The Health MOT Roadshow continues to pick up the pace as it makes its journey across locations in Kent. On Saturday 20 June, the health bus paid a visit to Maidstone Market Hall for the annual Access for All day, an event organised by housing association Golding Homes.
The annual Access for All event features Kent based organisations delivering services, products and activities to people with a disability. In addition to the Health MOT Roadshow, the exhibition included Maidstone Rebels Wheelchair Basketball Club, Maidstone United Raiders, British Guide Dogs, Maidstone Swimming Club for the Disabled, The Reef Spa and the Kent Fire and Rescue Service.
Over 200 visitors tried their hand at a range of activities including arts and crafts, wheelchair basketball and pony riding.They could also have a massage and their faces painted.
The Health MOT roadshow offers a free mobile health check to residents and local people in easily accessible locations around Kent. The initiative, launched in September 2014 as a proof of concept venture, is a joint project between Mitie, the facilities management company, Kent County Council, the NHS, Golding Homes and Wellbeing People and has been designed to raise awareness and increase take up of the NHS Health Check programme.
Those who are eligible for a free NHS Health Check will have their height, weight, body mass index (BMI), heart rate, blood pressure and blood cholesterol assessed as part of a 20 minute appraisal carried out by staff from the Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust which will include advice on weight management, smoking cessation, heart health and other lifestyle issues. Those needing additional support will be referred into the programmes provided by Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust.
All of those who are not eligible for a NHS Health Check will be offered a free 6 minute Health MOT which provides an assessment of height, weight, body mass index (BMI), heart rate, blood pressure and body fat content via the Interactive Health Kiosk.
Next stops for the Heath MOT Roadshow include the Kent County Show, Maidstone United Football Club, Operation Street Week in Cliftonville and Kent Fire and Rescue in Tovil.
Peter Griffin, Director of Housing at Mitie said: “We are pleased to support this initiative through our involvement with Golding Homes. We expect the health and wellbeing agenda to increasingly become important for all our housing clients and this pilot project provides a great opportunity to promote health whilst engaging the community in Maidstone.”
Golding Homes’ Head of Community Investment Caroline McBride said “We are excited to be partnering in this ground-breaking approach to health awareness. We know there is a link between health and housing, we hope that through this pilot project we can enable communities to become healthier.”
Kent County Council Director of Public Health, Andrew Scott-Clark said: “People aged between 40 and 74 are a key group for us and are invited every five years for an NHS Health Check but we know that people lead very busy lives and won’t necessarily have the opportunity – or feel they have the need – to be checked for underlying health issues. Roadshows allow us to get out into the community and people can factor in a visit as part of their outing; it maybe the healthiest decision they make all day.”
-Ends-
Click here to access our latest Mitie imagery…
For further information, contact:
Helen Greenwood, IR & PR Manager, Mitie Group plc
T:+44 20 3123 8731E:helen.greenwood@mitie.com
