Keeping our vulnerable residents Winter Well

Around 450 winter warmer packs for those most in need have been produced and distributed across the borough.

Each year Bury Council’s public health team works with a range of partners to create a Winter Well programme of work.

The programme promotes advice on self-care during the winter months and is an opportunity to increase referrals to other services.

Winter Well tackles a range of issues such as the cost of living, heating and fuel, food and nutrition, mental wellbeing, physical health, and vaccinations.

One initiative is winter wellbeing packs for Bury’s most vulnerable residents, promotion of relevant training for professionals, winter wellbeing drop-ins and communications.

The packs included: a blanket, gloves, hat, thermal cup, draught excluder, a Friends of Clarence Park cookbook, Winterwise booklet and various information leaflets detailing where local support is available this winter.

These packs were provided to a large number of community organisations across the borough, as well as local libraries, where they could be distributed to those most in need.

Partners who were involved in the work included: Public Health, Bury Housing, Staying Well team, Live Well Service, VCFA, Bury Older People’s Network (BOPN), Health Protection team, GM Fire & Rescue Service, Climate Action team and Community Safety.

Councillor Tamoor Tariq, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “This is the third year we have distributed winter warmer packs, working with partners and pooling our resources.

“Many households are struggling with the cost of living, especially at this time of year, and we hope that these packs will help make a difference at such a difficult time.

“It ties in with the hard work that the council and its partners are doing to address health inequalities in our borough.

“Many thanks to Orbital Design Ramsbottom, Jason Plastics Ltd and Morrisons Whitefield who were all forthcoming in supporting this initiative.”

For winter help:

• Warm spaces: Warm Spaces Bury | The Bury Directory

• Winter Well information: Support for Bury residents to keep you well this winter

• Free hard copies of the Independent Age Winterwise booklet can be ordered via the Winterwise advice guide| Independent Age website or via the helpline on 0800 319 6789.

• Bury VCFA cost of living resources: https://www.buryvcfa.org.uk/cost-of-living-resources/

ENDS

Press release issued: 4 December 2024.

Picture: With the Winter Warmer packs at the Mosses Centre in Bury are (centre) Cllr Tamoor Tariq, with (left) Tan Ahmed, chief executive of ADAB, and Matt Peluch, public health practitioner for Age Well & Self Care, Bury Council.