Free NHS Healthy Start Community Champions training available for housing associations

Housing associations from Cheshire & Merseyside will be able to access free online training in January and March next year, providing them with key information on how to promote the NHS Healthy Start scheme to tenants and families. Taking a ‘train the trainer’ approach, the training will give participants the knowledge and skills to train up other members of staff within their organisations, plus volunteers and tenants themselves, building a growing network of Healthy Start Community Champions. The training builds upon a workshop hosted in February 2025 bringing together housing associations, public health and food insecurity stakeholders, and a new briefing paper for RSLs on the role they can play in promotion of the NHS Healthy Start scheme plus local Healthy Start contacts across the nine local authority areas in Cheshire & Merseyside (scroll to bottom of page to download the briefing paper).

What is the NHS Healthy Start scheme?

The Healthy Start Scheme provides vouchers to low-income families to purchase fruits, vegetables, pulses, milk, formula and free vitamins. Despite national efforts to strengthen the scheme, uptake remains persistently below the Government’s 75% target, meaning that thousands of eligible families are missing out on vital nutritional support.

The role of RSLs in promoting Healthy Start:

Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) can play a key role in promoting Healthy Start through direct contact with tenants, their families and local communities, and there are already a number of examples of RSLs in Cheshire & Merseyside helping to promote the scheme through ‘community champions’. However, awareness and understanding of the Healthy Start scheme is relatively low, which may limit opportunities to promote it effectively.

What will the training include & who is this for?

Public health charity Health Equalities Group is offering a free, 1 hour online Healthy Start Community Champion training for RSLs. The session will help participants build the knowledge and confidence to answer questions, share information, and guide families in accessing the support they’re entitled to. Taking a ‘train the trainer’ approach, participants will learn about the scheme, eligibility, registration, common barriers, and practical ways to increase uptake through local promotion and signposting — helping ensure more families benefit from the scheme while joining a growing network of Healthy Start Community Champions. The training is suitable for anyone working in a housing association with a responsibility for health & wellbeing, food insecurity, social impact, poverty alleviation and tenancy sustainment.

Who is delivering the training?

This training will be delivered by public health nutritionists from Health Equalities Group and colleagues working on food insecurity from Cheshire East Community & Voluntary Services. the training is being funded by Cheshire & Merseyside Cancer Alliance’s Strategic Obesity Project.

Online delivery dates & times (click on link to register):

Tuesday 27th January 2026, 11.00-12.00

Thursday 5th March 2026, 13.30-14.30

For any questions about the training, contact: abbey.baldwin@heg.org.uk