SHINE is a community based weight management programme that helps young people aged 10-17 years not only lose weight but also to gain in self esteem and confidence. We are a dedicated team who puts young people first to help them acheive their full potential. You can read our philosophy and mission statement
There’s lots of people involved in making this work.
We’re lucky enough to be able to call upon a dedicated team of sessional and voluntary staff who help deliver everything from interventions and consultations to bucket-shaking fundraising and administation of SHINE’s headquarters.
SHINE philosophy and mission statement
The aim of all our programmes are to help young people to understand their weight problem so that they can manage it more effectively in an independent way. This is achieved by not only concentrating on food and eating, but by promoting a complete attitudinal change to lifestyles. For this purpose the programme incorporates the three interventions advocated by all obesity guidelines namely: nutritional therapy, physical activity, and behavioural modification, which includes psychological therapies to address issues related to anxiety, depression, low self esteem and confidence, body image and bullying. We aim to develop emotional literacy and social skills to enable young people to explore any psychological issues or potential underlying causes of obesity, which may be on a group basis, or in 1:1 sessions. Due to the nature of the programme we expect interpersonal conflicts. Young people are encouraged to address and resolve conflicts as they arise in a mature and sensible manner.
Our programmes are based on the understanding that each person is a unique individual. We provide an introductory twelve week educational programme (psychosocial intervention (PSI)), followed by a selection of further twelve week maintenance programmes, which promotes a better understanding of obesity and its presenting problems and we provide a non-prescriptive ‘no diet approach’ focusing on healthy nutritional eating. Young people are then able to design their own eating plans and make informed choices on food selections.
We promote a family orientated programme. We are non-judgemental and have a ‘no blame’ culture. We believe that families require help, support and understanding rather than criticism and we help families to change at their own pace, in relation to individual circumstances. This encourages high levels of success and promotes longer term outcomes.
The relationship between the young person and the professional is crucial. We are non-hierarchical believing each person to be an equal regardless of age, status, academic ability, size, race, culture, religion or sexual orientation and we are respectful of differences. We are a team of highly skilled and professional practitioners in a privileged position to learn what works best for overweight young people. We are led by the young peoples’ experiences and make changes to the programmes accordingly. We therefore provide services that young people tell us they need, rather than what we the professionals think they need. We sincerely believe that this humanistic, holistic approach will enable young people not only to lose weight but to enter the adult world in a more confident and assertive manner, regardless of their size or shape.
© 2018 Shine Health Academy.
I have an excellent rapport with the young people and feel I strongly represent their views and opinions, especially around equality as we support different minority groups and children with learning disabilities. I have put forward many ideas that have helped to improve the services we offer young people and our committee has been instrumental in the growth and development of SHINE Health Academy.
My background is a commercial one – after completing a degree in Microbiology a move into the pharmaceutical industry gave me commercial experience at every level in the organisation. Starting out as a sales representative, further promotions lead to National Sales management, with responsibility for a £30M part of the business. I now head up a small team of specialists who engage and work with the NHS at a National level, to ensure that patients have access to the best treatments for them.
As a Director of Focused Solutions, I have been involved in training people at all levels – from first line managers who are just starting out, to senior board members who need one to one personal coaching. Part of that training included helping doctors and nurses get the necessary skills to help deliver behavioural change in people with long term conditions, to help them take more control of their own lifestyle choices. This formed the foundation for my interest in SHINE and I became a Director in 2009.