Published September 14, 2016 at 13:34
Blackburn Cathedral will swing to the sounds of samba at an upcoming event celebrating the best of health and social care in East Lancashire.
Suco Suco Samba – a drum and dance troupe for people in recovering from addiction formed by East Lancashire support group ‘Juice’ – will headline the celebration of good practice and innovation taking place on Thursday September 29, from 10-3pm.
The event will gather together health and social care professionals, third sector organisations, service users and members of the public to highlight the that has taken place over recent years, as well as offering a chance to hear about some of the exciting developments happening right now.
It is part of a new project where NHS and local councils in Pennine Lancashire – made up of East Lancashire and Blackburn with Darwen – are working together to change the way health and social care is delivered in the area. Together they aim to meet the future health and social care needs of residents as well as meeting the tough financial challenge in the next few years.
On the day, the Cathedral will be themed and split into zones taking in the most important aspects of health and wellbeing.
Suco Suco Samba will be just one of the highlights of the event, where they will showcase the benefits of drumming and dancing, which are scientifically proven to heighten levels of health and wellbeing.
Visitors will also have the opportunity to get a free health check or take part in a mini-fitness demonstration including the use of a Watt bike and rowing machine. There will also be demonstrations of the North West Ambulance Trust’s telecare services, virtual visits designed to reduce social isolation, health Skyping and 3D printing of prosthetic hands.
There will be information on social prescribing schemes, smartphone and app developments and much more.
Dr Phil Huxley, NHS East Lancashire CCG Chair, said: “We are looking forward to this opportunity to share some of the stories of people who use our services, highlighting some of the innovative ways of working that we are introducing. Together with the voluntary and third sector, the health and care community is trying to work collaboratively to make better use of resources and improve the health and wellbeing of the people we serve.”
Graham Burgess, NHS Blackburn with Darwen CCG chair, said: “The event is for everyone who has an interest in health and social care and what the future holds and I urge everyone to come down and see what there is to offer. To get involved in the debate around helping to shape the future of health and social care in Pennine Lancashire, log onto the campaign website, like on Facebook or follow on Twitter.”
Registration is important. Please register on Eventbrite by searching Pennine Lancashire Health Celebration.
To get involved in the health and social care debate, visit www.togetherahealthierfuture.org.uk