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How we can help

The Community Dietetic Health and Wellbeing Team is made up of:

  • health and wellbeing dietitians
  • dietetic support worker
  • clerical assistants

The team works with a number of partner organisations to deliver targeted nutrition training and education programmes.

Contact details for each programme are available below.

Address and contact details

Community Dietetic Health and Wellbeing Team
Beech Hall Wellbeing and Treatment Centre
21 Andersonstown Road
Belfast
BT11 9AF

Tel: 028 9504 3068

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  • Cook it!

    This six-week practical nutrition education programme helps people enhance their cooking skills and learn more about healthy eating particularly where cost is a consideration. Cook it! promotes locally sourced, seasonal produce and is suitable for a wide range of particpants. Cook it! is delivered locally by trained tutors over six weekly sessions.

    Tutors are trained by registered dietitians from the community dietetic health and wellbeing team over 2 days plus annual updates.

    For more information email: cookit@belfasttrust.hscni.net

  • I Can Cook It!

    This is an eight-week programme for groups of adults with mild to moderate learning disabilities who want to enhance their cooking skills and who are interested in healthier eating, especially where cost is a consideration.

    I Can Cook it! is delivered locally by trained tutors. Tutors are trained by registered dietitians from the community dietetic health and wellbeing team over 2 days plus annual updates. Tutors then go on to deliver the programme to their own group as eight weekly sessions.

    For more information email: cookit@belfasttrust.hscni.net

  • Choose to lose

    Choose to Lose is a community-based, peer support, weight management programme for adults, which is currently being piloted regionally. Choose to Lose is delivered through 12 weekly group sessions and includes information and action on weight loss, healthy eating and physical activity to support group members achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

    Choose to Lose is delivered by tutors who have been trained by registered dietitians from the community dietetic health and wellbeing team. Training is provided over two to three days, plus annual updates.

    For further information Tel: 028 9504 3068 or email: choosetolose@belfasttrust.hscni.net

  • goodfood TOOLKIT

    goodfood TOOLKIT, developed for use with adults, has been produced to help ensure that local people receive accurate and practical nutrition messages on how to follow a healthy diet.

    goodfood TOOLKIT uses the Eatwell Guide model to help people understand and enjoy healthy eating. It is designed to be a practical and interactive and can be delivered as a one-off session or tailored to suit group needs.

    goodfood TOOLKIT is delivered by community workers who have been trained by registered dietitians from the community dietetic health and wellbeing team.

    For more information email: goodfoodtoolkit@belfasttrust.hscni.net

  • Food Values

    Food Values is a four-week food budgeting programme which helps people make healthier food choices when on a limited budget. It focuses on food shopping, better budgeting and cooking low-cost nutritional meals

    Training is only offered to active Cook it! Tutors who can then run Food Values in their own groups. Training is run by registered dietitians from the community dietetic health and wellbeing team and will take place in March 2017.

    For more information email: cookit@belfasttrust.hscni.net

  • Dig it and eat it!

    This community-based fruit, vegetable and herb growing programme helps adults and children grow their own produce while learning about a healthy lifestyle at the same time.

    It is run by the health and wellbeing dietitians in conjunction with Conservation Volunteers N.I.

    For more information please contact: Chris Wood, CVNI, Beech House, 159 Ravenhill Road, Belfast Tel: (028) 9064 5169

  • Nutrition Matters for the Early Years - Guidance for Feeding Under-Fives in Childcare

    Belfast Trust together with the Public Health Agency offers free nutrition training to all day nursery, playgroup and crèche staff, as well as SureStart workers, child minders and foster carers providing childcare at home.

    The training is delivered by Community Dietitians and specialist Health Improvement staff across Northern Ireland. It gives practical advice and information on physical activity and nutrition for under-fives.

    Community dietetic health and wellbeing team,
    Community Nutrition and Dietetic Service,
    Belfast Trust,
    Beech Hall Health and Wellbeing Centre,
    21 Andersonstown Road,
    Belfast, BT11 9AFTel: 028 9504 3068    		 Kerri McAuley, Health Improvement Practitioner – Oral Health,
    Ground Floor Graham Building,
    Knockbracken Healthcare Park,
    Saintfield Road,
    Belfast,
    BT8 8BHTel: (028) 9504 5257
  • Healthy Lunch Box

    This programme promotes Healthy Eating, specifically healthy packed lunches, with practical demonstrations. Focus is on a balanced diet, healthy option choices and portion size.

    For more information – please contact:

    Barbara Redmond, Health Improvement,
    Ground Floor, Graham Building, Knockbracken Healthcare Park, Saintfield Road, Belfast, BT8 8BHTel: 028 9504 6653    		 Marie Shaw, Health Improvement,
    Ground Floor, Graham Building, Knockbracken Healthcare Park, Saintfield Road, Belfast, BT8 8BHTel: 028 9504 6810
  • Nutrition for substance users

    Since 2011 this nutrition training course has been provided to support workers working with homeless people who use drugs and alcohol. This training is organised by the Council for the Homeless with input from the community dietetic health and wellbeing team.

    For more information please contact:

    Community dietetic health and wellbeing team,
    Community Nutrition and Dietetic Service
    Belfast Trust,
    Beech Hall Health and Wellbeing Centre,
    21 Andersonstown Road,
    Belfast, BT11 9AF

    Tel: 028 9504 3068

  • Health Improvement Oral Health Team

    Oral health is an important part of our general health and wellbeing. Good oral health also enables us to communicate effectively, to eat, and is important in our overall quality of life, self-esteem and social confidence. Poor oral health, however, can bring pain, sleepless nights and time off school or work.

    The Oral Health Improvement Team offers people help and advice on good dental hygiene as well as promoting good nutrition and a well-balanced diet.

    For more information please contact:

    Joan Melanophy, Health Improvement Practitioner Advanced,
    Health Improvement, 2nd Floor Graham Building, Knockbracken Healthcare Park, Saintfield Road, Belfast, BT8 8BH

    Tel: 028 9504 6686

  • Courses offered
    Tooth Brushing Challenge

    Tooth Brushing This inter-school oral health promotion programme sees pupils compete to win a prize by improving ‘plaque scores’ though better dental hygiene.

    Happy Smiles

    This programme for pre-school children in nursery focuses on dental health education, healthy break time snacks, and tooth brushing. It can be adapted to meet the needs of those with specific learning needs.

    Oral Health for Older People

    This programme raises awareness of the importance of good oral health care for older people. This course is aimed at those involved in a caring role with older people.

    Tailor made Oral Health Promotion Programmes

    These Oral Healthcare programmes are designed to meet specific needs. These include: adults working with children; adults who have support needs (including physical and/or learning disabilities); and parents and carers with support needs (including physical and/or learning disabilities).

    Walk Leader Training

    This training will give you the skills necessary to promote and lead safe and enjoyable walking sessions for people of all ages and abilities.

    The one-day training involves:

    • The health rationale of health walks
    • The importance of exercise in relation to physical and mental health
    • Leading a walk
    • Safety issues and necessary forms that need to be filled in
    • Motivating and encouraging people to take up walking as a form of physical activity.

    After you complete the training you are expected to be influential in leading walks in your local area. This training is available to anyone aged 18 or above.

    For further information, contact the Health Improvement Department:
    Tel: (028) 9056 5421

  • Breast Feeding Peer Support Programme

    The aim of this programme is to recruit and train local mothers, who have had a positive experience of breast feeding, to provide informal parent-to-parent support and encouragement to women who are trying to establish and maintain breast feeding.

    Breast feeding Peer Support Mothers are volunteers who provide a Mum-to-Mum befriending telephone support service to new mothers. Their role is specifically to provide emotional support and encouragement and to normalise breast feeding and prolong the duration of breast feeding in the community.

    Mothers also are encouraged to make use of their local Breast feeding support groups. Most support groups have a health care professional or breast feeding volunteer in attendance for help and advice.

    The Breast Feeding Peer Support volunteers have been trained and assessed to ensure they have the skills to promote breastfeeding to other mums. A cohort of 9 Breast Feeding Peer Support volunteers have recently completed their training bringing the total number of active volunteers in the Belfast area to 53.

    Angela Abbate is the Breastfeeding Peer Support Coordinator in the Belfast Trust. Contact Phone – 028 9504 4246.

    Belfast Trust Breastfeeding Peer Support Link Worker – Marie Alexander – Contact Phone 07738 945081
    Maire links breastfeeding mums with a Peer Supporter in their locality who can provide the Mum with emotional support and encouragement on her breastfeeding journey.

    For full details of support groups visit www.BreastFedBabies.org

  • Green Gym

    Green Gym is a voluntary activity run at no cost to the participants where individuals, groups and families (under-16s must be accompanied by an adult) can come along and take part in practical conservation activities that will not only improve their physical and mental health but will also help to improve their local environment.

    For more information on any aspect of the Green Gym contact Dianne Keys at Beech House Tel: (028) 9064 5169 Email: d.keys@btcv.org

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