Bolton’s Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector are invited to support smokers across the borough in signing up for free quit smoking programmes.
The unique initiative from Bolton Council, which is funded from Government grants to eradicate smoking, incentivises VCSEs to make a meaningful impact on the health of Bolton residents, helping more local people quit smoking, improving their health and helping to keep more money in their pockets.
Thousands of smokers come into contact with VCSEs every week in Bolton, offering a trusted source of support for many local people.
This initiative provides a great starting point to support smokers in their attempts to quit, helping smokers overcome the burden of tobacco addiction, improving their health, becoming financially better off, boosting their mental health, and leading longer, healthier lives.
Bolton Council has commissioned local stop smoking service provider ABL Health (Your Health Bolton) to deliver this initiative in collaboration with the VCSE sector and Bolton CVS.
Smokers referred will receive ABL Health’s fully funded 12-week quit programme, which includes free stop smoking support, vape starter kits, and nicotine replacement therapies.
Cllr Jackie Schofield, Executive Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing at Bolton Council said:
“This Government funding is an important opportunity to help people break the habit and quit smoking for good.
“Nicotine is highly addictive and tobacco products can be difficult to give up, but smokers are three times more likely to succeed in quitting with professional support than going it alone,
“This new referral incentive will encourage more people to give quitting a try which improves their health and wealth, and also boosts our amazing voluntary and charitable organisations who can do even more incredible work across the borough.”
Raz Mohammed, the Divisional Operations Lead & Head of Communities at ABL Health said:
“This is a new initiative designed to support community organisations in Bolton to refer smokers who want to stop smoking into the stop smoking service.
“We are proud to be part of the VCSE stop smoking scheme and proud to support the health and well-being of the people of Bolton.”
Amina Ali, a Community Hub Coordinator at the domestic abuse charity Endeavour, praised the initiative with ABL Health stating:
“I think that the VCSE scheme is essential to helping people stop smoking.
“By offering the vape kit and fluids for free people have a chance to see the financial benefits of stopping smoking.
“One participant in my stop smoking group has not smoked a single cigarette since starting on his vape and has now booked a holiday”.
All local VCSE organisations are asked to register as referrers at www.yhbolton.co.uk/vcse-referral or call (01204) 205090.