Newsletter 25 September 2008

MRHF send out a regular weekly email bulletin on Thursdays, containing information for all our newsletter email group. For the convenience of our stakeholders and for those who might want to find out more about the Forum, we are also publishing that information to the BHA website. Feedback would be very welcome. If you have any information that you would like us to circulate in a future bulletin, please forward it to MRHF by Wednesday 12.00 pm the day before. Please ring us on 0161 872 4600 or email us at mrhf@btconnect.com if you have any queries.

Events/Meetings/Groups

VOP Full of life Festival

Monday 29 September – Friday 10 October 2008
The country's biggest celebration of older people is back and bigger than ever! With over 80 events city wide, there should be something for everyone to enjoy:

The Big Event is back
This year the Big Event is returning to Manchester Town Hall on Tuesday 30 September, where you’ll see the return of many of your favourite activities:
over 70 information stalls
a one stop shop for health
the Food Futures room
entertainment and light refreshments
creative activities
relaxing massage in the pamper room
find images of your local area with Manchester Archives
an opportunity to try new activities like Egyptian dancing and Tai Chi

There are also some new additions, with a giant games area (including a Nintendo Wii!) and an opportunity to get dressed up in the Glamour room ready for your portrait to be taken by two of Manchester’s top photographers. Also, the Sculpture Hall will be the perfect place to be inspired by wondering around the Voices of Experience Exhibition, featuring portraits of Manchester’s inspirational older people.

For more information, download the handy Big Event guide http://www.manchester.gov.uk/downloads/Issue_18_newsl-big_event.pdf  

 As part of the Valuing Older People events, talk to staff about health issues, have your blood pressure taken and chat to stroke and cardiac professionals plus find out how you can get involved with the trust through patient and public involvement and volunteering.
Hosted by the Central Manchester & Manchester Children's University Hospitals NHS Trust and Greater Manchester and Cheshire Cardiac and Stroke Network
Thursday 2 October, all day drop in event
Out-patient department, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Oxford Road, Manchester.
Friday 3 October, all day drop in event
Outpatient Department, Wythenshawe Hospital, Southmoor Road, Manchester.
Contact Clare Challinor: 0161 276 4475. clare.challinor@cmmc.nhs.uk .

Celebrations with food
Tuesday, 7 October 2008, 10:30 am -12.30 pm
First floor, Longsight Library, Stockport Road, Longsight, Manchester
See poster

Manchester LINk Big Tent Event

Tuesday 7 October 11:00 am - 3:00 pm in Piccadilly Gardens
Workshops, updates, health checks.
The final guests for the Health and Social Care Question Time have been confirmed as John Boyington, Chair, Northwest Mental Health Commission, Stephanie Mallas, Director of Brook in Manchester and Richard Caulfield, Chief Executive of Voluntary Sector Northwest.

If you would like to ask any of these a question about health and social care services in Manchester then let the LINk team have it as soon as possible and if you intend to be at the event you can even ask them yourselves. Nearer the event the LINk Transitional Board Members will decide which questions to put to the panel.

As well as the Question Time there will also be stalls, information, healthy food and the chance to find out more about the Manchester LINk and how you can get involved in its work.

More information
If you think you would like to attend can you please confirm by calling the Manchester LINk office on 0161 214 3909 or by email manchesterlink@blackhealthagency.org.uk .

Manchester City Council  Jobs Fair for Black and Minority Ethnic People

Thursday 2 October, 11:00 am - 4:00 pm, Great Hall, Manchester Town Hall

To celebrate World Mental Day on 10 October, the Mental Health Foundation are launching a new booklet, How to look after your mental health. It offers 10 simple tips that anyone can use to help manage their mental health.

Mental health is about how you think and feel and your ability to deal with ups and downs. Being mentally healthy doesn’t just mean that you don’t have a mental health problem.

If you’re in good mental health, you can make the most of your potential, cope with life and play a full part in your family, workplace, community and among friends.

Find out how to look after mental health by ordering a free copy today! You can

Visit www.mentalhealth.org.uk/ways or call MHF on 0207 803 1101 or email them at info@mhf.org.uk

There are some places left on the free USIT course for women Refugees and Asylum seekers, at Ada House starting on 21 October.
See the poster for more about the course.  Booking forms available by email or post on request from Sarah Keeler, Course Administrator, The Women's Electronic Village Hall, Ada House, 77 Thompson Street, Manchester M4 5FY  Tel No: 0161 833 8800  info@wevh.org.uk

Rich-poor gap widens in breast cancer survival

There is a "worrying" gap between the number of affluent women surviving breast cancer compared with those from deprived backgrounds, research suggested this week.
Full story

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.
See the Breast Cancer Care website for details of how you can get involved.
Maybe you and your friends and colleagues could put on a fundraising event for 'In The Pink' day on 24 October.  See the In The Pink site for more information

Cases of cervical cancer could be cut by nearly three-quarters in Manchester thanks to a new national vaccination programme that is getting underway over the next few weeks.
The HPV, or human papillomavirus, vaccine is being offered to all girls aged 12 to 13-year-old girls in school year 8 from this month.
There are more than 100 types of HPV but only 13 cause cancer. The vaccination protects against types 16 and 18 which are responsible for most cases of the disease.

However, because it doesn’t protect against all HPV viruses, it will be essential that girls, like their mothers, take part in the free NHS cervical cancer screening programme once they are old enough.
Full story

Please click here for your copy of the latest University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust Members’ newsletter, Southside News, which contains all the latest updates about the Trust and the services it delivers at Wythenshawe and Withington hospitals.

Inside, you can read about: 

The Open Day & Members’ Meeting on 28 September,
How UHSM is in the UK’s top 6 for patient satisfaction,
The visit of the Secretary of State for Health Alan Johnson MP to the North West Heart Centre,
Feedback from the public meetings hosted by the Trust during the summer,
Cancer care at UHSM,
The work of our Public Governors representing members in Area 1, part of Trafford, and
An insight into patient relations & complaints.

Manchester Alliance for Community Care is currently seeking applications for one of their key posts:
Strategic Development Worker (Children and Families)
35 hours per week.
£26,835 - £28,919 (+ 5% contributory pension) (+uplift pending).
Initially to 31 March 2010.
 
An opportunity to take a high-profile role within Manchester’s children, young people and families voluntary sector. Working with MACC’s Child and Family Support Forum, you will lead on partnership working at the strategic level and the development of the voluntary sector’s contribution to policy, decision-making & service delivery. Building on MACC’s successes in recent years, this is a chance to work with colleagues in all sectors and to drive and inspire change to improve outcomes for local children and families.
 
Closing date for applications: Monday 6 October 2008
Interviews will be held on Tuesday 21 October 2008.
 
To download an application pack, please visit www.macc.org.uk/jobs
 
or contact MACC Swan Buildings, 20 Swan Street, Manchester  M4 5JW
Telephone: 0161 834 9823 Email: angela@macc.org.uk

Third Sector Liaison Officer - 35 hours per week £28,000 per annum

North West Network (NWN) is an infrastructure support organisation. Part of their work involves assisting and representing the Third Sector across the North West region to access European structural funds. They are looking to recruit a highly motivated individual to act as a broker and intermediary between Third Sector organisations operating across Manchester and Working Links as a European Social Fund DWP Prime Contractor.  This role will involve developing North West Network’s activities across the Manchester Central District, offering training, support and guidance to Third Sector organisations.
For application packs email: reception@nwnetwork.org.uk or call 0161 236 6493
Closing date: 4:00 pm Tuesday 30 September 2008.

Interviews are scheduled to take place on  13 and 14 October 2008.

The Healthcare Commission is the national watchdog for the NHS. They are running a national study to explore how healthcare organisations are listening to the views of patients and the public and taking account of these when planning and improving services.

They have arranged for Manchester Primary Care Trust to participate in a study visit taking place on 14 October at Freemason's Hall, Manchester. They are now inviting other local organisations and some patient and public groups to take part in this visit and contribute to the discussions.

The purpose of the visit will be to explore how patient and public engagement operates across your local area and to describe what good practice looks like when local organisations are working together. Crucially, the Healthcare Commission want your help to develop measures that could be used for assessing patient and public engagement in future and in supporting local improvement.

The visit will be run by a team from the Healthcare Commission (including members of their Patient and Public Engagement team and their local assessment managers) and the Office of Public Management (OPM). It will involve large and small group discussions. The Healthcare Commission will cover the costs of travel spent by user and community groups who attend, and lunch will be provided.

The timings for the study visit are 9:30 am – 4:00 pm. There is no cost for the study visit.

Please can you email or ring Sarah Hughes (shughes@opm.co.uk / 020 7239 7814) if you wish attend, mentioning that you heard about this theough the MRHF newsletter?