Voluntary Impact Northamptonshire has been awarded the Community Health Champions Funding for the next two years.

The Community Health Champion volunteers shall promote healthy lifestyles and have a focus on sharing information on health-related matters, including long-term health conditions, and signpost to the services and support available. Working in partnership with Public Health West Northamptonshire, this programme will deliver Volunteer Health Champions across West Northants, with the Local Area Partnership Area (LAP) known as Central (N4) being a priority area. The N4 Local Area Partnership (LAP) has identified respiratory disease as a priority area for action. Respiratory disease covers a wide variety of conditions, including common conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, infections such as pneumonia and flu, and less common diseases such as interstitial lung disease and mesothelioma. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, respiratory diseases (those affecting the airways and lungs) were diagnosed in 1 in 5 people in England and were the third biggest cause of death.

The Breathlessness Pathway is a programme of work being developed to address inequalities in respiratory care. It aims to better understand the experiences of those groups most vulnerable to health inequalities and respiratory conditions, and develop initiatives to address inequities in access, outcomes, and experiences. Within this the Community Health Champions Award is pivotal. Over the coming months VIN will be working with a range of stakeholders (including the VCSE) to drive this programme.

Russell Rolph (CEO of VIN) states:

We are delighted to have received this funding from Public Health West Northamptonshire and look forward to engaging with stakeholders and the community on this piece of work. This is hopefully the first of many volunteer programmes which will address specific health inequality themes through the provision of advice and information. It gives an opportunity for members of the public to dip their toes into the world of volunteering, receive training and support and see some remarkable outcomes for their efforts. If anyone is interested in volunteering for this programme then contact info@voluntaryimpact.org.uk in the first instance and we will be back in touch.