
The Community Partnership has funded projects including half term activities for young people and nature wellbeing sessions for over 65s and allocated funds for supporting around the cost of living. It is also currently doing work on how it can further engage with the local community and how it can 'rural proof' its work.
In spring 2022, the Community Partnership distributes oral health packs to Year 6 children on the patch. Each pack contains a toothbrush, tube of toothpaste, a 2 minute timer and an information sheet. The project was designed to encourage young people to develop and reinforce good oral hygiene habits and also think about food and drink choices. The packs were delivered to primary schools as well as food banks/pantries on the patch.
Anecdotal information from local food banks has suggested that oral hygiene is an area being affected by the cost of living situation so working with food banks and pantries will ensure families can receive packs with the tools (toothbrush, toothpaste and timer) and the information to help their oral health.
We ran a short survey with families and school staff about the impact the packs had in the summer of 2022. The survey found that 43% of respondents said they had made changes to looking after their teeth and 40% of those surveyed are brushing longer than before they received the packs. We worked with Community Dental Services on this project and thank them for their expertise and support on this.
To get in touch, please contact our Communities team.