We are piloting a community–based, health and wellbeing programme for retired beneficiaries in the South West. We are looking for participants who are interested in learning how small changes to their lifestyle can have a positive effect on their physical and emotional wellbeing.
The aim of our programme is to give you support and information that will help you to maintain or improve your lifestyle during the ageing process and to connect with the Fire and Rescue Service community and us.
Why is the Charity offering community- based programmes?
Like the general population, the retired Fire and Rescue Service community are living longer and we want you to be able to enjoy your retirement. By coming into the community we can reach people who might benefit from this type of preventative programme.
What will the programme cover?
The programme is based around healthy ageing and will cover topics such as; physical activity, healthy eating and recognising and coping with stress. It will be presented in an informal lecture style with the opportunity for lots of interaction and questions.
Guest speakers will be invited to talk about their experiences in the Fire and Rescue Service and there will be information available from local organisations to support the topics that have been discussed. All the information will be made available on-line after the sessions and there will be the opportunity to comment, ask questions and share ideas through this forum.
Who is eligible to attend?
The programme is open to retired beneficiaries of the Fire Fighters Charity (this means anyone employed by the Fire Authority for five years or longer and their partners). The content of the programme will be targeted at the 60+ age group however; younger, retired members are also welcome.
Where will the programmes be held?
Two pilot schemes are being held in Bristol and in Cornwall.
Cornwall’s pilot programme will run at Tolvaddon Community Fire Station (TR14 0EQ)
Bristol’s pilot programme will run at Temple Fire Station (BS1 6EU)
When will the programmes start and how long do they run for?
The programmes will run from September (start date to be confirmed) and will run for seven sessions approximately every other week, finishing in December.
How long are the sessions?
Each session will last approximately 1.5 – 2 hours depending on whether there are guest speakers or lots of questions about the lecture. There will be a break for tea and coffee during each session.
How many spaces are there on the programme?
We can take between 12 and 20 people for each programme.
What is expected from participants?
If you are interested in participating, you would need to commit to attending all the sessions if possible. We would also like to collect some data from you. This would include:
- Basic details – name and age
- Outcome measure data – these would come in a questionnaire format that you would fill in – and once collated the data would be anonymised. Data would be collected at the start of the programme and at the end and eight weeks after completing the programme.
- All data collected would be stored in accordance with the Data Protection Act
What happens at the end of the programme?
We will ask you for feedback on the programme and its content. We may want to interview some participants to see what went well and where we might improve things if we were to run it again.
Is there a cost for attending?
The programme is free for our beneficiaries to attend.
If you are interested and would like to sign up to one of the programmes or if you would like more information, please contact: Clare Hannaford on:
channaford@firefighterscharity.org.uk or 01626 853639