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THE growing fishing community in Bridlington on the East Yorkshire Coast are get get their own health trainer to help steer them back to a more healthy lifestyle.
Bridlington is now Britain's busiest shellfish port for crabs and lobsters, but local health groups believe that the local fishermen could be storing up future trouble for themselves.
The Seamen’s Hospital Society says it has became aware of the poor health of the fishing community, caused by shift patterns, long hours and a very physically demanding and labour intensive job. The day to day stresses and strains of trying to make a living from the high seas can breed uncertainty and frustration causing low mood, stress, anxiety and depression in some cases. The lifestyle can also lead to alcohol misuse and heavy smoking .
The East Riding Health Trainer service has received funding to pilot a project through The Seamen’s Hospital Society until 2012, working with the fishermen of Bridlington to improve their health and wellbeing. Humber NHS Foundation Trust health trainer Paula Rooke will be visiting the harbour every week, inviting the fishermen to have regular health checks and receive support, motivation and guidance for making the next steps to a healthy lifestyle.
Paula has been a health trainer with the team in Bridlington for over three years and she has helped and supported more than 200 people to make positive lifestyle changes. She says she is now looking forward to the new challenge of encouraging the fishing community to start thinking about their own health and wellbeing and making simple changes to improve their long term health.
Natalie Belt, Heath Trainer Service Manager, says: ‘This is a great way of directly targeting men’s health and allowing us to work with this isolated, hardworking group of men who go out to sea 365 days a year in all weathers. The fishermen of Bridlington now have the opportunity to access support and advice via a health trainer, who will be based on the harbour two days a week."
She added: "‘This post is the first of its kind and we hope it won’t be the last; we aim to show the need and potential for similar projects to grow and to be seen in coastal towns across the country."
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