It's part of a Royal Borough scheme to train people in the community to understand how they can improve their general health and wellbeing.

Understanding health improvement course

The trainees take a free three day course to get a qualification, accredited by the Royal Society of Public Health, in 'Understanding health improvement'. Graduates of the course learn about those things that play an important role in their own health and wellbeing, but also directly pass on their knowledge and advice to family, friends and the wider community.

The aim is to educate people within the community about the factors that affect health and wellbeing, and let them know about the services that are available that provide advice and support about, for example:

• being physically active as part of everyday life
• having a healthy and balanced diet without too much sugar, fat and salt
• stopping smoking
• not drinking too much alcohol
• looking after your mental wellbeing.

Become a health champion

The Royal Borough offers the free course in various locations across the borough. The trainees learn about the main causes of poor health and how to best communicate information about health and wellbeing and local support services to other members of the community.

Many trainees have found the course has helped them and the people around them at home and at work to make health improvements and a number of people have gone on to seek a job in the health field or to undertake further study in public health after gaining this qualification.

It's all part of the Royal Borough's wider drive to prevent poor health in the first place by making Greenwich a place that supports people to lead active, healthy lives to help them stay fit and well through the life course.

A celebration event marking the 1000 graduates' achievements took place this week in Woolwich.

'Live better and fuller lives'

Cllr David Gardner, Royal Borough of Greenwich Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care, said: "It's been a pleasure to meet so many graduates who've completed this course. The fact that we have more than thousand people now directly championing health and wellbeing right at the heart of their community is great news.

"It all helps us to get the messages across about what people can do to avoid poor health and to live better and fuller lives with improved health and wellbeing. I would urge anyone interested in finding out more to sign up to one of our courses".