The Well Doncaster team is ever growing and this time we welcome another Public Health Improvement Officer to the team. Meet the latest member, Elisa, and find out what she has to say…

Hola! My name is Elisa and I joined the Well Doncaster Team earlier this year as a Public Health Improvement Officer. My role is to evaluate the programmes that our team helps to coordinate, informing our understanding of how they are being implemented, the impact that they are having and identifying opportunities to make them even better.

My background is in Public Health Nutrition and I have worked across a variety of projects in several locations, both in the UK and abroad. These include cooking skills in Glasgow, interventions in Mexican schools to reduce intake of sugary drinks and nutritional education of Mayan communities in Yucatan. I´ve also taught several subjects in schools and universities, including nutritional assessment, public health and research methodologies.

In my spare time, I like to swim, run, enjoy exploring new parts of Yorkshire with my husband, learning new languages and pampering my cat. Above all, I treasure time with my family and friends wherever they are. I look forward to helping the team with their community-centred approach in my time here.

We have also had a few familiar faces change their roles within the team.

Hannah initially joined the Well Doncaster team as a Be Well coach but has since become a Public Health Improvement Officer. Hear what Hannah has to say about her current role and what she’s been up to…

Hello I’m Hannah,

I work as a Public Health Improvement Officer within the Be Well Team. I was appointed the post in August after working as a coach on the programme since January 2021. From my time working with clients it was clear to see the powerful effect coaching can have on an individual’s health and wellbeing. Coaching guides and prompts people to change their behaviour and builds on peoples strengths so they can make better healthcare choices based on what matters to them. I really enjoy working for Be Well and think it is a fantastic resource for Doncaster residents. My new role will involve promoting and growing the Be Well programme and supporting the south locality.

Outside of work 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 joined the Well Doncaster team in July 2020 and initially was working on the Community Wealth Builder programme which supports social enterprises and charities. I really love the variety of work available within the Well Doncaster team and it is so wonderful to work with a team who are so genuinely passionate about improving people’s health and wellbeing. The pandemic has made things so much more difficult for communities 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 our team can support people to make small changes to their habits, which will lead to healthy sustainable lifestyle choices.

We have also had Alex, another Be Well officer, change roles during her time in the Well Doncaster team…

Hi! My name is Alex. I have recently switched roles in the team from a Be Well Officer, to my new role of Public Health Officer in the South.

At Be Well I worked at an individual level, with one to one sessions.

As a Public Health Officer, I will be working at a community level offering support to individuals, groups and organisations. I love to meet new people and to see what activities/support is available out in the community – opportunities make me excited and I don’t mind shouting about them to let others know!

 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 Well Doncaster Team and people who live, work and play in the South of Doncaster.

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