At this year’s Suffolk Show we sponsored the Family Health Trail which involved families walking around the Showground and visiting Healthy Ambitions Info Points at eight exhibitor areas.  The aim of the trail was to encourage people to walk, perhaps more than they would normally and also to help them learn about healthy eating and physical activity as they went around the showground.  Each visitor to one of our stations got a stamp in their Family Health Trail booklet and once the booklets had five or more stamps there were handed into a Healthy Ambitions team member and entered into a prize draw to win family passes for next year’s Suffolk Show. We also ran a competition based on information available on the trail, with those getting all questions right being entered into a draw to win some great prizes. Helping us on the day were students from University Campus Suffolk, Suffolk New College and also personnel from the USAF base at Lakenheath. Captain Megan Martin attended the show on both days and it was her first taste of Suffolk’s premier county show.

Originally from Ohio in the States her last posting was Las Vegas so quite a contrast to be posted last September to Suffolk. 

“This is my first visit not only to Suffolk but also to the UK; it’s been a really good change and we are lucky to have the base in Lakenheath as it’s a really nice part of the County. My home in Ohio also has farms so it’s pretty similar to Suffolk.” 

We asked Capt. Martin what she expected from the Suffolk Show and whether it lived up to expectations 

“My first impressions of the show definitely lived up to its expectations, I met with Chris Busby Executive Director for the show and Anne Gartley from Healthy Ambitions beforehand and they told me about the military aspect and the farm animals which I was looking forward to being a part of however, now I’m here it’s all the more better to visit it in person. I’ve loved all the displays and the way it’s really well laid out too has impressed me.”

 The USAF found the two days a useful opportunity to meet the people of Suffolk. 

 “It’s important for us to get out and mix with the people from the county and to find out about the area, therefore attending the Suffolk Show and working with Healthy Ambitions has been a really good opportunity for us, otherwise we can be so engulfed with our life on the base, we don’t necessarily see all the aspects of the area where we are serving whilst here on tour.”

There is a natural synergy between Capt. Martin and Healthy Ambitions as she works within the field of Public Health.

“We are really very pleased to be working with Healthy Ambitions as it sits perfectly in line with what we do with our own military staff, promoting a healthier lifestyle and teaching them how to stay fit and healthy.”

Finally we asked if the USAF might want to get involved again with Healthy Ambitions at future events.

 “Yes definitely, overall it’s been a good opportunity and we are really happy to be starting this relationship with Anne and Richard from Healthy Ambitions, it’s good to know we are helping them to make Suffolk one of the healthiest counties.”

 

It seems that Suffolk is going cycle crazy at the moment, here are four events taking place over the coming weeks which may be of interest to you:-

(1)    The first one is the Felixstowe Cycle Festival which is taking place on Hamilton Road, Felixstowe on the Saturday 8^th June – more information can be found on this website.

(2)    This year also sees the Grand Final of the Pearl Izumi Tour Series on the Cornhill in Ipswich on Friday 14^th June.   This will be the Final event of the 11 round Tour Series professional cycling race series and is anticipated to attract in the region of 15 – 20,000 spectators.  10 of the UK’s top professional teams will compete for the Tour Series title. A large multi-media screen (6m x 6m) with sound will be used to show live pictures of the races, with partner’s adverts being played earlier in the day and during periods where races are not taking place.  Activities will commence along the Start/Finish point outside the Town Hall at approximately 12.30pm with a programme of community activities and races, which will be followed by the elite racing and Adnams Corporate Race later in the afternoon and running though until 9.30pm in the evening. Full programme details are available at www.thetour.co.uk

(3)    Another event in Felixstowe, which takes place on Sunday 23^rd June, is the Port Of Felixstowe Bike Day and more information can be found at:-

http://www.communitygames.org.uk/Games/suffolk-sport/port-felixstowe-bike-day

(4)    Also, we are once again sponsoring the Orwell Walk which this year includes the Orwell Cycle as well as the traditional Orwell Walk, and more details of the event which takes place on Sunday 30^th June can be found at www.ipswicheastrotaryclub.co.uk

 

At Healthy Ambitions we have provided pedometers for the goody bags for the launch of this year’s Walking Festival, to find out how to get involved check out this link and start enjoying some of the best of what Suffolk has to offer:-

Our new One Million Steps campaign launches this summer too - more details to follow but if you want to see how our own CEO Richard Powell is doing with his own one million steps challenge check out his blog.  

 

If you do, you’re sure to lose a few pounds while saving money, and with no hangovers you’ll find that you have more time and energy, and your skin will look nicer too.

Here at Healthy Ambitions Suffolk we encourage cutting down on drinking alcohol as not only can this have a big impact on weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight, but it can also reduce your risk of cancer as research shows that alcohol has been linked with breast, bowel, mouth and liver cancer. People watching their weight should pay attention to how much alcohol they drink since it is second only to fat in terms of calorie content, say experts at the World Cancer Research Fund, and alcohol makes up nearly 10% of total calorie intake among drinkers. Recent reports have shown that people are unaware of calories in drinks and don’t include them when calculating their daily consumption, but unlike food, alcoholic drinks have very little or no nutritional value. Having a large glass of wine will cost you the same 178 calories as eating two chocolate digestive biscuits. And it will take you more than a half hour’s brisk walk to burn off.  

If you like a drink and you don’t want to abstain entirely there are ways that can help you cut down, including opting for smaller glass sizes, diluting alcohol with soda water or a low-calorie soft drink, alternating between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and keeping a few nights each week booze-  
free.

Government guidelines recommend men should not regularly drink more than three to four units of alcohol a day, and women should limit themselves to two to three units a day.
A standard 175ml glass of wine contains about two units and a large 250ml glass contains about three units. 

If you have had a heavy drinking session, men you should avoid alcohol for at least 48 hours,experts advise. 
 
So go on, take time out, get thinking about your drinking and prove to yourself that you can say no to a tipple or two.
 
 

Healthy Ambitions are delighted to be sponsoring the brand new Family Health Trail at this year’s Suffolk Show. As a local charity whose aim it is to improve the health and wellbeing of the people of Suffolk young and old, this new initiative is a brilliant way to give visiting families a fun activity whilst teaching the younger members about where food comes from and how to live a healthier lifestyle. Richard Powell CEO for Healthy Ambitions says

“It’s a shocking statistic but 26.5% of adults here in Suffolk admit to doing no exercise at all! Over the last five years the rise in over weight 10-11 year olds has increased from 29.7% to 31.7% and Suffolk has a £20m drugs bill from diabetes which is closely linked with obesity, that’s just three of the all too common unhealthy statistics being reported about those who live right here in the County.” He continued

“We have a wonderful rural county with plenty of opportunities to eat fresh, healthy local produce and to walk or cycle around; we just need to inspire more families to do just that.”

There will be eight areas to visit in total on the Family Health Trail and by visiting at least six of the zones, and answering some questions about each, families will have the chance to win Family Tickets to the Suffolk Show 2014 and also a pedometer so that they can see for themselves just how much exercise they really are taking on a daily basis. Richard concluded

 “This Family Health Trail is a great way for us to highlight the health benefits of living in Suffolk, by understanding how we can make a positive impact on our health which we can make by engaging with local food producers and the agricultural community.” 

 

We still have a few places left for the breakfast seminars on Long Term Sickness which is being held on 23^rd April in Bury St Edmunds and 30^th April in Ipswich.  These events are aimed at local employers and will address key employment issues around Long Term Sickness which is a problem for many businesses today.  The event will provide you with an opportunity to learn about preventative actions that can be taken to protect a business with the benefit of saving both time and money.

 As part of our ongoing commitment to support local employers, we are delighted to be working with Ashton KCJ Solicitors and Gipping Occupational Health on a series of workplace health and wellbeing seminars, which will keep you up-to-date with the latest employment legislation, as well as providing insight into workplace health best practice.  You will hear first-hand experiences of how workplace health issues can develop, which if not managed in a proactive way, can drain a business of valuable time and resources, with the risk of damaging your overall success and profitability.

 Ashton KCJ Solicitors are one of the region’s largest law firms and with offices in Bury St Edmunds, Cambridge, Felixstowe, Ipswich, Norwich and Thetford are ideally placed to assist clients throughout East Anglia.  Whether you are a commercial client or an individual client, and whatever your legal needs, Ashton KCJ’s focus is on always delivering first class legal advice with exceptional service. Members of the Employment Law team will be on hand during the seminar to help provide clear and concise advice on a wide range of workplace issues and will have a team of Employment Law experts to help provide clear and concise advice on a wide range of workplace issues. 

Gipping Occupational Health, our locally-based national provider of comprehensive workplace health and wellbeing services, will also be on hand to advise you on the steps that employers can take to effectively manage workplace health, protecting your business and keeping employees healthy at work.

 Does your business contribute to these statistics?

• In Great Britain during 2010/11, an estimated 1.8 million people suffered from an illness that they believed was caused, or made worse by, their current or past work.

• In 2010/11, 75% of new work-related health problems were either musculoskeletal or related to stress, depression and anxiety.

• Work-related ill health was responsible for an estimated 22.1 million working days lost in 2010/11.

• Employment Tribunals cost UK Businesses £1.6bn in 2010.

• Only one in twenty HR professionals fully understands the UK employment tribunal process.

• One in five businesses settles all employment tribunal cases before they go to court. 

The topics covered by the seminars will be determined by feedback from local employers and what common issues they face in the effective management of Workplace Health.

The theme of our first seminar is Long Term Sickness and will be held at Ashton KCJ Offices on Tuesday 23^rd April in Bury St Edmunds, Kempson Way and again on Tuesday 30^th April in Ipswich, Waterfront.  The seminars will start at 7.45 am with a light breakfast and an opportunity to network, at 8:00 am we will welcome the speakers from Ashton KCJ and Gipping Occupational Health, followed by a Q&A session before close at 9:30 am.

 The seminars are exclusively available at no charge to employers in Suffolk.  If you would like join us, please contact Anne on 01473 786672 or email anne.gartley@healthyambitionssuffolk.co.uk to book a place.

 

 

Dr Elizabeth Sidwell, Schools Commissioner for England, was welcomed by the staff and pupils of Wickham Market Primary School at their newly launched Early Bird Breakfast Club on 7^th March. 

In her present role, Dr Sidwell is visiting schools and councils nationwide, working with heads, governors and sponsors to ensure a world-class education system. As part of this she joined the Wickham Market children for a healthy, locally sourced breakfast while they learnt about the importance of eating well, as well as where their food had come from.

The Early Bird Breakfast Clubs are being piloted by Healthy Ambitions, the regional charity which promotes heart health and wellbeing, and the clubs are delivered by Cook With Me Kids, a local community interest company.

Schools Commissioner, Dr Elizabeth Sidwell said: “It is essential that children have a good breakfast every day. As a head teacher, I saw that breakfast clubs can help to improve children's attendance, concentration, motivation and promote healthy eating habits. That’s why initiatives like Early Bird Breakfast Clubs are so important, and why the Government is looking at the role food and cooking plays in schools and how this can help to get our children eating well.”

Chief Executive of Healthy Ambitions, Richard Powell, said, “We are delighted to welcome Dr Elizabeth Sidwell to our first breakfast club to enable her to see at first hand the success of our programme.  At Healthy Ambitions, we believe that giving more children such a nutritious and fun start to the day will improve their educational attainment as well as their overall health. Our aim is to roll this programme out around the region and we are looking at sustainable ways to make this happen.”

Emma Haines, Director of Cook With Me Kids, said, “With one in six children living in poverty in Suffolk, the need for a good breakfast to set them up for the day is stronger than ever. However, the real difference with these clubs is the way they become part of the community. Because the food is locally and ethically sourced, it is good for the local economy and gives children the chance to learn about local suppliers, growers and producers. Also, volunteers are given training to run the clubs, which not only enhances their skills, but also makes the clubs sustainable into the future.”

Schools interested in knowing more about the Early Bird Breakfast Clubs can contact Anne at Healthy Ambitions on 01473 786678 or email business@healthyambitionssuffolk.co.uk .

 

Healthy Ambitions is proud to announce the winners of the Healthy Ambitions Suffolk 2012 Better Health - Better Business Awards. 

Scooping the Gold Award are Birds Eye Limited, Waveney District Council, Babergh District Council & Mid Suffolk District Council and Suffolk Coastal District Council. With a Silver Award is The Havebury Housing Partnership, and first time entrant Larking Gowen has secured a Bronze. Virya Technologies Ltd is awarded the Small Business prize for the second time running.

Richard Powell, Chief Executive of Healthy Ambitions, says, “We are delighted with the high standard of entries to the awards. It shows the message really is getting out that a healthy team of employees is inseparable from a thriving business. Every company’s success is built upon its people and the winning organisations all provide meaningful ways to help employees keep fit and healthy - we highly commend them on their performance. It is also great to see organisations performing consistently well over time – it is this on-going commitment that really makes a difference.”

The presentations were made at Trinity Park conference centre, near Ipswich, on Friday 1^st March. The ceremony provided an inspirational example to the attendees of Healthy Ambitions’ workplace health event, the first of its kind in Suffolk.  British Heart Foundation experts delivered fun and interactive sessions for local employers, to raise awareness of a wide range of health issues and promoted a better lifestyle, thus raising awareness of the importance and benefits of having a healthy workforce. 

Key-note speakers who were very well received were local MP, Dr Dan Poulter, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Health, world-renowned Bob Laventure from the British Heart Foundation National Centre for Physical Activity and Health, and Clifford Emmerson, a qualified Human Givens practitioner from Harley Street, at the cutting edge of how people work today and into the future.

Richard Powell, added, “The great thing about this event, a first for Suffolk, is that it will result in many more organisations leading the way in looking after their employees. The fantastic winners receiving their awards really showcase the benefits of doing so.”

 

On Friday, 1st March 2013 Healthy Ambitions Suffolk, supported by our strategic partner the British Heart Foundation (BHF), will be holding an innovative and engaging event to promote workplace health and wellbeing to local business leaders. read more ...

The closing date for receipt of applications for grant funding for local community projects is 24th January 2013 read more ...