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Autumn 2011Welcome to the Autumn edition of the Belfast Healthy Cities newsletter. We are a partnership organisation working to achieve the World Health Organization's (WHO) Phase V (2009-2013) Healthy Cities' goal of Health Equity in All Policies (HEiAP). We pioneer new concepts and approaches that actively demonstrate how health and wellbeing outcomes can be improved for all citizens. A warm welcome to new readers and we hope you will enjoy reading about our recent news and events. |
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Forthcoming EventMonday 17 October Belfast Healthy Cities Travel Plan Launch This event will consider the impact of transport on the health of a region and its citizens and examines a role model from Finland, with keynote speaker, Leo Kosonen, Coordinator of Urban Projects, Kuopio, Finland. read more |
Child Friendly Environments
The aim of the event was to have fun while promoting child friendly space. Creative ideas were identified by children and their parents in the 'Have Your Say' area which encouraged participants to discuss, draw and even build what they would like to see in the city. read more |
Shaping Healthier NeighbourhoodsChildren Have Their Say on the Built Environment The Shaping Healthier Neighbourhoods project has now concluded its practical phase. To mark this, trees are being planted in each of the participating schools with the children who contributed their views. Councillor Niall Ó Donnghaile, Mayor of Belfast, took part in the tree planting at St Oliver Plunkett Primary School in June 2011. read more |
Capacity BuildingEquity in Health - Leadership for the Common Good Masterclass Series A new series of masterclasses, facilitated by Irene Hewitt, was launched in early September. Placing the emphasis on skills development for senior managers, it aims to facilitate leadership, for health equity, across all sectors. This series builds on learning and experience from Belfast Healthy Cities' previous capacity building programmes and is part of ongoing work to encourage innovation and support skills development. read more Building Capacity in Europe: Romanian Health Project Belfast Healthy Cities and the Public Health Agency (PHA) are actively supporting Romtens, a voluntary organisation in Romania, headed by public health consultants, to establish 19 partnerships in rural areas in Romania around the theme of workplace health. Three publications will be developed by early 2012 to increase understanding amongst local employers of the importance of a healthy workplace, including tools to support the promotion of good practice. |
Health Equity in All PoliciesBelfast continues to engage and learn from Danny Broderick who pioneered the Health in All Policies (HiAP) model in South Australia. A recent conference call with Danny, involving key strategic personnel from partner organisations, was extremely productive in continuing to build capacity for delivering HEIAP at a local level. Belfast Healthy Cities are currently working on HEIAP pilots with Belfast City Council, Northern Ireland Housing Executive, the Public Health Agency and Belfast Health and Social Care Trust. Two publications that outline the framework for delivering health equity in all policies and defining health equity are available. read more |
Healthy Living - Wellbeing, Happiness and ResilienceA Guide for Political Representatives - Tackling Inequalities and Promoting Wellbeing Belfast Healthy Cities was delighted that both the Health Minister Edwin Poots and Environment Minister Alex Attwood launched "A Guide for Political Representatives" Tackling Inequalities and Promoting Wellbeing at NILGA's first full members meeting following the May elections. 80 councillors, from throughout Northern Ireland, attended and heard about the key role they play in promoting health and wellbeing. |
Policy ResponsesBelfast Healthy Cities has participated in a range of consultations with relevance to health and wellbeing as well as presenting evidence on the Planning Bill to the Committee for the Environment of the Northern Ireland Assembly. All responses are available here. |
Study VisitHelsingborg, Sweden Study Visit The Belfast Office hosted a study group from our sister healthy city, Helsingborg, Sweden in May 2011. The group, all participants of a leadership programme, met with senior officers from our partner organisations to learn about leadership across sectors in Belfast. |
UK Healthy Cities NetworkA formal UK Healthy Cities Network has been established to support towns and cities in the UK deliver on the WHO Phase V (2009-2013) overarching goal of health equity in all policies and the core themes of healthy urban planning; caring and supportive environments and health living. Joan Devlin, BHC Director is a member of the UK Steering Group as well as actively contributing to the development, plans and priorities of the network. read more |
Update on World Health OrganisationWHO Regional Committee for Europe 53 member states attended the 61st session, of the WHO Regional Committee for Europe, the governing body for the Region. Issues discussed included the new European policy for Health, Health 2020 and strategies for strengthening health systems in the WHO European Region. read more WHO Healthy Cities European Network Secretariat Belfast The Belfast Healthy Cities office continues in its role of Belfast Secretariat to the WHO European Healthy Cities Network. As well as the management of the scientific programme for the 2011 Annual Business and Technical Conference in Liege, Belgium, key work areas this year have included the establishment of the WHO Healthy Cities European Network Phase V (2009-13) Sub Networks on core themes, facilitation of Phase V strategic papers, assessment of cities applications to Phase V and ongoing support to all Healthy Cities and WHO European National Healthy Cities Networks. In September, at the 1st International Conference on Age Friendly Cities, Dublin, the Belfast Secretariat function played a key role in bringing together the work of WHO Age Friendly Cities and the WHO Healthy Cities Healthy Aging sub-network. 3rd Annual (Phase V) WHO European Healthy Cities Network Business and Technical Conference 15-18 June 2011, Liege, Belgium Governance for Health at the Local Level: People, Citizens and Assets for Health Key speakers at the conference included Professor Illona Kickbusch, Global Institute for International Studies, Geneva and Professor Sir Michael Marmot, University College, London. Consultation on the new European Health Policy - Health 2020 also took place at the conference. The Belfast delegation included Cllr. Pat McCarthy, Belfast City Council, and Belfast was selected to present fiive case studies to the conference read more |
Upcoming International EventsInternational Walk to School Month October World Mental Health Day Monday 10th October The World Conference on Social Determinants of Health, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil 19-21st October |
PeopleBelfast Healthy Cities would like to send warm congratulations to Belfast Healthy Cities Vice Chair and Treasurer, John McMullan who was awarded the Order of the British Empire in recognition of services to Social Enterprise in Northern Ireland. Two new staff members have joined the office. Laura McDonald, Health Development Officer who will lead Health Equity in All Policies (HEiAP) work and Suzanne Thompson who joins as Information Officer. Thanks also go to Susi Homma who spent 15 weeks with Belfast Healthy Cities on placement as part of our student programme. During her time with the office, she carried out an evidence review of children in the built environment and supported the delivery of the Shaping Healthy Neighbourhoods for Child programme. Finally, congratulations to Senior Health Development Officer, Jonna Monaghan who recently completed an Advanced Diploma in Civic Leadership and Community Planning, awarded by the University of Ulster. |
Belfast Healthy Cities Mailing ListWe are currently updating our mailing lists, if you currently receive information from the office, you will receive an e-mail which will allow you to specify the information you would like to receive from us in the future. If you have received this newsletter from a colleague or another source and would like to join our list, please send an e-mail to info@belfasthealthycities.com with 'subscribe' in the subject bar and we will contact you with further details. If you have any other queries regarding the information you currently receive or anything else featured in this newsletter, please contact Suzanne Thompson. |
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Copyright 2011 Belfast Healthy Cities. Gordon House, 22-24
Lombard Street, Belfast BT1 1RD |
KidsSquare began on Friday 23rd September, as part of European Culture Night, and was visited by approximately 1000 children and their families over the three day. Participants had the opportunity to build, create, shout, laugh, jump, run, and play through activities that included 3D modelling, junk art, creating cityscapes, obstacle courses and free play.