Identifying and supporting local champions
Who should take action?
- Directors of public health and public health teams
- Local voluntary and community organisations, champions and networks
Actions
Public health teams should use community engagement and capacity-building methods to identify networks of local people, champions and advocates who have the potential to co-produce action on obesity as part of an integrated health and wellbeing strategy. These networks include:
- people who are active and trusted in the community
- people who have the potential to be local health champions
- people who represent the needs of subgroups within the community (such as people with disabilities or mental health problems)
- marginalised groups such as asylum seekers or homeless people (where there is no established network or partnership working, additional action may be needed to get them involved)
- local champions (such as managers of youth or children's centres, school governors or parent groups, or those who organise walking or gardening groups)
- people who can provide a link to local business or the private or voluntary sector
advocates who have a strong voice in the community, who can challenge social norms and beliefs of the community or who can champion obesity prevention and management as part of their usual role (this includes local elected members, GPs, head teachers, pharmacists, local weight management group leaders, health trainers, community leaders and representatives of local voluntary groups)
Public health teams should ensure those identified are provided with the resources and training they need to take action on obesity.