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Cottoning On, Oldham

Description Cottoning On is a strategic healthy living partnership
Setting The most disadvantaged areas of Oldham
Populationting Young people and black and minority ethnic (BME) women
Intervention summary Within Cottoning On there are a range of projects. These include the Energise Project which helps young people move towards health and fitness; the Himmat and Saharah Projects which supports BME women to develop and sustain healthier communities; and the Pathways to Health project which provides training to empower BME women to take more control of their health.
Outcome Summary Successfully delivered a range of interventions and activities that have engaged some of the most hard to reach groups within Oldham. Young people and BME women have been supported to actively participate in improving their own health and the health of their communities.
Startup Cost £91 428
Running Cost Approximately £2.5 million over six years; for 2006-7 the budget is approximately £500 000.
Funding Cottoning On is funded and supported by Oldham Primary Care Trust, Oldham Metropolitan Borough, Big Lottery Fund, Sure Start Westwood and Coldhurst, Hathershaw & Fitton Hill New Deal for Communities, the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, Single Regeneration Budget Round 6, Oldham Children’s Fund and Welfare to Work Plus.
Started 2001-2
Ended The project is currently funded until March 2007
Location Oldham, England
Contact
  • Name: Martyn Price - Health Development Manager
  • Address: Oldham Primary Care Trust, Oldham, OL9 6EE
  • Telephone: 0161 622 6620
  • Email: martynprice@nhs.net

    • Background

    Cottoning On is a strategic healthy living partnership in Oldham, working with the most disadvantaged young people and black and minority ethnic (BME) women. It comprises a range of different projects.

    What is the problem you are trying to solve?

    Cottoning On aims to reduce health inequalities experienced by young people and BME women in the most disadvantaged areas of Oldham.

    The strategic objectives are to challenge the causes of poor health and promote well being, to extend opportunities and improve access to health services, to develop and sustain health infrastructure in the community and to identify and promote evidence based practice.

    What local organisations are involved?

    Cottoning On is supported by Oldham Primary Care Trust (PCT), Oldham Metropolitan Borough, Big Lottery Fund, Sure Start Westwood and Coldhurst, Hathershaw & Fitton Hill New Deal for Communities, the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, SRB6, Oldham Children’s Fund and Welfare to Work Plus.

    How many people are running this project and who are they?

    There are 15 staff positions at present. The project team is spread across six partner organisations. It is managed by Oldham PCT, and is accountable to a multi-agency board.

    What local population are you targeting?

    Young people and BME women in the most disadvantaged areas of Oldham. Oldham is among the most deprived local authorities in England and experiences significant levels of health deprivation and health inequalities. BME communities experience poorer health, and health and lifestyle research also shows that BME groups are less likely to be involved in practices that improve health, such as taking part in physical activity.

    How many people are you targeting?

    The number of people involved in the different projects which make up Cottoning On varies from year to year and from project to project. Since 2002, almost 1500 people have taken part in the Himmat and Saharah project, and over 2000 have taken part in Energise.

    Interventions

    What interventions are you using to address the problem?

    Within Cottoning On there are a range of projects. These include: the Energize Project helping young people move towards health and fitness; the Himmat and Saharah Project supporting BME women to develop and sustain healthier communities; and the Pathways to Health project which provides training to empower BME women to take more control of their health

    Is the project design based on evidence? If so, please state reference.

    No.

    Outcome

    What outcomes or planned outcomes are you measuring?

    There is a full-time post for research and evaluation of the project. Evaluation is being delivered through consultations, feedback, focus groups and other methods. The scheme has a list of 20 outcome measures which include more BME women entering health and social care employment, and young people with direct access to health information.

    Do you have any outcomes or results yet? If so, what are they?

    There have been a number of gains cited by participants through evaluations and these include:

    • Increased social support;
    • Increased confidence;
    • Improved mental wellbeing;
    • Increased understanding of health issues;
    • Positive changes to diet and lifestyles;
    • Development of skills through volunteering;
    • Developing knowledge on health issues; and
    • Access to local facilities.

    Health development worker posts have been mainstreamed within the PCT. A number of volunteers and course participants have also gone into employment.

    Is your project relevant to a government target or guideline?

    The project has a strong strategic context in that it links to many current guidelines including the National Standard Frameworks for mental health 1 , coronary heart disease 2 and diabetes 3 , the 5 A DAY Programme 4 and Choosing Health 5 .

    Feedback

    What obstacles did you have to overcome to set up this project?

    Securing funding and presenting the case for the Cottoning On project has been the biggest hurdle.

    What have you learned about the project so far?

    The project is heavily focused on outputs due to the different funders and has a broad remit.

    What would you do differently?

    Having a smaller numbers of funders and more tangible outcomes would allow better delivery as well as being able to measure effectiveness.

    References:

    1. Department of Health. The National Service Framework for Mental Health. 1999. www.dh.gov.uk (Search for 1999/223, accessed 10 April 2007).
    2. Department of Health. The National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease. 2000. www.dh.gov.uk (Search for 16602, accessed 10 April 2007).
    3. Department of Health. The National Service Framework for Diabetes. 2001. www.dh.gov.uk.
    4. 5 A DAY Programme. 2004. http://www.5aday.nhs.uk (accessed 10 April 2007).
    5. Department of Health. Choosing Health: Making Healthy Choices Easier. 2004. www.dh.gov.uk (Search for 4135, accessed 10 April 2007).