10-minutes, so this machine is fantastic the quickworkout. Single sessions cost £4, whilst one months unlimited usage cost £30.

Terms and conditions apply. Ask staff for details.

Contact (01842) 753110 or e-mail [email protected].

New Year, New You



COPD - What is it? And should I be worried?Back in November 2010 the British Lung Foundation held‘World COPD Day’ which aimed to identify some of the‘missing millions’ who have chronic Obstructive PulmonaryDisease (COPD) without realising it. COPD is a term used todescribe a range of conditions, including chronic bronchitisand emphysema, where the lining of theairways is damaged making it harder tobreathe. It is a progressive disease thatkills 30 000 people a year. Although it isirreversible it can be slowed in its tracksso diagnosing it early is really important.Estimates suggest that although 3.7million people in the UK have the diseasebut as little as 900 000 know that they have it.

What are the symptoms?Coughing, phlegm and shortness of breath can besymptoms of COPD. Initially these symptoms mayjust be noticeable in winter or could be attributed to‘smokers cough’ leading cases to be diagnosedand treated late. Early diagnosis is really important and thisis why the British Lung Foundation have developed anonline ‘breath test’. By logging on tohttp://www.lunguk.org/ and visiting the ‘World COPD Day’section, you can check whether you may have COPDwithout realising it. It will not give you a definitive diagnosis,you should always visit your GP for this, but it can help toidentify people who have a problem with their lungs.

Smoking and COPDQuitting smoking can lower your risk of developing COPD, ifyou would like to quite smoking then META and theThetford Health Trainers are here to help:

META’s Stop SmokingService is for members ofthe migrant Europeancommunities in Thetfordand surrounding areasand can be delivered inPortuguese, Polish,

Lithuanian, Russian and English- telephone 01842 754639 orcall in at The Limes, 32 BridgeStreet on weekdays from 9 – 5(Friday until 7pm) or on Saturdaymornings.

Thetford Health Trainer Servicealso offers a stop smoking service

to anyone over the age of 16 living in Thetford. The serviceis available by appointment at a time and place to suit you,including evenings and weekends. To make anappointment please either call us on 01842 757341, [email protected] or call in to our office atThe Limes, 32 Bridge Street, Thetford. The service is free,available in many languages and also offers support withincreasing exercise, reducing alcohol and better nutrition.

New Archery, Boxing, Badminton & Running Groups!Breckland Council are teaming up with Active Norfolk to bringsome fantastic new activities toThetford in the New Year. For 11-16 year olds there will be archeryand boxing (each £2 a session)whilst those over 16 will be ableto enjoy badminton (£17.50 for8 weeks) and running (£8 for 8weeks). All sessions are heldat Breckland Leisure Centre. For a full list of dates andhow to book your place,please see the calendar overleaf.


January • what • when • whereJanuary • what • when • whereDate Time Activity Venue and DetailsMon 3 Jan ALL DAY Combat Bootcamp (13-16y) Meet Up Café base camp (booking essential - details below)Tue 4 Jan ALL DAY Combat Bootcamp (13-16y) Meet Up Café base camp (booking essential - details below)

10.00 Walking for Health Meet at Thetford Castle Street car park19.00 - 20.00 Tai Chi Thetford Methodist Church

Thu 6 Jan 10.00 River Corridor Volunteers Contact Digby Smith for venue Fri 7 Jan 10.00 Walking for Health Meet at Thetford Riverside KioskTue 11 Jan 10.00 Walking for Health Meet at 2 Mile Bottom picnic site (A134 Thetford/Mundford Road)

19.00 - 20.00 Tai Chi Thetford Methodist Church Wed 12 Jan 20.00 - 21.30 Ballroom and Latin Dancing Carnegie Rooms Thu 13 Jan 10.00 River Corridor Volunteers Contact Digby Smith for venue

18.30 Combat Bootcamp Outside Breckland Leisure CentreFri 14 Jan 16.00 - 18.00 MEND programme begins! Breckland Leisure Centre (booking essential - details below)

10.00 Walking for Health Meet at East Wretham Nature Reserve (on A1075)Sat 15 Jan 10.00 Combat Bootcamp Castle Park

13.00 - 14.30 Street Dance (12-16y) Breckland Leisure Centre (booking essential - details below)Mon 17 Jan 16.30 - 17.30 Boxing (11-16y) Breckland Leisure Centre (booking essential - details below)Tue 18 Jan 10.00 Walking for Health Meet at Santon Downham Forestry Commission Offices car park

16.00 - 17.00 Archery (11-16y) Breckland Leisure Centre (booking essential - details below)19.00 - 20.00 Tai Chi Thetford Methodist Church

Wed 19 Jan 20.00 - 21.30 Ballroom and Latin Dancing Carnegie RoomsThu 20 Jan 10.00 River Corridor Volunteers Contact Digby Smith for venue

18.30 Combat Bootcamp Outside Breckland Leisure CentreFri 21 Jan 10.00 Walking for Health Meet at Thetford Riverside Kiosk

16.00 - 18.00 MEND programme Breckland Leisure Centre (booking essential - details below)Sat 22 Jan 10.00 Combat Bootcamp Castle Park

13.00 - 14.30 Street Dance (12-16y) Breckland Leisure Centre (booking essential - details below) Mon 24 Jan 16.30 - 17.30 Boxing (11-16y) Breckland Leisure Centre (booking essential - details below )Tue 25 Jan 10.00 Walking for Health Meet at Thetford Riverside Kiosk

16.00 - 17.00 Archery (11-16y) Breckland Leisure Centre (booking essential - details below)19.00 - 20.00 Tai Chi Thetford Methodist Church

Wed 26 Jan 20.00 - 21.30 Ballroom and Latin Dancing Carnegie Rooms Thu 27 Jan 10.00 River Corridor Volunteers Contact Digby Smith for venue

18.30 Combat Bootcamp Outside Breckland Leisure CentreFri 28 Jan 10.00 Walking for Health Meet at High Lodge, Thetford Forest

16.00 - 18.00 MEND programme Breckland Leisure Centre (booking essential - details below)Sat 29 Jan 10.00 Combat Bootcamp Castle Park

13.00 - 14.30 Street Dance (12-16y) Breckland Leisure Centre (booking essential - details below)Mon 31 Jan 09.30 - 11.00 Badminton (16+) Breckland Leisure Centre (booking essential - details below)

10.00 - 11.00 Running Breckland Leisure Centre (booking essential - details below)16.30 - 17.30 Boxing (11-16y) Breckland Leisure Centre (booking essential - details below)

Tues 1 Feb 10.00 - 14.00 Bike Amnesty King Street, Thetford16.00 - 17.00 Archery (11-16y) Breckland Leisure Centre (booking essential - details below)

Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Contact . . . . . . . . . .Telephone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .EmailArchery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Stefan Clifford . . . . . . . . . . . . . .01362 656870Badminton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Active Norfolk . . . . . . . . . . . . . .01603 731564 / 732333Balance Mind & Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Michelle Jermy . . . . . . . . . . . . .07725 582817 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected] Ballroom & Latin Dancing . . . . . . . . . . .Holly Gilbert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .01842 757350 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected] It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Georgie Burr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .01842 757349 / 07973 128206 . . . . . . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Stefan Clifford . . . . . . . . . . . . . .01362 656870Combat Bootcamp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Catherine Kidd . . . . . . . . . . . . .08456 345185 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected] Bootcamp (13-16y) . . . . . . . . .Sue Morter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .01603 702374 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected] Green Ventures Bikes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Chris Norton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .01842 821459 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected] Your Own Gardening . . . . . . . . . .Lucinda Leonard . . . . . . . . . . . .01362 698216 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected] of Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Sean West . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .01842 768305 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Toby Nickerson . . . . . . . . . . . . .01603 761122River Corridor Volunteers . . . . . . . . . . . .Digby Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .01842 760369 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Active Norfolk . . . . . . . . . . . . . .01603 731564 / 732333Street Dance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Carla Keen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .07731 980756Tai Chi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Gary Brighton . . . . . . . . . . . . . .01842 763156Walking for Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Malcolm Bellingham . . . . . . . .01842 757351 / 07747 077159 . . . . . . . . . . [email protected]

Want more information? Contact [email protected]


January Calendar:Layout 1 14/12/2010 10:27 Page 1

Thetford Healthy Town Newsletter January 2011

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Transcript of Thetford Healthy Town Newsletter January 2011