News
CASES celebrate a successful first year
CASES has just celebrated its first birthday with a high profile event and new campaign launch.
The event, which took place on Friday 29th February at the Millenium Centre in St Helens from 11am - 3pm saw members of the public, St Helens Saints rugby ace, John Wilkin and Fiona Johnstone, Director of Public Health for Halton and St Helens Primary Care Trust, join us for a celebration of our successes to date, and an official unveiling of our new alcohol awareness campaign hitting the streets of St Helens.
One of our team, Julie Cottington said: "The service has been a real hit in the designated areas, with the number of people taking advice and receiving ongoing education from the CASES team exceeding all expectations. One person who has benefited from the Service is Lesley, who was consuming up to 14 units per day at the weekend, the equivalent of one and a half bottles of wine.
When she came into contact with the CASES team at a recent event, they explained that the maximum recommended units of alcohol for women per day is 3, and helped Lesley to recognise the health implications that this type of drinking could have. After further informal chats with the CASES team, Lesley now has just one or two small glasses of wine with her meal on either a Friday or Saturday evening.
Lesley says; "I feel much healthier now! Not only am I sleeping better but I have also lost weight. I had no idea a bottle of wine has over 500 calories in it! The CASES team really helped me to realise that my social drinking was affecting my health and to make the necessary changes."
CASES was originally set up in early 2007 to provide community based support to specific Neighbourhood Renewal Fund areas within St Helens such as Parr, Pocket Nook and Newton, but owing to success stories such as Lesley’s, the service is now being extended across the whole of the St Helens area from April onwards.
Over the coming weeks, every household within designated areas will receive leaflets with targeted alcohol education messages. Hard-hitting messages warning of the long-term dangers of excessive alcohol use, such as; ‘John started drinking at 15, and never really stopped … but his liver just has. Aged 42’, will also appear on buses, posters and billboards throughout St Helens.
Throughout the day, members of the CASES team were also on hand, offering free, confidential information and advice for anyone concerned about either their own drinking habits, or someone else they knew.
