Hello everyone,  I am Emma and I am the Co-ordinator of Be Well Doncaster. I started in the role in November 2020 after working on the Well Doncaster programme since it began in 2015. I am very excited about Be Well Doncaster and the opportunity to support residents in making positive changes in their lives and really affect their health and wellbeing for the better.

Be Well Doncaster is working with the Primary Care Networks to provide tailored, one to one behaviour change support by health and wellbeing coaches. The ‘Be Well Doncaster Coaches’ will utilise motivational interviewing techniques and evidence based behaviour change tools to support residents in making positive steps to improving their health and wellbeing.

Working directly with GP practice, local services and through a new website that is currently under development, residents will be able to access a host of self-management tools, information and advice and six sessions with a coach.

Be Well Doncaster will link people to access community based support, moving away from traditional services, reducing demand on local health services and contribute to an improvement in the health and wellbeing of everyone who accesses support.

I have been working in public health for over 6 years and am passionate about working with individuals and communities, strengthening community resilience and reducing health inequalities. I hope that as we work with clients they will help us better understand how local authorities and communities can work together to provide a healthy and vibrant place for people to live, work and play.

Before working in Public Health, I supported adults with learning disabilities in further education and social enterprise settings. I have a degree in Furniture design and love art and design. I recently completed a Master’s in Public Health and I am lucky to have found the area of work which I am passionate about. I love to travel, spend time with family and friends and am currently trying to learn Spanish- wish me luck!

I am very proud to introduce you to our team of Be Well Doncaster Coaches!

Meet the team of coaches…

My name is Victoria and I am a Be Well Coach in the Be Well Doncaster Team.

Having lived in Doncaster from a young age, I know the local areas well and have watched the town’s redevelopment over the years. My role within Doncaster Council is completely new, but my experience of supporting the Doncaster community is extensive. I am very passionate about mental health and have completed a British Psychological Society accredited MSc in Psychology to better understand it. Research of interest that I have conducted includes the benefits of drama workshops for those experiencing depression and stigma by association in relation to visible and invisible disabilities. I am an ardent believer in equality and diversity.

I work as an NHS Volunteer Responder with the Royal Voluntary Service in my spare time; providing encouragement, conversation and a check-in service for people who live alone or are isolated. This service has been particularly valuable to many vulnerable individuals throughout the Covid-19 Pandemic. Amongst many other opportunities I have facilitated creative workshops for adults experiencing mental health conditions, and previously worked in education for a great number of years giving general, pastoral and special educational needs support to pupils ranging from Reception to Key Stage 4.

Doncaster has a great community attitude and a diverse selection of opportunities. I am keen to work closely with the community by supporting the well-being and positive progress of Doncaster residents and actively listening to their individual needs. I understand that every person’s goal is different plus that each of us have various strengths and limitations, all working at various paces. My ambition is to champion the people I work with to reach their goals and potential, and provide direction so that they maintain rewarding lives. I am extremely pleased to be working with the Be Well Doncaster Team.

Hello, my name is Marilyn, in January 2021 I started work as a Be Well Coach for the Be Well Doncaster Team. 

Before this role I spent 14 years supporting the health and wellbeing of teenagers in North Lincolnshire. I encouraged them to lead positive lives through promoting and engaging them in hobbies and improving school and college attendance so they could gain qualifications that helped them towards their employment goals.  I also delivered healthy lifestyle themed lessons to groups within college. Through my experiences at work I felt that I wanted to focus more deeply on being able to support people of all ages with their health and wellbeing, so in 2017 I left work to do a degree in Nutrition and Public Health.

I grew up in Scunthorpe and now live in a small village on the outskirts with my family. We enjoy spending time outdoors being amongst nature and go walking and on bike rides around the local area. We also get involved in village life with fun events such as entering the yearly Scarecrow competition.  Spending time with our family and friends is important to us as well as balancing this with downtime as a family within our home.

I have never worked in Doncaster before so I am really looking forward to getting to know the area, meeting local residents and working with them to look at personal goals and support positive behaviour change, with the aim of helping to improve quality of life and health and well-being. I am also eager to engage with local public and voluntary services, working hard together to help local people build on their strengths and local community assets.

Hello!

My name is Dhiren and I’m one of the new Be Well Coaches working with Doncaster Council, primarily working with communities in the south. I’m from Stalybridge just a stones’ throw across the Pennines and I’ve recently moved to Doncaster. I’ve worked in hospitality throughout my time at university where I studied Sport and Exercise Science and subsequently Sport and Exercise Psychology. The opportunity to work with people to enhance their lives and live happier and healthier, more fulfilling lives primarily drew me to this position as a Be Well Coach and I am raring to get going. Outside of work I’m a big fan of football, cricket and F1 as well as live music.

Hi! My name is Alex. I am one of the new Be Well Doncaster Coaches and will be located in the South of Doncaster. It is all new for me at the moment, the role and the area. I am originally from Nottinghamshire, I have recently moved just outside of Doncaster. I am eager to familiarise myself with Doncaster, the areas and services available in the community – which I have heard great things about already!

I have lived most of my life in an area where the sense of community was very important to me. As a young parent being able to access support, such as children and youth centres and community centres for groups is key. It is what makes a community and being a part of something and that is something I have installed in myself. As well as community spirit, I have experience working with many people, but in particular promoting independence of individuals with learning disabilities and mental health conditions. In addition, I have a degree in Criminal Justice (Human Rights) and studied Health and Social Care at Level 3.

At home I live with my partner and daughter, in a small quiet village. We all have relatively busy lives, but family time spent together is very important to us. So usually outside of work, I will be doing something with my family, whether it is baking, crafting or country walks.

I am looking forward to working with the Be Well Doncaster Team to help provide encouragement and motivation to the people that live in the South of Doncaster, supporting people to reach the full potential within themselves and their community. I am aiming to be a person that builds confidence back into people lives because I believe that is how we achieve the foundation for good health and well-being.

Looking forward to meeting everyone on this journey!

Hello, my name is Abigail and I am from Huddersfield. Being from Huddersfield means I do not know much about the area, apart from where the Racecourse and Football stadium is. I am looking forward to getting to know Doncaster and meeting all the lovely residents I will work with as a Be Well Doncaster Coach. I have already met and spoken with some of your amazing community while volunteering at Vaccination Centres.

I have been looking for a Public Health role within Yorkshire since graduating from the University of Huddersfield with a Nutrition and Public Health degree in 2018. It was important to find a role within Yorkshire as being a True Yorkshire Lass, born and bred,  I understand how our health needs differ from other areas and want to make an impact to people’s lives in my region.

I have a strong customer service background as I have previously worked 7 years at my local Sainsbury’s Supermarket. This was my first job role out of school and I am proud to say I worked there, as it was the place that I developed a lot of my skills. I started as a shy 16 year old and left as a confident 23 year old ready to take on any challenge I am faced with.

My most recent role was as a Nutritional Assistant on a Respiratory Ward at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation trust. My role focussed on the weight management and nutritional needs of patients admitted to our ward. Being solely ward based, meant I spent every minute of my shift with the patients getting to know them and forming relationships. Nothing made me happier than saying goodbye to a patient as they were discharged home, knowing that as a Respiratory Team, we worked together to get them back to a good standard of health. I worked in the role from October 2019 – January 2021, so was involved in the transition from turning the Respiratory ward into a high dependency COVID ward. Working on the frontline during the pandemic has taught me a lot. It has made me aware of how resilient we can be but also how to deliver care compassionately in such tough, demanding times.

When I am not working, I like to be creating memories with my friends and family. I describe everything as going on an adventure, even if it is just dragging someone to IKEA. I am a home and away Huddersfield Town fan so most of my weekends are spent in a freezing cold stadium, holding a pie, with my parents. I spend a lot of time with my friends, this is normally spent trying new foods and cocktails in restaurants. COVID has definitely put a halt to my hobbies recently, so it’s lucky I am an extremely positive person. I have hope at some point, this year or next, I’ll get to that Sam Fender gig I have been waiting for since 2019 and get back on the terraces chanting “Smile Awhile”.  

Hi, I’m Nicola and I am a Be Well Coach working in the East of Doncaster. I have lived in Doncaster all my life and originally studied psychology. I worked for around 12 years in children and young people’s health services before working in adult mental health. I am particularly interested in mindfulness and imbedding it into everyday activities and have completed a postgraduate qualification in this.

I have an interest in diet, exercise and mental health and how they interact and affect each other. What I look forward to most about the role is getting to meet people and hear their individual stories and hopefully being part of improving health outcomes for the my home town.

Hi, my name is Ludmila McCallum and I am a Be Well Doncaster Coach for the North of Doncaster. I am new to Doncaster and I can’t wait to explore this locality and start supporting people in the Doncaster community to lead a healthier and happier lifestyle. I am originally from Slovakia, but I have been living in England for 15 years now.

My background and previous role was actually in admin in a receptionist role, which I enjoyed very much. However, I often ended the day feeling unfulfilled, wondering if I helped somebody or did something useful. I am very passionate about nutrition and healthy lifestyle, hence why I decided to study MSc Nutrition with Public Health Management. This is my first role in public health and I am very excited to take on the role within the Well Doncaster team. My ambition is to make a difference to people’s lives and empower them to make healthy choices so they can lead a happy and fulfilling life.

In my free time, I love spending the time with my family, especially with my little boy and our new puppy. We enjoy going on walks together, exploring nature is one of my favourite things. I also love music, live concerts and do my best at trying to play guitar and piano.

Hi! I’m Emily and I am excited to be joining the team as the Be Well coach for the Central Area.

I am originally from Sheffield but moved to Doncaster a few years ago. I have had a variety of jobs including in travel agents and different banking roles but always knew I wanted to work more hands on with people and their families. I completed an Access course in Social Work, whilst working for Doncaster Council in children’s services. I then went on to complete a BA degree in Education, Culture and Childhood whilst working with Young Carers in the North of Doncaster. This job provided me with the opportunity to get to know a local community and work with the people who live there who know it best. I enjoyed being able to provide emotional and practical support to individuals and felt that I wanted to build on that which is why I went for the Be Well role.

I am passionate about social inequalities and the impacts these have on mental health and wellbeing, and love to learn about new ways to support people. I feel that being out in the community is the best way to do this and I am looking forward to getting to know the Central area more in-depth. I am excited about being part of a new team who will be able to provide support to help people to achieve their goals and increase their self-confidence.

Outside of work, I am currently studying towards a Masters in Psychology. When I am not studying I like to keep fit by walking and exploring new places. I enjoy watching sports (I am a Sheffield United fan), particularly big sporting events such as the Olympics. I also enjoy travelling and visiting new countries.

I am looking forward to working together with the wider team who have already done some great work out in the community. 

Hello I’m Hannah and I have recently been appointed as one of the Be Well Coaches. I live in Sheffield with my partner Alex and our Golden Retriever Monty. In my spare time you will find me with my head in a book (I love anything to do with psychology), cooking a new recipe in the kitchen (my favourite food is Indian and Japanese), or on a long walk in the Peak District (Covid has helped me discover just how much beauty we have on our doorstep).

I started working with the Well Doncaster Team in July 2020 on the Community Wealth Builder project. It has been really refreshing working with a team of people who are so genuinely passionate about improving people’s health and wellbeing. I have always enjoyed working in Doncaster- the borough has a great community spirit and the people are so positive and friendly.

I was drawn to the Be Well role as health related behaviour has always been an area which has fascinated me, I know myself how difficult it is to make healthy lifestyle changes – even with all the right information and the best intentions. The pandemic has made things so much more difficult for people and has further widened the health inequalities gap, making it even harder for the least advantaged to make healthy lifestyle choices. I hope that with the right tools and strategies I can support people to make small changes to their habits, which will lead to healthy sustainable lifestyle choices.

I have always worked in a community setting and believe that being part of a community is such an integral part of our wellbeing and happiness. In my year abroad I worked as a Community Lead for Lululemon in New Zealand. My role involved collaborating and hosting events as well as building and maintaining relationships with local charities, businesses and ambassadors. Prior to this I worked for Age UK on their Community Circles project which aimed to combat social isolation and loneliness among older people in Doncaster. I have a degree in Public Health Nutrition from Sheffield Hallam and a Masters in Nutrition for Global Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

I will be based in the North of Doncaster and look forward to meeting and working with the various organisations, teams and people in that area.