Last Call for North West Photos

LAST CALL FOR NORTH WEST PHOTOS - CUMBRIA, CHESHIRE AND LANCASHIRE PHOTOGRAPHS NEEDED BY 30TH SEPTEMBER 2012 FOR LIFE THROUGH THE LENS, NORTH WEST ENGLAND'S BIGGEST SubmittedPHOTOGRAPHY by: Cactus Communications COMPETITION Thursday, 20 September 2012

LIFE THROUGH THE LENS PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION CLOSING DATE: 30th SEPTEMBER 2012 FINAL CHANCE TO SUBMIT YOUR SUMMER SNAPS & WIN A HOLIDAY! The closing date to the North West’s largest photography competition (http://photos.yearofhealthandwellbeing.org.uk) is fast approaching. Now’s the time for residents of Cheshire, Cumbria and Lancashire to submit the snaps they’ve taken during a Great British summer of celebration at: www.photos.yearofhealthandwellbeing.org.uk We’ve had the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, the Euros, the Olympic Torch Relay, London 2012 and the Paralympics – but The Year of Health and Wellbeing North West (http://www.yearofhealthandwellbeing.org.uk/index.php) wants to see what’s inspired you this summer? More images are needed and more members of the public are being asked to vote on the best of the North West’s photographs already displayed in the online gallery at the Life Through The Lens competition website (http://photos.yearofhealthandwellbeing.org.uk) . So, whether you’re a first-time snapper or a seasoned pro – it’s not all about top quality photography skills, but about what your shot means to you – and what the public thinks of it at the online photo gallery (http://photos.yearofhealthandwellbeing.org.uk). Residents of Cheshire Lancashire and Cumbria (http://photos.yearofhealthandwellbeing.org.uk/competition/rules) can upload photos to the Life Through The Lens photography competition website (http://photos.yearofhealthandwellbeing.org.uk) at: http://photos.yearofhealthandwellbeing.org.uk . Tell us if this summer has inspired you to change your lifestyle or think about your health and wellbeing in a different light? Entries by midnight on the 30th September 2012 will be judged by a panel of top photographers (http://photos.yearofhealthandwellbeing.org.uk/judges) . Photography competition prizes (http://photos.yearofhealthandwellbeing.org.uk/competition) for the best individual entry include a £1,000 family holiday and a hot-air balloon experience. Schools and camera clubs may enter up to 20 photographs with a prize of £500 of photography equipment vouchers up for grabs. A ‘People’s Choice Award’ will also be awarded - to those images with the most public votes via the competition website. Visit the photography gallery (http://photos.yearofhealthandwellbeing.org.uk/thumbnail) to view all the North West entrants. Have your say in the People’s Choice photography Award by clicking to rate each image, or just vote for your favourite shots.

Page 1 The Life Through The Lens photography competition, created by the North West Year of Health and Wellbeing aims to encourage people all summer to get out and about and give the Five Ways to Wellbeing (http://www.yearofhealthandwellbeing.org.uk/about.php) a go. Just by building five simple actions into your everyday life – give, connect, take notice, be active and keep learning - you can live longer, feel healthier and be happier. Notes to Editors: What are the Five Ways to Wellbeing (http://www.yearofhealthandwellbeing.org.uk/about.php) Live longer, feel healthier, be happier. Connect… with the people around you. With family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. At home, work, school or in your local community. Think of these as the cornerstones of your life and invest time in developing them. Building these connections will support and enrich you every day. Be Active… Go for a walk or run. Step outside. Cycle. Play a game. Garden. Dance. Exercising makes you feel good. Most importantly, discover a physical activity you enjoy and that suits your level of mobility and fitness. Take Notice… Be curious. Catch sight of the beautiful. Remark on the unusual. Notice the changing seasons. Savour the moment, whether you are walking to work, eating lunch or talking to friends. Be aware of the world around you and what you are feeling. Reflecting on your experiences will help you appreciate what matters. Keep learning…Try something new. Rediscover an old interest. Sign up for that course. Take on a different responsibility at work. Fix a bike. Learn to play an instrument or how to cook your favourite food. Set a challenge you will enjoy achieving. Learning new things will make you more confident as well as being fun. Give… Do something nice for a friend, or a stranger. Thank someone. Smile. Volunteer your time. Join a community group. Look out, as well as in. Seeing yourself, and your happiness, linked to the wider community can be incredibly rewarding and creates connections with the people around you. What is the North West Year of Health and Wellbeing (http://www.yearofhealthandwellbeing.org.uk/partners.php) ? More than 80 organisations are working together unleash the power of the five ways to wellbeing in our region. The partnership consists of the NHS North West, local Government, corporate and charitable

Page 2 partners and was launched in 2011. It has been developed at a time when pressures on health, the environment and the economy are at an all-time high and a radical approach is needed to harness people’s interest to improve their own lives in simple, yet effective ways. To upload photos, entrants simply visit: http://photos.yearofhealthandwellbeing.org.uk and register. Entry is open to those living in the North West, with a North West postcode and includes (but is not limited to) Manchester, Greater Manchester, Liverpool, Merseyside, Chester, Warrington, Saint Helens, Blackpool, Blackburn, Crewe, Prestwich, Stockport, Bolton, Morecombe, Barrow, Carlisle, Chorley, Wigan, Widnes, Salford, Bury, Tameside, Trafford, Fylde, Lancaser, Preston, Pendle, Burnley, Rossendale, Hyndburn, Runcorn, Knowsley, Wirral, Sefton, Halton, Blackburn, Darwen, Oldham, Rochdale, Leyland, Crosby, Formby, Southport, Maghull, Withington, Altrincham, Sale, Manchester, Birkenhead, Barrow-in-Furness, Wythenshawe, Ellesmere Port, Bootle, Wallasey, Huyton, Macclesfield, Middleton, Morecambe, Stretford, Ashton-under-Lyne, Leigh, Swinton, Lytham St Annes, Urmston, Walkden, Skelmersdale, Eccles, Accrington, Darwen, Denton, Radcliffe, Tyldesley, Chadderton, Prestwich, Hyde, Thornton-Cleveleys, Wilmslow, Winsford, Reddish, Northwich, Nelson, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Heywood, Fleetwood, Kendal, Whitehaven, Farnworth, South Turton, Workington, Formby, Saddleworth, Marple, Hindley, Ormskirk, Whitefield, Droylsden, Golborne, Westhoughton, Congleton, Stalybridge, Clitheroe, Rawtenstall, Shaw and Crompton, Penwortham, Royton, Failsworth, Colne, Individuals may enter up to three photos per person. Schools and camera clubs may enter up to 20 images. Categories include: Young person’s award (under 18s), Adult Award (Age 18+) and a People’s Choice Award as determined by the public’s online votes. The closing date for entries is midnight on the 30th September 2012. Contact Caroline via e-mail at: [email protected] or via mobile at: 07760 377 715 -ENDS -

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