ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2015 Delivering Health Through The Environment Case Studies The Brain Injury Foundaon The Brain Injury Foundaon is a cross‐community support group which also provides respite near Newry, Co Down. It was launched by a group of survivors, carers and volunteers in August 2012 and has over 100 members. In 2013, the Brain Injury Foundaon purchased and renovated a property in Camlough following a £350,000 grant from Space and Place. Prior to this, the group de‐ pended on temporary premises and was limited in the work it could do. The organisaon’s new premises named ‘Our House,’ pro‐ vides a permanent, dedicated centre of excellence for “Almost all of the management commiee are brain injury brain injury survivors, their carers and family members. It survivors or carers. In one sense this is the only place that was officially opened in October 2015. is completely owned and directed by its service users, it really is ‘Our House’.” Through the centre and its work, BIF aims to minimise isolaon and enhance the confidence of their members Frank Hewi, the Big Loery Fund’s NI Chair, said: “It’s enabling them to socialise, develop their communicaon wonderful to see how the Brain Injury Foundaon has skills, learn new skills and engage fully in their local transformed this building with funding from the Space & community. Place programme. People affected by brain injury and their families have been at the forefront of developing this The facility will also allow BIF to help integrate brain injury project and we are looking forward to seeing the survivors into the wider community by opening up the difference the new centre makes to them.” building for wider community use by other organisaons in this rural area and beyond. BIF services all of the Southern Health and Social Care Trust area with members drawn from Dungannon, Speaking at the October 2015 opening of the new Loughgall, Richhill, Bessbrook, Newry, Gilford, premises, Frank Dolaghan chair of the Brain Injury Warrenpoint, Rostrevor, Kilkeel, Newcastle, Castlewellan Foundaon said: “Centres like this are necessary as the and Rathfriland. biggest single issue facing survivors and their carers is loneliness. The Brain Injury Foundaon differs from many charies in that it is user led. For more informaon, contact Frank Dolaghan at The Brain Injury Foundaon via e‐mail: [email protected] or by telephone: 028 3083 9943 ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2015 Delivering Health Through The Environment Case Studies Bryson LaganSports Bryson LaganSports and Cancer Focus NI formed an innovave partnership to enable breast cancer survivors to avail of the opportunity to experience dragon boat paddling on the River Lagan. Research has demonstrated that people who parcipate in dragon boat paddling aer breast cancer surgery feel stronger and have more energy. Dragon boat racing traces its roots back thousands of years to compeons between villagers in China. Its modern incarnaon involves a team of 20 paddlers, one drummer and one steersperson who propel a long, narrow boat, much like a canoe, several hundred meters during a Due to the success of the project, Cancer Focus NI and compeon. The boat is oen decorated with a dragon Bryson LaganSports are planning to extend the service head at the front and a tail at the back beyond breast cancer survivors to ensure that anyone with a cancer diagnosis has the opportunity to avail of paddle Dragon boang has become especially popular among sport acvies on the River Lagan in Belfast. breast cancer survivors, thanks to a 1998 study by Canadian sports medicine specialist Don McKenzie. For more informaon, contact Siobhan Caulfield at Bryson LaganSports via e‐mail: “Bryson LaganSports has given us the opportunity to avail scaulfi[email protected] or by telephone: of their experse and impressive facilies to establish one 028 9046 1711 of our fastest growing services which aims to have 40 paddlers on the River Lagan each week. Dragon boat paddling for women who are affected by breast cancer is well known around the world but our team is a first for Northern Ireland. Dragon boat paddling helps women get fier aer breast cancer treatment, makes them feel beer emoonally, and is a great way to make new friends. It’s a fun way to get your life back on track. During the past 8 months we had a regular turnout of round 20 women, mainly from the Greater Belfast area.” Liz Atkinson, Head of Care Services, Cancer Focus NI said. ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2015 Delivering Health Through The Environment Case Studies Red Cross: Flooding and Mental Health Provide a comparison between rural and urban contexts with regard to the causes and effects of This case study details the creaon of two reports by the flooding. Brish Red Cross on the subject of flooding impacts on Idenfy examples of community resilience in rural health in Northern Ireland. communies. Use the research informaon to beer prepare and In 2010, the Brish Red Cross published its first report, inform strategic partners. This may include the civil ‘Living in Fear of the Rain,’ which discussed the impact of conngencies community, emergency services, local flooding in Greater Belfast. Belfast City Council recognised resilience partners and policy makers. that the impact of flooding on people living in high‐risk flood areas in Greater Belfast needed to be assessed. It Successes approached the Red Cross to undertake research in 2008. Some of the major successes of each project included: The second report, ‘Cut off by the Floods,’ was published ‘Living in Fear of the Rain’ in 2012. It outlined the difficules experienced by rural The examinaon of the long‐term complex needs of populaons who had been faced with flooding, focusing people vicmised by flooding. mainly on County Fermanagh and Beragh, County Tyrone. A new focus on the need to engage flooding in a ‘people‐centred’ way; directly communicang with Aims/objecves those at risk to increase preparedness. The ability to highlight vulnerable groups like single ‘Living in Fear of the Rain’ (2010) parents and low income families, whose needs To determine the impact of flooding for people and require further specific research. communies living in high‐risk flooding ‘hot‐spots’ Engagement from other organisaons with an in Belfast. interest or responsibility for flooding. To determine people’s main needs and any Detailed analysis of key flooding terms such as vulnerability at the response and recovery stages, resilience, community and vulnerability. including praccal, social and welfare issues. To review current integrated emergency ‘Cut off by the Floods’ management models in Northern Ireland. Gained posive feedback from parcipants who were happy that the reports accurately conveyed ‘Cut off by the Floods’ (2012) their experience of flooding impacts. Examine the short and long‐term impact of flooding The report is a driver for the development of new on individuals, communies and businesses in community resilience iniaves. idenfied flooding ‘hot‐spots.’ The research was cited by a range of other Idenfy needs at the response and recovery stages, organisaons and by the Red Cross when asked to including praccal, social and welfare issues. present its findings and recommendaons to a Idenfy specific vulnerable groups through range of bodies. engagement at a local level. Lessons learned It has used the findings in two very praccal ways: It piloted a ‘flooding roadshow’ which provides informaon that respondents said they required in the report. Informaon included insurance advice, flood defence advice and health and safety advice. The findings have been incorporated into the emergency response that the Red Cross offer. For more informaon, contact Stephen Jones at Climate Northern Ireland via e‐mail: [email protected] or by telephone: 028 9045 5770 ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2015 Delivering Health Through The Environment Case Studies The Feel Good Factor The Feel Good Factor is a women’s mountaineering and mountain biking club, founded early in 2015 by Kath Maguire as a way of linking up with other women to enjoy the fantasc range of outdoor recreaon opportunies available around the Mourne Mountains. Through her own background working in the outdoors Kath understood the barriers to women’s parcipaon in outdoor acvies. Beyond more obvious factors such as busy lives, Kath knew that much of it had to do with lack of confidence, and access to people with skills and equipment. With the support of an Acve Clubs Grant from Sport Northern Ireland, the Feel Good Factor devised the Ascend and Accelerate programme, to enable women access taster sessions and skills development in hillwalking, rock‐climbing and mountain‐biking. For some of the Geng out on bad weather days has added another mothers involved parcipaon has been made possible dimension to enjoyment of the outdoors, with some through funding for childcare. saying the difficult condions made it even more exhila‐ rang. Kath said that while difficult to measure, experience within the club has shown how the social engagement and sense The Feel Good Factor is a family‐friendly group with of achievement arising from outdoor acvies is hugely children and partners joining in some acvies. The club beneficial to parcipants’ mental health. Amongst the already has almost 50 members, and Kath believes the physical health benefits menoned were improved Ascend and Accelerate programme will provide a solid strength, fitness and endurance. basis for the club to connue. Engagement with the natural environment is part of the For more informaon, contact The Feel Good Factor special feel good factor that has given the club its name. via email: [email protected] or by Women have been blown away by the quality of the telephone: +353 1 625 1115 scenery and the beauty of nature. Members of the club have used Mountaineering Ireland’s Walking With Wildlife leaflet to introduce others to flora and fauna species found in the Mournes.