Wick event to focus on health and wellbeing services

12th October 2017

THE county's second Health and Wellbeing Market is taking place at the Pulteney Centre in Wick on Saturday, 21st October 2017.

There will be 23 stalls offering information on health and wellbeing services that can be accessed in Caithness.

The event is being organised by Caithness Health Improvement Forum with Caithness Voluntary Group (CVG),

Pulteneytown People's Project (PPP) and the NHS, and will run from 11am to 3pm.

It follows on from the first Health and Wellbeing Market which was held at the same venue in April 2016 and attended by around 170 people.

The aim is to showcase the wide range of opportunities available locally to benefit general health as well as mental, spiritual, emotional and social wellbeing.

Stallholders will include Befriending Caithness, LGOWIT, the fire and rescue service, Caithness Rural Transport, Caithness and Sutherland Women’s Aid and NHS Health Improvement.

The Wick MS Therapy Centre will have information on its centre at the Braehead, Wick, and a list of conditions that the hyperbaric chamber may help with. Albyn Housing will have a stall with information on Money Matters Highland, a lottery-funded project that provides advice on how to save money online.

Inclusion Scotland will have a representative there whose key responsibility is to administer the Highland Localisation and Empowerment Project, funded by the Equality Unit at the Scottish Government. The core responsibilities are human rights and promoting a social model for disability.

Creativity In Care will be present too. It is a community interest company focusing on wellness by using the arts in a range of community learning programmes for positive dementia care and mental health recovery. Family learning programmes are also delivered. It is a partner in the Highland Mental Health and Arts Festival and works every year with Caithness Mental Health Support Group.

PPP will have information about its service assisting people with benefits and budgeting, as well as a service that it starting soon for older people in the community.

There will also be Zumba demonstrations and taster sessions in Reiki and Boccia - a game similar to bowls with soft balls for people of all abilities and suitable for those with health conditions.

Event co-ordinator Yvonne Hendry, from CVG, said: "We are hoping to build on the success of last year’s event. It was really well attended and the feedback from the public and stallholders was very positive."