The Life Is Precious cancer awareness project delivered in partnership with Dudley PCT Public Health Department and Walsall Council Creative Development Team has won a National Award. The project was selected as Highly Commended for the Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust Screening Awards 2011. With latest figures showing high numbers of women not turning up for life-saving cervical screening, the Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust Cervical Screening Awards 2011 has recognised the UK’s top initiatives to boost awareness and uptake of the test.

Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust
The Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust Cervical Screening Awards 2011 were launched in June 2011 during Cervical Screening Awareness Week. Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust is the UK’s only dedicated cervical cancer charity offering support and information for those affected by cervical cancer and cervical abnormalities.

Information about this project will be added shortly, so keep in touch!

The winning projects were:

praXis Public Health Projects Award
Winner Walsall Council Creative Development Team for Walsall Feeling Good Project http://www.walsallartsintohealth.co.uk/new-practice/feeling-good/
 
Telford and Wrekin Council & NHS Telford and Wrekin Healthy Spaces Award
Winner Walsall Council Creative Development Team for Goscote Monumental Arts Project http://www.walsallartsintohealth.co.uk/new-practice/goscote-monumental-arts-project/

More information about the awards can be found on the praXis webiste http://www.praxisartsandhealth.org.uk/arts-and-health-awards-2011.html

It came about as a result of a previous project called ‘SORTED!’, which highlighted the fact that many people with a learning disability do not access mainstream leisure services once they have left school or college – either because they do not know they exist or they feel they don’t ‘fit in’.

Download a copy of the Catch Me Before I Fall report by clicking here.

Through reminiscence work, drama and textile workshops an archive of participants’ personal and social history has been captured to create a ‘slice of life’ living archive.

Walsall Council Creative Development Team were commissioned by Shropshire Council Community Arts and Festivals Team to undertake the project documentation and evaluation role. With extensive knowledge and experience of community arts practice and project management, delivery and evaluation for various partnerships across health, education, disability etc the team have led the evaluation process which has resulted in this report.

Download a copy of the Shifnal Living History Evaluation Report here.

Walsall’s Teen LifeCheck project was delivered through a 6 week targeted programme which was responsive to the young people’s interest and needs highlighted through completing the online Teen LifeCheck quiz.

Each six week programme provided opportunities for delivering a broad range of health based activity sessions delivered either by the centre’s staff or external agencies with an additional structure in place to signpost and refer young people to local support services as appropriate. Young people were also given the opportunity to gain accreditation through the Local Authority Award.

The ‘Teenlife Check’ report provides a summary case study of the Arts and Health project outcomes, impact, developments and a summary of recommendations for sustainability.

 Download the Teen LifeCheck Report by clicking here.

‘Catch Me Before I Fall’ was financed by a Communities For Health (Public Health) fund and the Creative Development Team worked in partnership with Walsall Learning Disability Partnership Board and third sector organisation Mencap to deliver the project.

The project as a whole targeted 3 strands which included mental wellbeing, physical exercise and healthy eating. Walsall CDT lead on a programme of arts and creative workshops as a way of engaging children and young people to explore positive mental health and wellbeing and develop a toolkit of appropriate and accessible health awareness resources. The creative work has particularly focused on promoting the ‘5 ways to wellbeing’ as a simple and accessible way of exploring emotional health and talking about thoughts and feelings.

The ‘Feeling Good’ report provides a summary case study of the Arts and Health project process, outcomes, learning and resources.

Download the ‘Feeling Good’ report.