Council and partners commit to tackling health inequalities in West Lancashire
West Lancashire Borough Council, together with members of the West Lancashire Health and Wellbeing Partnership, have formally signed a declaration to promote healthy weight across the Borough.
Signed at a meeting of the partnership on 17 March, the declaration demonstrates the partnership’s commitment to work with each other to consider how residents can be supported to eat healthily, move more and live well.
The declaration includes looking at how policies associated with planning and the built environment as well as marketing and advertising, can reduce residents’ exposure to unhealthy food and drink whilst reviewing how workplaces and other settings promote health and wellbeing.
Other organisations signing up to the declaration include West Lancashire College, Edge Hill University, Lancashire & South Cumbria Integrated Care Board, Northern Parishes Primary Care Network, Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust, West Lancashire Community & Voluntary Services, Age UK Lancashire, Active Lancashire and Lancashire County Council.
Almost two-thirds of adults in West Lancashire are considered overweight or obese and approximately 1300 households are experiencing food insecurity, struggling to access sufficient nutritious food to support good health.
The declaration encourages local partner organisations to consider how policy making and provision of services can remove some of the barriers local communities experience when it comes to looking after their health.
Developed by Food Active, part of the northwest based charity Health Equalities Group, the declaration was first launched in 2015.
Over thirty local authorities across the country have now adopted the Declaration, which continues to gain recognition as a useful tool in helping councils to promote healthy weight across organisations.
Chris Twomey, Chair of the West Lancashire Health & Wellbeing Partnership, said:
“Signing the declaration as a Health & Wellbeing Partnership signals a collective commitment to review our services and policies across the Borough to shape healthier places where people live, work and play. Not only does this have a direct impact on our communities it also helps to alleviates pressure from within the NHS and Social Care system.”
Councillor Vickie Cummins, Lead Member for Health and Wellbeing, West Lancashire Borough Council, said: “Promoting access to affordable healthy food for local people is a key priority for us.
"Over 2,000 children in West Lancashire are living in households where parents cannot guarantee being able to put good and healthy food on the table. 27.9% of children are considered overweight by the time they start primary school.
“We’re committed to tackling health inequalities head on at a local level. We’ll be working hard with our partners to ensure healthy weight is considered right down to policy level to make sure our communities in West Lancashire are able to make good choices when it comes to their long-term health. We will also keep working to ensure everyone, and in particular our children, have access to the right health services around them.”
Dr Sakthi Karunanithi, Director of Public Health Wellbeing and Communities at Lancashire County Council, said: “This demonstrates that local government action can make a big difference to the health of our communities and in particular future generations.
"Working with different partners, including our farming communities can improve access to good food for all. This declaration commits further action to make West Lancashire a fairer and healthier place for everyone.”
Dr Robin Ireland, Research Director at Food Active and project lead, said: “We all know how difficult it is to make the right choices when we are surrounded by unhealthy food, the wrong advertising messages and when sugary drinks are cheaper than water. I am delighted that West Lancashire’s Health and Wellbeing Partnership is doing everything they can to help their residents, workers and pupils eat healthier.”
