PRACTICAL advice on healthy living will be given at Woodlands Hall, on the Heatherlands estate in Headley Down, when the Well-being Wagon rolls into the village on Tuesday.

The bus scheme is being led by Eastleigh-based housing group Radian to take advice direct to communities where people may find it hard to access support services.

Woodlands Hall Community Centre, on Larch Road, will host the Wellbeing Wagon, along with Radian staff, NHS professionals, art-and-craft tutors, money advisers and bicycle repairers.

Free refreshments will be provided.

From noon to 2.30pm, the focus will be on older people and families with children under five.

From 4pm to 6.30pm, advisers will address general health issues, such as giving up smoking, sexual health, domestic abuse and mental health.

The Wellbeing Wagon initiative is one of a number of schemes leading up to Radian’s Health and Wellbeing Conference on April 4 at the University of Southampton.

At the conference, representatives from organisations across the South will gather to discuss how to work together to improve people’s health. Radian residents will be invited and will be able to join newly formed health and wellbeing forums.

Bob Ayer, a member of Radian’s Rother area panel, said: “The Health and Wellbeing Conference is an exciting project where partners are working together to support our communities in a variety of ways. I’m looking forward to seeing the Wellbeing Wagon in action, possibly for the first time, and I’m hoping Woodlands Hall will be packed for the occasion.”

Olivia Carr, Radian community development officer, said: “The aim of getting the Wagon up to Headley Down is to bring health and wellbeing services to rural communities using a partnership approach, giving people access to services that they might be unaware of or struggle to get to.

“The new year is a great time to promote health and well-being services because people often set new-year resolutions around health, such as quitting smoking, becoming more active and starting new healthier lifestyle patterns.

“We have many different partners attending this event to cover all kinds of health services and Rkdia catering (based in Horndean) will be putting on some healthy soup and a roll for everyone who attends.”

The Wellbeing Wagon is a joint project between Radian, the NHS and Winchester-based Health-watch Hampshire, a community interest company which aims to give a voice to local patients and has contributed £2,500 of funding.

Services that will be getting involved with Rad-ian’s Wellbeing Wagon include: Action For Children; NHS (quit for life); Hortic Therapy (gardening); the Bike Doctor; Artscape (arts and crafts); a pharmacist who will be doing diabetes, blood-pressure and blood tests; Community First (independence in later life, employability, youth outreach); Havant and Solent MIND; an NHS health visitor; advice on reducing energy bills; welfare and benefits advice; guidance about employment, support and training opportunities; Healthwatch UK and Slimming World.

To find out more about the Well-being Wagon’s visit to Headley Down and its future stops, call 0300 123 1567 or e-mail [email protected].