On 18 June, colleagues and partners from across North East and North Cumbria came together at St James’ Park for the Neighbourhood Health Learning Conference – a day focused on learning, collaboration and practical action to improve health and wellbeing closer to home. Coordinated by Boost, the event brought together partners from across health and care, local government, the voluntary and community sector, and local communities to strengthen connections and build a shared ambition for neighbourhood health. “There’s a diverse range of partners here today… talking about how we can make a real difference for our population.” Exploring what enables neighbourhood health The day focused on key enablers including […]
June 18, 2026
Reflecting on the Boost Improvement in Health and Care Conference, we have been struck by the passion, courage and commitment in the room. This year’s gathering, in partnership with the Health Foundation’s Q community – was far more than a one-day event. It was a bold statement of intent: that we are building a community for change. Held at Ramside Hall in Durham, the conference brought together a vast range of colleagues from across health, care and the Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector, each playing a vital role in our shared mission to reduce inequalities and improve outcomes. From the inspiring world café sessions led by our local […]
March 24, 2025
The challenges we face in health and care in the North East and North Cumbria are immense. One of the most significant of these issues is the rising level of people living with obesity. Currently, nearly a third of our children are living with living with overweight or obesity before they reach the age of 15. This poses a risk to the future of our communities, particularly in terms of physical, mental, and social health. LOC in the Lakes was held on 7 November at Carlisle Racecourse, with a focus on tackling obesity in our region. It is the ninth time we and Health Innovation North East and North Cumbria (HI […]
November 7, 2024
The second Women’s Health Conference was held on 11 July, with a focus on innovation as we further our commitment to be a driving force for better women’s health. Over 270 people attended the day which put a spotlight on the work being done to tackle women’s health issues. A new study was launched in collaboration with the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. The needs assessment provides essential data on women’s health issues and highlights areas for further action to be taken, supporting the work of the women’s health profile launched at the last conference. Thank you to Dr Rosie Baker, registrar in public health medicine for talking through […]
July 11, 2024
Good and better housing is crucial for the mental and physical health of our communities – this was the focus of an event held earlier this month which brought together colleagues from across the region. The event was part of the North East and North Cumbria housing, health and care programme, which has been established to build on the collaborative work already underway across our region to tackle and mobilise on this important issue. Our programme is the region’s sector led improvement initiative focused on delivering better, more integrated housing, care, and support so that people can be healthy, live well, and stay independent in their own home. The programme […]
May 8, 2024
Changing the narrative, making bereavement everybody’s business… Grief is universal – we will all encounter it at some point in our lives – but our experience of this, and the impact that it has on us, is as unique as we are. Findings from the landmark UK Commission on Bereavement indicates that more needs to be done to raise awareness, help individuals, and lessen the challenges faced following the death of someone we know. On 17 January, more than 80 health and care staff and volunteers came together to reflect on the learning from the Let’s Talk Bereavement project, to share their work and personal experiences, and to explore how […]
January 17, 2024
“Illuminating and inspiring” – About the day… Around 150 health and care professionals came together on 15 November with the aim of developing palliative and end of life care across north Cumbria. Supported by Dr Kathryn Mannix, the event at the Greenhill Hotel (Wigton) looked at the ingredients which support a ‘good death’. Those who attended spent time considering the gaps, and how we could better work together to make improvements for patients. Dr Mannix, author of ‘With The End in Mind’ and ‘Listen’, described the event as “illuminating and inspiring” and spoke positively about the great energy in the room. The ‘Collaborative palliative care learning event – Reconnecting, […]
November 15, 2023
The ‘Always the Right Door’ Children and Young People’s Mental Health Summit held on 25 October 2023 brought together 250 people working in health and care from across the region all committed to bringing about the changes we need to give children and young people the best start in life. Improving the mental health of our children and young people is a key priority for the North East and North Cumbria, and we have some clear goals of where we want to be by 2030 as part of our ‘better health and wellbeing for all’ strategy. Listening to experience, insights from young people and parents: A cornerstone of the summit […]
October 25, 2023
More than 90 health and care colleagues, along with people with lived experience, came together this World Mental Health Day 2023 (10 October) at the People First Conference Centre in Carlisle. Health and care partners are now in the third and final year of the Community Mental Health Transformation Programme. This programme has been working with system stakeholders to develop and deliver sustainable community based solutions, improving the care and treatment options offered to adults with Severe Mental Illness (SMI) in North Cumbria. The North Cumbria Community Mental Health Conference 2023 celebrated and shared the amazing work that has been undertaken in the region so far, and enabled the further […]
October 23, 2023
Boosting women’s health… The North East and North Cumbria and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) held its first ever women’s health conference on Thursday 19 October 2023 at the Stadium of Light. You can read more here and watch a short video here: Nationally, it was just one year ago that the first ever women’s strategy for England was launched which sets out a 10-year ambition for boosting the health and wellbeing of women and girls. It was born from a need to level-up and ensure the health service, which has historically been designed by men, is delivering for the 51% of the population which is […]
October 19, 2023
