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Welcome to our
Healthy New Year special edition residents’ eNewsletter!
Read on for helpful
information on free local services to support your health and
wellbeing.
West Sussex Wellbeing
If you’re looking to make some changes this year to
support your health and wellbeing, look no further than West Sussex
Wellbeing!
What is West
Sussex Wellbeing?
West Sussex Wellbeing is a free service for those aged
18 years and over who live or work in West Sussex. Our friendly
team of wellbeing advisors at wellbeing hubs across the county,
offer one-to-one and group-based advice and support to help you
meet your health and wellbeing goals. These include how to maintain
a healthy weight, drinking within recommended limits, stopping
smoking, being active and more.
What we offer:
- Up to three one-to-one sessions to discuss your
goals and how we can help you achieve them.
- Group programmes to help you
maintain a healthy weight and become more active.
- Individual options, including:
- Health MOT or NHS
Health Check (where eligible)
- Support to stop smoking
- Help to cut down or stop drinking
- Support to become
more active, including advice on how to stay steady and to prevent falls
- Guidance on how to
access high-quality digital programmesthat fit around
work and family commitments.
Your Wellbeing Advisor will work with you to agree the
best type of support, along with a convenient time and date to
begin the next steps of your journey.
How do I contact my local Wellbeing service?
Find your nearest wellbeing hub close to where you
live or work, complete the referral form or alternatively you can
email or call to request an appointment. If you have any
accessibility needs, just let us know when you get in touch. We
will work with you to ensure these are met.
We also have a wealth of self-service support and
advice on our West Sussex Wellbeing website, for
weight management, alcohol, smoking, being active, falls prevention
and more.
Visit our website to find out more about the service,
your local wellbeing hub and how to book an appointment with a
trained wellbeing advisor:
Gro Health -
free expert weight loss support
Gro Health is a free digital weight management
programme available to people who live or work in West Sussex.
Developed to support people to lose weight, the
programme can be accessed as an app or on the web, and provides
personalised support for up to 12 months. Visit the Gro Health
website to check your eligibility and sign up:
Cutting Back
on Alcohol
For both men and women, it is recommended to drink no
more than 14 units of alcohol a week, spread across 3 days or more.
That's around 6 medium (175ml) glasses of 12% wine, or 6 pints of
4% beer. If you’re pregnant, the safest option is not to drink at all.
Feel in control by taking the online DrinkCoach test.
There’s free and confidential alcohol support available in West
Sussex, both online and face-to-face.
Find further tailored support through West Sussex Wellbeing
Stopping
Smoking
Stop smoking and improve your wellbeing
Did you know quitting smoking can reduce stress and
boost your mood? Research shows that, when you quit, your brain
starts to rebalance dopamine - the ‘feel-good’ hormone - within
just a few weeks. That means quitting isn’t just great for your
physical health, it’s a powerful step toward feeling better
mentally and emotionally.
Join our 'Stop Smoking, Feel Happier' campaign and
take the first step towards a happier, healthier you. Smokefree
West Sussex advisors are ready to help you set a quit date, offer
free nicotine replacement therapy, including for example, patches,
vapes, gum and lozenges and to support you every step of the way.
There’s a wide range of free support available:
- Quit 4 Wellbeing – Specialist
face-to-face and telephone support, call 0330 222 7980 for all
smoking services.
- Local Wellbeing
Teams
– Stop-smoking support plus advice on healthy weight, physical
activity, and alcohol.
- Smokefree App – A fully digital
service for West Sussex residents.
- Stop-smoking
support is also available from participating GP
surgeries and pharmacies.
Looking after your mental health
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We may all have days when we feel sad, anxious or
low, but if how you are feeling is having an impact on your
day-to-day life, help is available.
If you’re over 18 – visit the 'How Are You Really Feeling?' website
for helpful online resources and contact details of people you
can speak with.
For children and young people – visit eWellbeing for support,
information and tips on managing stress, anxiety and low mood.
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Sexual Health
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Sexual health is an important part of our overall
wellbeing. Our Sex
Aware,
Feel
Empowered
(SAFE) webpage is the go-to place for
trusted information on testing for sexually transmitted
infections (STIs) and contraception options - so you can quickly
and easily find advice and local services.
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Winter vaccinations reminder
Flu season is upon us. Getting vaccinated is one of
the best ways to protect yourself and those around you, it takes
around two weeks for immunity to build up.
It’s now easier than ever to get vaccinated. Visit Winter vaccinations and winter health – NHS
to check how to book. If eligible, you can book via the NHS App
or by visiting Book free NHS flu vaccination.
You can also call 119 or contact your GP practice or pharmacy.
If you’re not eligible for a free NHS vaccine, you
can still buy one at most pharmacies.
Alongside vaccination, simple steps help reduce the
spread of winter illnesses, including covering your mouth and
nose when coughing and sneezing and washing hands regularly with
soap and water. Consider staying home if you feel unwell or have
a fever.
Take extra care when visiting older or more
vulnerable people, and ventilate indoor spaces where possible by
opening windows.
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Be winter ready
For practical advice and guidance on how to keep
warm, healthy and safe during the winter period visit our Keeping Safe this Winter page.
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Extreme weather and air quality alerts
The extreme weather alert system, run by West Sussex
County Council, now includes air quality alerts. Guidance will be
provided alongside the alerts so residents can act early to
reduce any impact these events may have on their health.
Sign up for the alerts via this link.
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Blood pressure monitoring kits in libraries
You can now borrow potentially life-saving blood
pressure monitors free of charge from all 36 libraries in West
Sussex.
The easy-to-use blood pressure monitoring kits can
be borrowed for up to three weeks by local library members and
used at home to check blood pressure daily.
Find your nearest library here.
Early detection makes it easier to take steps to
protect your health. Find out more information here.
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Joint Local Health and Wellbeing Strategy
West Sussex Health and Wellbeing Board is making
good progress in delivering their Joint Local Health and Wellbeing Strategy
2025 to 2030. Published in July 2025, the strategy
sets out the Board’s plan for improving health and wellbeing for
residents and communities and reducing health inequalities across
the county.
Delivery groups for the plan’s five priority areas
are in place, and will publish their first year action plans,
including goals and measures shortly. We’ll keep residents
updated on progress throughout 2026. In the meantime, watch our short animation to find out
more.
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