Health & Social Care

KVA works to support a healthy Kingston. We have a role in supporting the co-ordination and integration of the voluntary sector and local health and social care services. This ensures that Kingston’s people receive the holistic support they need to flourish.

 

KVA Health Conference 2019

KVA held another successful Health Conference on Wednesday, 06 March at the Everyday Church in Kingston.

Covering Connected Kingston and Food Poverty, the themes of the event were welcomed, with many attendees pledging to undertake further actiouns following on from the enthusiasm and interest sparked by the event.

For Connected Kingston, this meant promoting the its website, signing up to Champion training, or ensuring that their organisatioun's details were included on the digital platform.

For Food Poverty, pledges included a willingness to find ways to address issues raised in the Food Poverty Action Plan.  For example, joining the Kingston Food Partnership, as well as following up with some of the organisations that presented at the Conference, including Save the Food Club, Community Brain and Kitchen Social.

A huge thank you to all the presenters and attendees for making the event so memorable.

 

KVA is currently involved in a number of health related projects:  

 

Kingston Digital Health 

The Kingston Digital Health Project seeks to help people in Kingston to access relevant health information online, through signposting people to local health networks, services, online directories and tools.

We are also offering staff and volunteers at local voluntary and community groups, the opportunity to join our digital health navigators training programme, giving you the skills to support people in your community to access relevant health information online. This fully funded training is open to anyone with a genuine interest in building the health and wellbeing of the local community.

 

Connected Kingston

KVA has been working with the local VCS colleagues, the Council and statutory health partners, to develop a Social Prescribing model for Kingston's residents. Social Prescribing is a method to refer, or self refer, individuals to non clinical services to improve their health and wellbeing. 

We see this as a way for sectors in Kingston to collaborate and offer our residents the holistic support they need to lead healthy and happy lives. See more information here. 

 

Kingston Self Care

KVA is also a supporter of the Kingston Self Care campaign, which encourages local residents to look after their own health and wellbeing. The campaign focuses on a different theme each month-  eg: stop smoking, carers, excercise and highlights to residents resources and services that can empower them to build their own wellbeing. 

 

Food Insecurity

Earlier this year RBK was awarded funding to develop a Food Poverty Action Plan for Kingston and Kingston Voluntary Action (KVA) was asked to work with Public Health to co-ordinate the development of a borough-wide plan to help meet the real-life food needs of local people. This plan was launched at the KVA Health Conference in March 2019 and the Food Insecurity Partnership Group has now been established to take some of the actions forward. If you would like more information please get in touch with Julie Bristow julie.bristow@kva.org.uk