How can buzz help your organisation?

buzz, the Manchester Health & Wellbeing Service, currently works with a range of partners in the statutory, community and third sector in the city. Partnership working is fundamental to achieving the best possible outcomes for Manchester people:

Working together - To share knowledge, ideas, experience and resources ensures buzz gets the best value for money and the opportunity for development and innovation.

Developing a partnership - If you are based in an organisation delivering services in Manchester and are interested in discussing how buzz could work together with you, email Mark Pritchard at: [email protected].

buzz can help with:

Training
• Connect 5 mental health and wellbeing training for workers and volunteers in frontline face to face roles
Connect 5 aims to support workers, volunteers and organisations in promoting better mental health and wellbeing for the people they work with, and in being able to respond helpfully to people experiencing poor mental health and wellbeing. The course is for those working face to face with people who have poor mental wellbeing, whether or not they have a diagnosed mental health condition. Connect 5 is interactive and practical, drawing upon the latest evidence about supporting people with their mental health and wellbeing. The course supports participants to gain skills and confidence and information about practical interventions.
• Boost Emotional Resilience for the general public
The Boost course is for individuals who want to learn more about how to look after their mental wellbeing. The course comprises of 7 enjoyable sessions that aim to build participant’s awareness and skills including tips for coping with problems, understanding emotions, managing stress, improving confidence, recognising unhelpful thinking and making plans for incorporating wellbeing activities in daily life. The course is usually delivered for groups of between 8 and 12 people in community venues.
• Health Ageing Training
Buzz are currently working alongside Age Friendly Manchester to develop a Healthy Ageing training session which will run alongside their Age Friendly Place training. This course will be available soon.

Self Care Sessions
Their team of Neighbourhood Health Workers are able to offer brief group sessions on the topic of self-care for the general public. These are generally available for existing groups and have a particular health theme.

For more information on training, contact Nicola Wood, Partnerships Manager on 0161 882 2578 or email [email protected]

Increasing social connections within communities
buzz aims to contribute to an increase in healthy life expectancy and to tackle the underlying causes of ill health by:
• Increasing connectedness within communities giving a positive influence on health outcomes and self-care
• Increasing opportunities for social connection, giving people more skills to cope with the hard times
• Increased participation and sense of control over an individual's life, contributes to physical and mental wellbeing

Connecting people in Manchester to the assets within communities and increasing participation is a central focus for the Neighbourhood Health Workers.

Putting communities in control
As a service buzz wants to empower communities, placing value on what works well and views individuals and communities as 'co-producers' of their health and wellbeing, not just the recipients of services. This is delivered by six Neighbourhood Health Workers and three Senior Neighbourhood Health Workers.

For more information on Community Asset Building, contact Brian Goodman, Community Development Manager on 0161 248 1758 or email: [email protected]

Physical Activity Referral Team (PARS)
This is buzz’s exercise referral team and their service is aimed at older people that have chronic disease, long term condition or injury and offers a bespoke exercise service. The teams assess clients on one to one basis and recommendations are made that will be of most benefit. They can help with cardiovascular diseases, cancers, respiratory diseases, diabetes, neurological and musculoskeletal conditions and fall prevention.

For more information, contact Craig Jones on 0161 882 2586 or email: [email protected]

Oral Health Improvement Team
The Oral Health team work to enable children to have the best start in life by laying foundations for good oral health through life. They aim to reduce tooth decay in young children by increasing exposure to fluoride, improving diet and feeding habits.

For more information on oral health, contact Vicky Brand on 0161 248 1763 or email: [email protected]

Knowledge Service – improving access to resources and information
The Knowledge Service provides access to a comprehensive collection of health promotion resources and leaflets. These resources can be accessed by anyone working in a health role within Manchester. These resources enable both communities and individuals to communicate health and wellbeing messages in engaging and informative ways.

For more information on the Knowledge Service, contact Daniel Livesey, Knowledge Service Manager on 0161 248 1912 or email [email protected]

For more information on the full range of services, visit: www.buzzmanchester.co.uk or follow on Twitter @buzzmanc.