12.06.2013
The Health and Sport Committee of the Scottish Parliament will visit Stirling to see a range of initiatives that are tackling health issues across the city, as part of events being planned for Parliament Day, which is to be held in Stirling on 21 June.
The Committee will visit Hillview Community Centre to hear about Cultenhove Opportunities Partnership, a social enterprise which is working to improve residents’ self-esteem and confidence.
The Committee will later visit Stirling Community Hospital where they will hear about Town Break Stirling, a project supporting people with dementia. MSPs will also watch pupils from Cowie Primary School perform a drama and dance presentation as part of the Max in the Middle initiative to promote healthy eating and physical activity.
The afternoon will see the Committee hold a formal meeting in Stirling Council’s city chambers, where they will take evidence on their inquiry into health inequalities from NHS Forth Valley, Stirling Council, Stirlingshire Voluntary Enterprise and Forth Valley College.
Convener of the Health and Sport Committee Duncan McNeil MSP said:
“Our Committee is very much looking forward to hearing about how these programmes reduce health inequalities in Stirling.
“We have been undertaking an inquiry on how health inequalities impact upon people across Scotland, so by seeing what happens locally in Stirling will allow us to see the difference initiatives like these can make.
“The Committee hopes that by meeting outside of Edinburgh it will allow us to see and hear about the work that’s happening on the ground in communities across the Stirling area.”
Kathy O’Neill, General Manager for Community Services, NHS Forth Valley, said:
“We’re delighted that the Committee are visiting Stirling Community Hospital and will have the opportunity to see just some of the many initiatives underway with local schools and community groups to improve health and reduce inequalities.”
Background
Health and Sport Committee activities
Friday 21 June
09:45 Health Committee to visit Hillview Community Centre and Stirling Community Hospital.
13:30 Health and Sport Committee holds meeting in Stirling Council Chambers.
Hillview Community Centre
The Committee will engage with Cultenhove Opportunities Partnership, a social enterprise which is working to make Cultenhove a better place to live by improving residents’ self-esteem and confidence, encouraging pride in themselves and in the place they live, and tackling the issues and problems of disadvantage.
Stirling Community Hospital
The Committee will then see work undertaken at Town Break Stirling, which has been supporting people with dementia, their carers and families to help them to live within their communities in Stirling and district since 1992. It began then by developing a drop-in service where people with dementia could come and be cared for by trained volunteers while their carers could either stay with them, or go into town for some respite (hence “Town Break”).
Max in the Middle
While at Stirling Community Hospital, MSPs will also have an opportunity to watch Max in the Middle, a short dramatic presentation by pupils of Cowie Primary School, produced through a local health improvement project that aimed to educate primary school children about healthy eating, physical activity and avoiding overweight and obesity using a non-judgmental whole-class approach that was intended to be “memorable, exciting and non-stigmatizing.
Public tickets for the Health and Sport Committee’s meeting
Members of the public can attend the Committee’s meeting in Stirling Council’s city chambers. Tickets can be booked by email to [email protected] or by telephone on 0131 348 5200.
Parliament Day
The Parliament Day aims to take the Parliament out of Edinburgh. It allows people to see the Parliament at work, be it ‘official’ Parliamentary business, or on a less formal level. Stirling is the third Parliament Day to be held, with events already having been held in Hawick and Stornoway.
The Deputy Presiding Officer will also undertake a range of visits in the Stirling area.