Pupils' stroke of talent helps patient group to promote exercising

Children from Northfold Primary School in Cleveleys with their health paintings

It comes after the Thornton Patient Participation group – a core group of 12 patients working towards making the patient experience the best it can be – asked the pupils to create some paintings to promote a new exercise booklet.

With healthy lifestyle as the corner stone to avoiding ill health the PPG have produced their own Exercise Booklet which they hope will be an alternative to many prescriptions.

To spread the word further the Group decided to visit Northfold Primary School.

The Practice Nurse Karen Davis with Amy Sissons, Practice Manager, and members of the PPG talked to the children about eating healthily and exercising regularly.

They were asked how they could get the message across in the Surgery.

As a result they produced a series of paintings with ‘Healthy Heroes ‘ as the topic.

The PPG arranged for the colourful pictures to be displayed in both Thornton and the Village Practice and some of the children accompanied by their teaching assistants recently went to see their work.

The children were given clementines and a little Easter nest to take home.

They all decided to eat their fruit first! Very well trained.

Subject teacher for P.S.H.E, Amy Tindall, said: “The children have loved doing this and gained so much.

“We hope to keep the link with the surgery going for future projects.”

Gemma Jackson, chairman of the Thornton PPG said: “The children were a delight and great ambassadors for their school.

“They showed a real engagement with the project and the paintings are so cheery and fun that it brightens up the whole waiting area.”

Pictures can be seen by looking at Thornton Practice PPG Facebook page or visiting the Practice in person.

Thornton Patient Participation was formed in June 2015 when it became a legal requirement that all surgeries should have an official PPG.

From old to young they have looked at all aspects of health promotion and you will see them at the Practice helping at flu clinics, collecting valuable data, informing patients of the many changes taking place.