Trainers helped over 800 York residents last year

The Health Trainer team is celebrating its second birthday, which has helped hundreds of York residents gain access and support to free health and wellbeing support.

Over 800 residents, aged 16 years and over, have benefited from the service in the past year. This includes around 400 York residents gaining support on how to quit smoking, and around 400 residents asking for help on things like how to eat healthy eating or weight management advice.

Skilled health trainers offer free confidential health and wellbeing one-to-one support and guidance on the following:

• healthy eating advice and weight management
• finding new ways to be more active
• quitting smoking
• reducing alcohol intake
• helping people find groups and activities to get back out in the community

The service also offers support to signpost to health and wellbeing help via the Lower My Drinking website: www.lowermydrinking.com , which is available to York residents aged 18 and over. Over 7,000 York residents have completed the quiz to-date!

In addition to this, a rise in teenagers vaping and smoking in York was tackled head on by the team last year too, when it launched a new campaign to offer free support.

Targeted at young people aged 12 to 17 years of age, it’s aimed at York secondary schools and sixth forms students. The campaign initially took place for three months, during the national stop smoking campaign, Stoptober, but is now offered as a permanent support fixture in York.

The health trainer service offers personalised, individual support and advice, and signing up is really simple.

Just visit: www.york.gov.uk/CYCHealthTrainers and complete the online referral form, message 07789 946 384 call 01904 553377 or email cychealthtrainers@york.gov.uk

A qualified and skilled health trainer will then develop personal health plans either virtually, over the phone or face-to-face.

Cllr Jo Coles, Executive Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care, said: “Our Health Trainers have already done an amazing job, supporting people to make positive changes across the city. Over 800 residents have already been supported to stop smoking, lose weight or get more active, to lower their drinking levels and get more involved in community activities. It’s great to read the success stories.

“But there’s more they can do. As a Council we want to embed health into everything we do – and that means continuing to support anyone who wants to start the Health Trainer journey. So please contact the team if they can help – the service is completely free.”

Residents have been sharing their experiences about the service, like Dave Thorp, aged 63 from York, whose health journey really stood out last year.

After reaching out to the service, Dave’s life changed. From the help of the team and his determination, he lost 5 stone in 6months and put his type 2 diabetes into remission.

At the time, Dave said: “The results have revolutionised my life and my lifestyle. Seeing significant results early encouraged me to continue. It’s never too late. I’m 63 but now I look, feel and behave a lot younger!

“I'm both overwhelmed and humbled by the personal attention I've been given by the NHS, the gym staff and the Health Trainers.”

Emma, a York resident who self-referred to Health Trainers, said: "Having a Health Trainer has enabled me to feel better both mentally and physically.

“I was sceptical at first that it would make any difference, but it has. My trainer was brilliant in that she didn’t make me feel judged or as though she was lecturing me.

"It was good that how often we met was flexible too, as we switched from fortnightly to monthly after a few sessions to give me a bit more time to achieve goals and try things out."

More health stories can be found here

For more information get in touch today by visiting www.york.gov.uk/CYCHealthTrainers , messaging them at 07789 946 384, calling 01904 553377 or emailing cychealthtrainers@york.gov.uk