NI Chest Heart and Stroke

VCSE organisation: Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke

Social Challenge:

NI Chest Heart and Stroke had 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.

Techie: Johan Gantt 

Tech Solution: Watch the demonstration video of the prototype digital solution; Zulip

Following participation in the programme, NICHS received a Seed Fund development award of £3500 to enable them to further develop, test and launch their prototype project. You can watch their pitch at the TiR 2021 showcase event here

The  development grant will support further development, iteration and testing of the Zapier platform for workplace health champions.