Latest news with #CoastalCommunities
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Health checks could start at 30 in 'national first'
People living in a seaside town could be offered health checks from the age of 30 in a national first for the NHS, a senior doctor said. The free screening is usually offered to those aged 40 to 74, but that could be lowered in Clacton-on-Sea to tackle health inequalities. Dr Ed Garrett revealed the plan at a Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board (ICB) meeting on Tuesday and said it was "progressing" forward. But an NHS spokesman said the idea was "very early stages". The health check aimed to detect if people were at higher risk of getting certain illnesses, including heart disease, diabetes and strokes. It involved screenings, including cholesterol and blood pressure tests. Dr Garrett said it would be a "national first" if the proposal went ahead. "Given life expectancy [in Clacton], we feel it's important that health checks are delivered earlier," he said. The seaside town has been the focus of concerted efforts by the NHS to stop deprivation leading to health inequalities. Chief Medical Officer Sir Chris Whitty visited in 2021, having authored the Coastal Communities report. In it, he said these towns suffered from high rates of serious illnesses and lower life expectancy among residents. Ian Davidson, chief of Tendring District Council, also said people living in some parts of Clacton had a life expectancy 18 years lower than in wealthier parts of Essex. When approached by the BBC to provide more details on its health checks plan, an ICB spokesman said it was still in its infancy. He added: "We'll share more details as soon as we are able." Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Life expectancy gap of 18 years in parts of Essex Whitty: Deprived coastal towns need redesign Seaside poor health overlooked, warns Whitty Suffolk and North East Essex ICB
BBC News
04-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Warm welcome for Cleethorpes mural starring Red Arrows
A mural celebrating seaside heritage and the role of the armed forces has been unveiled in Cleethorpes.A space near the Memorial at the Promenade has been transformed by the work of five local artists alongside volunteers who are recovering from addiction and colourful mural includes depictions of the Red Arrows flying over the town's pier during Armed Forces Day, along with the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. Sam Delaney, from organiser Creative Start Arts, said the warm response from residents had been "overwhelming". "All murals we do are linked to the heritage of the area. We wanted something that lent itself to the seaside and we wanted it to be a community mural with many people involved," he Start Arts is a not-for-profit group that runs projects to help people rebuild their lives. "We are a recovery organisation and arts and health group," Mr Delaney added. "We involve people who are in the process of recovery, so maybe recovering from addiction, trauma and we involve them in the painting and we empower them."About 25 people worked on the artwork. It has been named after a Facebook group called We Love Cleethorpes, as a "token of thanks" to members who posted pictures and offered words of support about the a local artist who worked on sections of the mural, including images of the Red Arrows, said it had been a "great collective effort".The mural is part of a wider regeneration scheme funded by the government's Coastal Communities project. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
