“What could we do to prevent people having strokes in the first place rather than waiting for them to get ill?”
In 2019, the community of Copeland in West Cumbria faced two urgent challenges: stroke rates that were up to 104% higher than the national average, and difficult changes to local stroke services.
Through its Connecting Health Communities programme, IVAR acted as a “drawstring” – bringing together services, charities and local people to find a joint way forward.
You think about one of those little bags with a drawstring at the top – that’s what IVAR was, bringing us all together and facilitating the conversations we needed to have.”
They came up with a simple but effective solution: forming a partnership to take blood pressure checks to where people already were, from farmers markets to wellbeing festivals. By encouraging people to “know their numbers”, the initiative is turning quick conversations and simple checks into life-saving action.
“I lost my dad to stroke. And when you think that eight out of 10 strokes can be prevented sometimes I think maybe if we had the right information and the ability to make better lifestyle choices, things could have been different for us.”
This film shows what can happen when partnership, local knowledge and determination come together to improve health.
Councils and charities… we need each other. We can’t survive without each other.”
“We were so surprised at the response on that day… we had a queue, before long, of people just cottoning on that this was quite an easy way to check in on your health and have your blood pressure taken.”
With thanks to: Julie Clayton – (formerly) Head of Communications North Cumbria CCG, Jenny Craig – local volunteer, Elly Day – Whitehaven Castle Rotary (local volunteer), Sheena Denwoody – local volunteer, Gemma Grant – Support Coordinator, The Stroke Association, Lyn Hardie – (formerly) Clerical Officer North Cumbria CCG (local volunteer), Gwyn Lishman – Lead Occupational Therapist/Wellness Programme Lead, Copeland Haven Primary Care Network, Regan Neen – Whitehaven Late Community Pharmacy, Charlotte Pace – Volunteer Coordinator, Megan Stephenson – Community Resuscitation Engagement Officer (Secondment), North West Ambulance Service, Georgina Ternent – Public Health Manager, Cumberland Council, Kevin Walsh – Rotarian
The Copeland Stroke Prevention Project was born out of IVAR’s Connecting Health Communities programme, which supports local cross-sector and community partnerships to tackle an area’s most pressing health issue. Find out more here.
