Project title: Heart Life
Region: North East
Award amount: £9,973
Project dates: December 2022 – July 2023
This Healthy Heart Grant project has now finished, read on for the project highlights.
The Problem
Individuals with learning disabilities have a reduced life expectancy of 14-18 years compared with the rest of the population. A highly contributing factor is a lack of accessible health information and guidance, assisting them in making informed decisions regarding their health, particularly their heart health. Most of the people that ‘Your Voice Counts’ work with are financially disadvantaged, lack cooking skills or knowledge, and thus regularly consume microwave meals, increasing the likelihood of these individuals becoming overweight and developing further health conditions.
The Project
This project aimed to provide a greater understanding of heart health and the impacts, both negative and positive, that their lifestyle choices have on their heart health. It also aimed to improve cooking skills and knowledge as well as increase physical activity levels of the participants. Heart Life ran healthy cooking sessions with Healthy Hearts Recipe Cards available for the participants to take home with them after the session along with the food they cooked. At these sessions, they learnt about healthy food swaps, the ‘Eatwell plate’ and weight management through diet- all ways in which they can improve their heart health. In addition to this, they participated in keep fit sessions delivered by local community partners, including football in the park, fun dance sessions and health walks. Heart Life produced Heart Life Booklets which were used throughout the project and were kept for their own future reflection and education.
Project Highlights
Heart Life had 50 direct beneficiaries who participated regularly in cooking sessions, fitness exercises and received tailored support and information from peer educators. These beneficiaries reported improved physical health and wellbeing along with increased confidence with their self-care after the 6month project. An additional 98 beneficiaries gained information on heart health and how to lead a healthier lifestyle through one to one’s or drop-in sessions. Heart Life also connected with many people (860) indirectly, through family and friends eating the food cooked during the cooking sessions, information being shared with them or through Your Voice Counts social media channels. Due to the success of this project, the charity will continue its work through cooking sessions, fun exercises and healthy hearts workshops.
Julie’s story (project participant):
Julie suffers with depression and low mood and joined our Healthy hearts cooking project as the Peer Educator and instantly enjoyed it because she had taken part in some of our Cooking with Confidence sessions previously.
She was very interested in swapping ingredients for low or reduced fat and wanted to lose weight and feel healthier.
During the sessions she co-produced with the team she was able to talk about how exercise goes alongside a healthy lifestyle and the importance of having fresh fruit and vegetables in your daily meals. This is because since joining the group, Julie now swims once a week and has joined community walking groups. She is keen to join the gym for during the winter months to keep her exercise up and encouraged other members of the group to join her on a Friday morning for a swimming session, which is now part of her regular weekly exercise.
Julie really enjoyed cooking and trying new vegetables that she hadn’t before eaten, her favourite being butternut squash and sweet potato soup.
Since joining and helping to facilitate the group Julie decided to swap the bus for walking and is in a routine of planning more healthy meals at home for her and her partner. She continues to steadily lose weight and generally feels healthier, having more energy and has gone down a dress size since starting the project. During the 6 months Julie took part in the program she lost a total of 15lb and now looks and feels amazing and the self-confidence she gained from being the Peer Educator and taking part in the filming is amazing to see.
Julie says:
“I have really enjoyed being part of the health hearts it helped me change my lifestyle and get more active. It helped me lose weight and feel better about myself. I also enjoyed trying new foods that I eat all the time now. I am more confident and happier in myself.”
