"... The CWK has seen Queen’s Communities and Place (QCAP), in collaboration with our partner, the Market Development Association (MDA), the community, and through our joint Health Action Group, co-create a place-based solution that promotes health and empowers residents”.  

(Professor Kathryn Higgins, QCAP Director)

 

The CWK launched on Friday 14^th June in the Market Community centre, with 10 participants taking part in the first 4-week pilot programme, that will equip local Market residents with practical skills, knowledge and experience. The pilot builds on an effective model of practice, the Cook IT programme which comprises modular material and practical cookery sessions.

The CWK programme has already seen the training and upskilling of Market residents, in the community setting, so they can lead sessions allowing greater ownership and sustainability of CWK within the community. All community facilitators have received training from the Public Health Dietitians team in BHSCT to help in this endeavour.

Ciarán Hargey, from the Market Development Association highlighted:

“Diet is fundamental to a healthy, well-balanced lifestyle. In fitness we would always say, “no amount of training can outrun a bad diet”. We are constantly bombarded with advertisements for convenience and ultra-processed food and the consumption of which have contributed to the growth of chronic illness throughout societies worldwide. It is time that we take back ownership of our own and family diets. Keep it simple, keep it wholesome, keep us healthy”.

The CWK differs as it will also provide additional tailored, facilitated information sessions on topics aligned with mental health, physical wellbeing and cost of living. These will be delivered by relevant experts, in an informal manner, described by residents as ‘a conversation around the kitchen table’.

Dr Karen McGuigan (QCAP Community Health and Wellbeing Lead) said:

“The CWK looks to tackle community level challenges, while also responding to current calls in the health literature for innovative responses to, for example, the increasing rates of mental health issues, obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease locally. The CWK highlights the related risk factors and the link to lifestyle behaviours highlighted within the facilitated information sessions. The CWK provides an innovative, practical, agile and applied response to community challenge”.

The CWK pilot programme reflects behavioural change theory, to facilitate and sustain healthy behaviours as a result. To support behavioural change, funding has been secured via QUB for the mobile kitchens and cooking kits. This provides the necessary infrastructure to make health promotion accessible to everyone in the community. The provision of equipment to use within the community, and in local homes, provides ‘opportunity’ for behavioural change, with the goal of engendering healthier lifestyle behaviours.

 

 

Overall, the CWK project represents a comprehensive approach to tackling significant community challenges through practical, evidence-based solutions, ensuring long-term benefits and sustainability. This is just the start; the CWK equipment provides a sustainable footprint in the community to house this pilot and future initiatives. It is envisaged that, in time, the CWK will evolve to provide a forum for discussion and development of other related community health and wellbeing programmes e.g.: ‘A recipe for good mental health’. The issues around mental health, physical wellbeing and cost-of-living are not unique to the Market community, and it is envisaged the CWK will have reach, resonance and scalability for other communities.

Leaving it to one of our community facilitators to summarise:

“The CWK is more than just a project; it’s a collaborative effort to build a healthier, more resilient Market community”.