The Health and Sport Committee of the Scottish Parliament will visit Stirling on Parliament Day (June 21st) to see a range of initiatives that are tackling health issues across the city.

The Committee will visit Hillview Community Centre to hear about Cultenhove Opportunities Partnership, a social enterprise which is working to improve residents’ self-esteem and confidence.

The Committee will later visit Stirling Community Hospital where they will hear about Town Break Stirling, a project supporting people with dementia, which has been supporting people with dementia, their carers and families to help them to live within their communities in Stirling and district since 1992.  It began then by developing a drop-in service where people with dementia could come and be cared for by trained volunteers while their carers could either stay with them, or go into town for some respite (hence ‘Town Break’).

MSPs will also watch pupils from Cowie Primary School perform a drama and dance presentation as part of the Max in the Middle initiative to promote healthy eating and physical activity.
The afternoon will see the Committee hold a formal meeting in Stirling Council’s city chambers, where they will take evidence on their inquiry into health inequalities from NHS Forth Valley, Stirling Council, Stirlingshire Voluntary Enterprise and Forth Valley College.

Convener of the Health and Sport Committee Duncan McNeil MSP said:

 Our Committee is very much looking forward to hearing about how these programmes reduce health inequalities in Stirling. We have been undertaking an inquiry on how health inequalities impact upon people across Scotland, so by seeing what happens locally in Stirling will allow us to see the difference initiatives like these can make.Committee hopes that by meeting outside of Edinburgh it will allow us to see and hear about the work that’s happening on the ground in communities across the Stirling area.”

Kathy O’Neill, General Manager for Community Services, NHS Forth Valley, said:

 We’re delighted that the Committee are visiting Stirling Community Hospital and will have the opportunity to see just some of the many initiatives underway with local schools and community groups to improve health and reduce inequalities.”