07 October 2008Swanley residents can get their health matters sorted for free this summer thanks to a specialist team of fitness professionals.
The Get S.O.R.T.ed (Sevenoaks Out Reach Team) are visiting various locations in the town offering free health information and advice on physical activity, diet and nutrition and mental health.
Whether it be anything from wanting to join a local yoga club, understanding how to read food labels, or just wanting help to start making changes, the Get S.O.R.T.ed team will be able to lend a hand.
The team will be at the following Swanley venues in July:
Swanley Market
Asda, Swanley
Swanley Library
White Oak Leisure Centre
There is no need to book, you can just turn up and meet the team for either informal advice or a more comprehensive one-to-one interview, and it is completely free.
For further information please contact Sevenoaks District Council on 01732 227000 or e-mail healthyliving@sevenoaks.gov.uk.
One of the facilities that will be on offer is an information and referral service to the specialist NHS Stop Smoking Service provided by West Kent Primary Care Trust.
One in two people who use their local NHS Stop Smoking Service are not smoking four weeks later. Using medicines such as patches or gum to manage cravings, can mean you are up to four times more likely to successfully give up smoking.
As part of the NHS Stop Smoking Service a trained adviser will help put into action a plan to stop smoking. Group sessions start a couple of weeks before an agreed date to stop smoking. Your first sessions help you to plan and prepare to quit. After you go smokefree your group will meet each week for advice and motivation.
Some people prefer to talk one-to-one, and in many areas an appointment with an adviser can be arranged for individual support. This can be done through the NHS, GPs and some pharmacies.
Your adviser will be able to tell you about nicotine replacement products and other stop smoking medicines. You will also be able to use a carbon monoxide monitor to assess your level of addiction and monitor the fall in harmful carbon monoxide levels in your body.
For further information or to speak to a smoking adviser please call 01622 723836, or alternatively e-mail smoking@westkentpct.nhs.uk
Cllr Elaine Bracken, Sevenoaks District Council Cabinet member with responsibility for healthy living, says: “A healthier lifestyle can often be achieved with some small and simple changes to your daily routine that may not always be obvious. The Get S.O.R.T.ed team regularly visit Swanley to give invaluable advice on what these small changes are and how they can make a big difference to your life, and it is totally free. So if you are in the area on any of these days there is no reason not to go along!”
Get S.O.R.Ted and the Stop Smoking Service is funded by the West Kent Primary Care Trust and supported by Sevenoaks District Council, as part of the national Choosing Health agenda which aims to make healthy choices easier.
