New Courses Starting

Women & Family Health Initiative

Tel: 028 30889073

Email: wfhealth@btconnect.com

Please ask for: Jacinta, Una or Bernardine

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Women Helping Women – Meet each Friday morning in Mullaghbawn Community Centre 

 (morning includes 1hr Capacitar Practices for 'health and wellbeing' followed by healthy lunch)  

 Cost £3 per person.  No need to book, just drop in on any Friday morning.                              

Group restarts Friday 11 January 2013 -  Everyone Welcome New & Old members

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'HUGS' Support Group for Parents of Children with Special Needs/Disability.

 Established in 2009. Monthly Meetings held in Mullaghbawn Community Centre 

Evening session 2^nd Wednesday of each month:       7pm – 8pm      

Morning session last Wednesday of month:            11am – 1pm

'Hugs' Saturday Club - 4th Saturday every month      2pm - 4pm

So please spread the word to anyone that you know.                                                          

 Meetings are informal, in a comfortable setting, with a cuppa and a chat.                                            

Although informal, a lot of learning takes place through sharing experiences, networking,

 opportunities for training & receiving information.                                                                          

All parents of children with special needs/disability are welcome.   

 For further information, please contact us on 30889073.

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Fibromyalgia Support Group – Meet in Mullaghbawn Community Centre

on the last Thursday of each month in the morning time. 

Next meeting will take place at  11am – 1pm in Mullaghbawn Community Centre.

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Carers Matter - is a charity who helps support Carers in their caring role. 

Hilary Knight from Carers Matter will be available for a chat and advice in

Please contact Hilary on - 02840627581 or mobile 07920407566

So are you a carer? Do you look after a loved one or friend? 

Do you have a child or young adult with special needs? 

Do you know friends who do?  Being a Carer can put you under pressure financially, affect your health,

leave you socially isolated and emotionally drained. 

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'Cook It' - 6 week programme - Fast, Fun Food for Less. -

Please contact Jacinta/Bernardine for more information if you are interested

To book please ring - 028 30 889073

Next course starting Dorsey Community Centre Monday 14 January 2013

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LifeLine -is the Northern Ireland crisis response helpline service for people who are experiencing distress

or despair.  No matter what you age or where you live in Northern Ireland, if you are or if someone you

know is in distress or despair, Lifeline is there to help. 

People living in Northern Ireland, using a landline or UK mobiles can call free to 0808 808 8000.

Lifeline counsellors are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to listen and help.

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THE BIG BUS - ACTION CANCER

St Mary's Chapel car park, Mullaghbawn - Saturday 19 January 2013 - (10am - 4pm)

Anyone between (40-49 and 70+) can avail of their breast screening services and men and women can avail of the health checks.

Please contact Action Cancer on 028 9080 3344 to book your appointment

This is in partnership with Women & Family Health Initiative

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FPA Sexual Health & Personal Development Programmes

OCN Level 3 Introduction to Relationships for 4th & 5th year girls with Tracy Crowe

starting Monday 14 January (6.30pm - 9.30pm) in Mullaghbawn Community Centre

please contact 028 30 889 073 for more information

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Time 4 Me - in Mullaghbawn Community Centre

 for parent/carers of children or young adults with special needs/disability

Wednesday evening 16, 23, 30 January & 6 & 13 February (7pm - 9pm)

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Health & Well Being Course restarting Thursday 17 January and continuing for 7 weeks

Please contact 028 30 889 073 for more information

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OTHER PROGRAMMES STARTING IN THE SPRING DATES AND VENUES TO BE CONFIRMED

Cook it

Healthy Hearts Programme

Art Classes with Southern Regional College

CAWT Older People's programme for Newtownhamilton & Bessbrook

These courses can be delivered anywhere in South Armagh so if you are interested please give us

a ring on 028 30 889 073

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MARA (Maximising Access to Services, Grants and

Benefits in Rural Areas)

The MARA Project is an inter-departmental regional project funded by the

Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD)

and delivered by the Public Health Agency (PHA).  The MARA project was officially launched on

Thursday 15^th March 2012 by both the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development,

 Michelle O’Neill and the Minister for Health, Edwin Poots.

 What is the aim of the MARA Project?

 The aim of the project is to improve the health and wellbeing of people living in rural

deprived areas in Northern Ireland, by making them aware of, or helping them access

local services, grants or benefits thus supporting those rural dwellers living in or at risk

of poverty and social exclusion. 

 Who will deliver the MARA project?

 PHA will commission 13 community lead organisations in rural areas, who will recruit

and train enablers to undertake approximately 12,000 household visits.  These visits

will take place over the period April 2012 to November 2014 from which identified

households will be signposted to various services, grants and benefits. 

The households identified for visits  incorporate older people, carers, disabled people,

lone parents, ethnic minorities, lone adults, farming families and/or low income families. 

Why the MARA approach works?

 The MARA project builds upon the success of Phase 1 which targeted the top 88  rurally

deprived super output areas. The evidence and experience from Phase I indicates that

 access to the most difficult to reach and those suffering greatest inequalities and

disadvantage requires a more innovative, extensive and personal approach to that traditionally used.

The home visit which is carried out by trained enablers requires a supportive and

sympathetic approach that will build trust and commitment and encourages people

to avail of services, benefits and grants which they may not otherwise have known

about or felt that they were not entitled to. 

MARA Household Visit

During the household visit, identified households will complete an assessment

form which will help assess eligibility for various grants or benefits they may be entitled to.

The home visit will also identify local and regional services the rural dwellers may be interested

in attending or availing of.  Households will be asked to sign a consent form that details the

referrals identified and these will then be either automated or manually made by the community

lead organisation to various referral partners. 

The referral partners will then, as necessary, contact the householder directly to

process the referral.  The services, grants and benefits that householders may be

referred to  include  rural community transport, smart pass (for free or reduced travel),

energy savings  schemes (warm homes), assessments from occupational therapists (OTs)

for disabled facilities grants, home safety checks, benefit entitlement checks and any other

local or regional  services available in their area.

Households who have been referred for services will receive a second visit to establish

if the various referral partners have been in contact and to understand how referrals

 are progressing with a view to ensuring all referrals are processed in a timely manner. 

 The second visit will also further address the social exclusion element of the MARA project

i.e. referring householders to local services. 

It should be noted that the MARA Project cannot guarantee households will receive

any or all of the services, grants or benefits they are referred to.  The referrals

associated with the MARA Project may, in some instances, take some time to be processed.

If you are interested in any of the above programmes, give us a call on 30889073 or email:  wfhealth@btconnect.com