Padiham Eatwell Project Brings Free Health Event to the Community This September

Residents across Padiham are invited to a free community health event on Thursday 24 September, as part of the wide-ranging Padiham Eatwell Project.

Packed with practical activities and expert advice, the day, promises something for everyone keen to feel their best.
The event welcomes local people of all ages to drop in and take part.

Highlights include:

• Free health checks: A quick, friendly way to understand your wellbeing with the Burnley West Primary Care Network
• Sugar swaps: Simple changes for families and individuals, inspired by the NHS “Be Food Smart” campaign
• Mindful eating lessons: Learn how small shifts in habits can make a big difference
• Eating healthy on a budget: Smart, affordable tips for busy households short on time
• Community garden showcases: Meet the people behind Fennyfold Community Garden in Padiham and discover how you can get involved in the new Unity Garden in Padiham and other outdoor growing activities as part of the Green Dreams Project.
• Explore a wide range of enriching and educational adult courses: Lancashire Adult Learning will be showing off the myriad of exciting and educational courses they have to offer people for their health and wellbeing.
• Give your opinion: The University of Lancashire will be there as part of their research project to understand how we can make access to healthy food easier.

The Padiham Eatwell Project is a cross-community project designed to cut through the noise around healthy eating. So many of us are surrounded by food myths and the project aims to replace confusion with clear, honest information.

James Fleming, a local GP who has served the same Padiham practice for 22 years, has seen first-hand how much confusion surrounds food choices and how much it costs people’s health:

“Society as a whole needs to work together to change the narrative on food, healthy eating and weight. We’re making a start right here in Padiham.”

He’s equally firm that new initiatives must be shaped by the people they’re designed to help, not presented to them as ready-made solutions:

“One thing that’s really obvious to me is a large proportion of patients struggle with weight. Under eating, overeating, eating incorrectly. I’m supposed to be quite good at this kind of thing but like everyone else, I find eating healthily a constant battle.”

The research this summer took a patient-led approach, exploring why people make the food choices they do rather than assuming we already knew the answers. For James, that distinction matters enormously:

“New initiatives need to be co-designed with the population rather than force fed to them. If you’re invested in the solution from the start, you’re far more likely to find success.

“We also need to re-think things which are now just seen as standard in society. For example. we’ve normalized large portion sizes and that is always going to make it harder for people looking to lose weight.

“Society as a whole needs to work together to change the narrative on food, healthy eating and weight.”

Taken together, James’s observations paint a clear picture: this isn’t a problem that can be solved by one person, one poster, or one campaign. It takes a whole community.

Delivered in connection with the Burnley West Primary Care Network, the Padiham Eatwell Project brings health professionals, educators and local residents together to do exactly that – change the conversation around food, healthy eating and weight for good.

By bringing Lancashire Adult Learning together with primary health care partners, the project shows how education and frontline health services can work hand in hand to improve health outcomes across the community.

Take Your Learning Further with Lancashire Adult Learning

The event is just the beginning. Lancashire Adult Learning (LAL) offers a wide range of flexible, expert-led courses to help you build on what you discover on the day.

If you’re keen to boost your wellbeing, explore the Health and Wellbeing courses:
https://lal.eastlancslearning.ac.uk/personal-learning/subject-area/health-and-wellbeing/

If the community gardens spark your interest in where food comes from, discover the Horticulture courses:
https://lal.eastlancslearning.ac.uk/professional-learning/subject-area/horticulture/

Most courses are flexible enough to fit around work and family, with support and guidance every step of the way. There’s never been a better time to invest in your health and your future.

For more member news, click here.