Yorkshire and the Humber champions of public health have been honoured at a prestigious awards ceremony this week.
The Excellence in Public Health and Wellbeing 2016 celebration event honoured heroes from across Yorkshire and the Humber and beyond who are leading local initiatives to improve the nation’s health and wellbeing.
The celebration, on Tuesday 28 June at Portcullis House in London, was an opportunity to recognise the people who go above and beyond to make local schemes and initiatives a success.
Minister for Public Health, Jane Ellison MP said:
“It was a great privilege to meet this years’ Public Health Heroes at the celebration event and hear how they are tackling important health challenges in their communities. Their vital work is often undertaken quietly and without recognition so it was wonderful to have the opportunity to celebrate their achievements.”
Prof Kevin Fenton, Director of Health and Well-being at Public Health England, said:
“One of the things we constantly see in Public Health England is that real grass roots initiatives – those that are by communities for communities - often have the biggest impact in really tackling health challenges and making a difference.
“The people we are celebrating today know their local area best and they know how to change things for the better. There is real innovation, courage, leadership and commitment among the work highlighted and there are lessons for all of us in the achievements being celebrated.”
In their third year, the awards for excellence in public health and wellbeing are made following nominations from MPs, Directors of Public Health and others from across public health, local authorities, the NHS and the voluntary sector. In all, 15 individuals were nominated from Yorkshire and the Humber; with judges choosing six outstanding nominees to be honoured for their work.
Our Yorkshire and the Humber winners were:
- Anne Evans from Doncaster for her work on raising awareness of problem gambling addiction and promoting responsible gambling;
- June Cook from Hull for setting up and running Butterflies Memory Loss Support Group
- Kate Markham, a specialist health visitor from Barnsley for her work recognising and responding to unmet health and education needs for children and families from hard-to-reach groups.
- Ian Rodley from Leeds for his work with Dance Action Zone Leeds, a community development dance programme, which Ian joined at the age of 13 before traiing as a community dance leader and rising to become director of the programme.
- Kaniz Akhter, manager of Roshni Ghar in Keighley, for her organisation’s work supporting women, mainly from a South Asian background, who have experienced mental health problems (pictured is a cookery session organised by Roshni Ghar).
- Daryl Jones from Hull, for setting up and now leading Wheelchair Sports Hull to support and promote sport for people with disabilities.
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