Our Partners
Fresh and Balance is one programme working with many multi-agency partners across health, local government, emergency services and the voluntary sector to address the issues caused by alcohol and tobacco.
We are funded by and work with public health teams in local authorities through the Association of Directors of Public Health and the NHS through the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board.
Watch this video from Amanda Healy, chair of the NE Association of Directors of Public Health and Vice Chair of the Integrated Health System Population Health and Prevention Board, on preventable diseases and the role of Fresh and Balance in the region.
We welcome the increased focus on prevention nationally through the NHS Long Term Plan and we are working with the North East and North Cumbria NHS Integrated Care Board to support the NHS to play a key role in reducing tobacco and alcohol harm, while recognising the greatest impact of the Programme will continue to be at population level and reaching as many people as possible through awareness and effective policy levers.
A key regional partner is the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities.
We are core members of the Smokefree Action Coalition led by Action on Smoking and Health and the `e. The SFAC and AHA are national campaign coalitions set up to focus on the harm caused by tobacco and alcohol and to drive action at national level.
The problems caused by tobacco and alcohol don’t just affect individuals but families, loved ones and a range of organisations across our region. We are determined to give a voice to those affected by tobacco and alcohol and ensure their lived experience is heard by those in decision making positions.
The Fresh and Balance programme is hosted by County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust. Our tobacco work is commissioned across the North East and North Cumbria ICB footprint while our alcohol work through Balance works across Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and County Durham.
We host a range of forums for local and regional partners to share best practice:
Tobacco
- Fresh Local Tobacco Control Network: for local authority tobacco leads to share best practice
- Fresh Making Smoking History Champions Forum: aimed at the ambition to make smoking history for more families in the North East and the target to reduce overall smoking to 5% or less
- Fresh Tobacco Regulation Forum: a forum for trading standards, environmental health, local authority tobacco control leads and the police.
We also support advice and guidance to the Association of Directors of Public Health North East Tobacco Commissioners Forum coordinated by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities.
We also actively support the North East and North Cumbria ICS Smokefree NHS/Treating Tobacco Dependency Taskforce Tobacco programme | North East and North Cumbria NHS (northeastnorthcumbria.nhs.uk)
Fresh also chairs the national Illicit Tobacco Partnership – visit the Illicit Tobacco Partnership page.
Alcohol
- Balance Alcohol Champions Group: supporting the work of professionals working to address alcohol including local government, police, NHS and voluntary sector.
- Balance Local Alcohol Network: promoting evidence-based, strategic approaches to alcohol prevention at a local level
- Balance Alcohol-Related Crime & Regulation Forum: tackling alcohol-related crime and regulation at national and international levels.
Balance also actively participates in other strategic groups and networks within the region such as the North East and North Cumbria ICB Alcohol Steering Group and Clinical Network.