Wellbeing (Adults)

Fuel poverty

Your local Stay Well this Winter programme is a network of partners who work across the local health and social care system to mitigate the risks associated with cold weather to the health and well being of our most vulnerable groups who live in cold homes due to fuel poverty.

If you are at risk of or living in fuel poverty, there are several ways in which your local Stay Well this Winter programme can help you access the services, information and potentially even financial support to keep warm and well this winter, whilst reducing your energy bills.

View the 'Stay well this winter 2020/21' webpage to view more detais

Loneliness and social isolation

There are lots of ways that you can combat loneliness and social isolation.

Examples are:

• Take up an Adult Learning Course or join an exercise class to help you meet people
• Join the local University of the Third Age (U3A) which has a wide range of activities and learning
• Age UK Cambridgeshire & Peterborough runs a visiting and befriending scheme to support people who find themselves isolated in later life. They also have clubs where you can enjoy companionship, activities and entertainment
• The Silver Line is a free confidential helpline offering information, advice and friendship to older people. Call any time - it is a 24 hour service - on 0800 4 70 80 90
• Volunteer.  Information can be found on the Peterborough Volunteer Centre website

Daily living aids service to help Peterborough residents be safe and well

Peterborough’s new Safe+Well Service, provided by NRS Healthcare, supports local residents who may be older, disabled, recently discharged from hospital (or caring for someone that is) to find ‘daily living aids’ to help with everyday activities and stay independent.

Contact Safe+Well on 01480 415719 or for more information or visit www.safeandwell.co.uk/cambridgeshire

What are the benefits?

There are benefits for everyone if we stay fit and healthy. Healthy people tend to have a better quality of life, have more independence, are able to make more of their own choices and have better life chances. 

Eight tips for healthy eating

• Base your meals on starchy carbohydrates (potatoes, bread, rice, pasta and cereals)
• Eat lots of fruit and vegetables
• Eat more fish - including a portion of oily fish
• Cut down on saturated fat and sugar
• Don't get thirsty
• Don't skip breakfast

More information can be found on NHS.UK/Live-well

Advice from Dr Liz Robin, Director of Public Health at Peterborough City Council

“It’s never too early or too late to take steps to ensure that you remain fit and independent for as long as possible. A combination of strengthening exercises at least twice a week and 150 minutes of aerobic exercise is best to build, or maintain fitness. (Find out more about exercising - www.nhs.uk.) 

Doing the right type of strengthening exercises is important.  You can find out more on our Stronger for Longer page.

H.A.Y. (How are you) Peterborough

H.A.Y. (How are you) Peterborough are bringing together everything in Peterborough that promotes positive mental health. From a friendly ‘how are you’, to activity groups and much more – it’s all taking care of our mental wellbeing.

Mental health isn’t something that is good or bad; it’s a continuum, a sliding scale, a constantly shifting state for each and every one of us. We all have mental health and so we all need to take care of our mental health – we don’t wait until we’re physically under the weather to do things we know are good for keeping us physically healthy and the same should be true of our mental health.

H.A.Y. Peterborough put a spotlight on all those things going on in the community that are good for our mental wellbeing.

Click on this link to be taken to the H.A.Y. Peterborough website to find lots more detail

Addressing Isolation and Loneliness

The Network for Addressing Isolation and Loneliness in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough (NAILCAP) has been set up for all community groups and organisations working across the county to tackle loneliness.

Public Health at Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council launched the network last year, following the ‘Let’s Talk about Loneliness’ survey in April 2021.

Key findings of the survey of community groups were:

• greater collaboration and developments of partnerships needed
• more support needed for volunteers
• we need to remove barriers to access

NAILCAP's goals

• Share best practice among organisations
• Understand the range of services available, improving signposting
• Help each other meet demand and gaps in services
• Explore opportunities for collaboration in the future

Support for NAILCAP members

Online platform - Knowledge Hub

The network will be hosted on the Knowledge Hub website, a forum for questions and advice. Knowledge Hub can also host for a resource library, polls and event planning.

Monthly meetings

Meetings take place on the first Tuesday of each month at 10am. You do not have to attend meetings to be a NAILCAP member organisation – it is enough to connect and benefit from our shared knowledge and expertise.

Meetings are virtual and we will record minutes to share on Knowledge Hub.

During meetings members can work together on issues, and share work updates and upcoming events.

How to join

Any group that brings people together in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough can join.

• Sign up to Knowledge Hub
• Search for Network for Addressing Isolation and Loneliness in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
• 'Request to join' the group
• Join the mailing list using the link below to receive meeting invites and other interesting member updates.

Join the NAILCAP mailing list (online form)

Governance

The Public Health Team at Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council will act as administrators/facilitators of the network. However, this will be a member-led network driven by the community groups and organisations working within the area. All organisations, regardless of size or reach will be regarded as equal within the network.

Member responsibility

• Membership to this network is voluntary and there is no expectation of the level at which each group participates in meetings and discussions.
• Members should recognise that they are present on behalf of their group or organisation.
• Members will treat all other parties with respect and dignity.

Contact

If you want to learn more about the network, or whether you think your organisation or group should join, please email: nail.cap@cambridgeshire.gov.uk