Food for Life Project, Derry

Bogside & Brandywell Health Forum (lead), Health Improvement Team (west), Youthfirst and Gaelscoil Éadain Mhóir

Aim of the organisation

Bogside & Brandywell Health Forum is a community-led project tasked with bringing together many different groups and agencies in order to enhance the health and well being of the people in the Bogside & Brandywell community. The partners involved come from the local community sector, statutory health groups and General Practitioners. 

The Health Forum is able to target and recruit from the hard to reach members of the community. Over the past number of years the group has put health on the local agenda and is known throughout the community for its holistic approach to health. 

Background to the project

The Neighbourhood Renewal area of Triax in Derry city is the target area for this initiative. This ward is the most deprived ward in the Western Trust area and is ranked sixth most deprived ward area in Northern Ireland (NI). The objective of the initiative is to develop, organise and deliver a range of interlinked community food based programmes with the aim of reducing obesity in children and reducing the risk of nutrition-linked illnesses such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Obesity is a multifaceted problem and requires a holistic range of options to provide effective solutions for prevention and treatment. Anecdotal evidence from areas of the highest deprivation such as the Triax area strongly suggests that childhood and teenage obesity are becoming more and more obvious.

Overview of the Project

The Bogside & Brandywell Health Forum (Healthy Living Centre) delivers a range of healthy eating programmes including demonstration and practical cooking activities as well as education based activities and information. Food for life brings together a range of community and statutory workers who are tasked with the improvement of health within the local community. They provide a range of programmes and activities that provide knowledge and practical skills in the preparation of a healthy diet. The target audience will be children, teenagers, families & older people from the target Neighbourhood Renewal area of Triax in Derry city. 

Objectives of the Project include

• To keep building on existing work and development of best practice
• To strengthen links with groups tasked with improving the health of the community within the target area
• To help reduce instances of obesity in children
• To help reduce nutrition-linked illnesses such as diabetes
• To delivery various programmes throughout the community; offering training and advice on healthy eating and living

For more information please contact: Mary Breslin at mary@bbhealthforum.org. Also see www.bbhealthforum.org