NI Chest Heart and Stroke

Name: NI Chest Heart and Stroke

Purpose: Working with people of all ages since 1946, their vision is for a Northern Ireland free of chest, heart and stroke illnesses.

Tech challenge: To provide evidence-based health and wellbeing support in a readily available accessible format.

Techie: Johan Gant

NI Chest Heart and Stroke joined Techies in Residence with a vision to ensure that everyone including Health Champions have access to accessible, evidence-based health and wellbeing support in a readily available accessible format to meet the changing needs of the working environment. This has been highlighted more so through the pandemic, with many Health Champions working from home or supporting colleagues across various working locations and shift patterns. Construction, food processing, other manufacturing businesses – including BAME groups – are a challenge to engage with due to location, language and culture barriers yet this is where the need is greatest due to poorer health outcomes and higher incidence of illness. It is more difficult for NICHS and Champions to reach employees that require support or signposting services. Furthermore, this comes at a time when workplaces are under immense pressure to survive and to retain jobs – exactly when employees require health and wellbeing support most.

Stay tuned to hear how they progress throughout the Techies and Residence programme.