What we do: find out more about the Health team

Who are we?

The Health team is made up of two advisors, an Everyday Active Champion, a team leader and an admin support officer.

Weight loss

One of the main things we do is delivering a 12-week weight management course. This course is free and delivered in person or online via an app –something we trialled for the first time in 2024. The weight management course focuses on goal setting and helping participants to make small changes to achieve a lifestyle change rather than following a crash diet. Referrals for weight management may come from a GP or clients can self-refer online.

During summer 2024, the team organised exercise sessions at the Showfields and Calverley Grounds outdoor gyms. These sessions were free and run by a personal trainer. Funding dependent, we would love to run more of these sessions when the weather improves.
Previously we have also offered a slow cooker course led by a professional chef. The course helped clients learn how to cook healthy, cost-effective meals using a slow cooker which they could take home at the end of the course.

We also provide advice and support for colleagues in the Council. Before Christmas we ran a session on ‘Good Food Choices at Christmas’. This session focused on the small swaps people could make to improve their food choices, and the importance of maintaining regular exercise throughout the festive season, while highlighting how important it is to still have a treat!

Lifestyle

We offer one-to-one lifestyle appointments over 12 weeks to help people identify changes they wish to make and set goals to implement them. Lifestyle advice covers lots of things like improving diet, increasing physical activity or cutting down on alcohol consumption. Lifestyle appointments are subject to availability.

Exercise on Referral: In partnership with Fusion Lifestyle, we have re-established the Exercise on Referral programme at Tunbridge Wells Sport Centre (with the goal that this be rolled out in Putlands and Cranbrook sports centres soon). This means people who need to can access the gym and a personal trainer at greatly reduced rates (£25 for 12 weeks).

Wellbeing Walks

Along with the Ramblers we organise Wellbeing Walks across the borough. The walks are led by volunteers and free for to join. Wellbeing walks give people the opportunity for exercise outside, and give a sense of community and the chance to make friends. Many of our walkers meet for a coffee after they’ve walked and at Christmas over 40 walkers and walk leaders got together for a Christmas lunch. Mark, our team’s Everyday Active Champion, runs training sessions for new volunteer walk leaders who can set up their own walk in their area. There will be more walk leader training in January 2025.

Mark also works with Everyday Active to promote physical activity across Kent. In the past year he successfully set up Head In The Game’s Football For Thought: ‘Our flagship 12-week mental health football programme that combines physical activity and in-depth discussions on various mental health topics. Through the power of football, participants of all skill levels engage in exercises, drills, and conversations facilitated by mental health professionals.’

Health in the community

We organises quarterly Health Action Team meetings which bring together community groups such as Involve and the Community Car Service (to name just a couple out of many!) along with key people from TWBC and KCC with the aim of networking and sharing knowledge about services within the borough. We also attend community events to raise awareness of One You Kent and what services are available, as well as giving brief health advice.

What’s happening now

We have a steady flow of referrals which always increases in January and so our advisors are preparing for the weight management courses starting in the early months of the year. Our advisors use the Counterweight weight loss course content, adapting it to make sure it’s as engaging and interactive for attendees as possible.

If you want to know more about our Health team, take a look on our Choose health webpage or contact health@tunbridgewells.gov.uk.