10 January 2008

Workplace Health Challenge Awards

Local Council and Health and Social Care staff from Armagh and Dungannon have recently succeeded in a Workplace Health Challenge.

Twenty teams from Armagh City and District Council, Dungannon and South Tyrone Council and the Armagh and Dungannon locality of the Southern Health and Social Care Trust, took part in the six week challenge aimed at improving their lifestyles.

Jillian Cosgrove, Health Promotion Manager for the Southern Health and Social Care Trust says: “Adults are recommended to participate in a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise on at least five days of the week and to eat five portions of fruit or vegetables per day. The Workplace Health Challenge aims to encourage healthier lifestyles in the workplace by promoting the benefits of physical activity and a healthy diet. The teams had to exercise, eat a healthy breakfast and five portions of fruit and vegetables every day.

“All of the teams involved have been truly dedicated and I would like to congratulate all of those who took part. I hope they will continue to maintain the healthy lifestyle and continue to feel great!”

During the six weeks of the challenge participating teams walked 43 million steps, the equivalent of walking from Armagh to New Zealand. A total of over 19,000 portions of fruit were eaten.

The overall winners of the Workplace Health Challenge 2007 were “Road Runners” from Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council who had consistently high results over the six week challenge. Six teams received trophies and all others received certificates.

The trophies went to:

Clover Commitments, Southern Health and Social Care Trust (Longstone Hospital)

Fit , Flirty and over 30, Southern Health and Social Care Trust (Dungannon)

Barry’s Busters, Southern Health and Social Care Trust (Clover, Longstone)

Individual prizes went to Valerie Berry, Physical Disability team, Lisanally Armagh, Deirdre Patterson Health Visiting, Southern Health and Social Care Trust, Dungannon and Simon Reaney, Armagh Council.

Elaine Devlin, Investing for health Officer highlighted that the Community Health Challenge was a great opportunity for people to reach the health targets. Participants felt the challenge had a positive effect not only on them but was an encouragement for family and friends to make lifestyle changes also.

The challenge was organised by Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council, Armagh City and District Council, the Southern Health and Social Care Trust and the Southern Investing for Health Partnership.