Cork Healthy City progress

A report (featured below) from the co-ordinator of the Cork Healthy City initiative, Denise Cahill, to Cork City Council shows the progress that the Healthy City initiative has made since becoming a WHO Healthy City in January 2012. This has gone along with active participation in the Cork EcCoWell initiative directed at achieving a more holistic to city development.

Since 2012 Cork has progressed from WHO Learning City Phase V to Phase VI which has involved, among other criteria, investing in health throughout the lifecourse and empowering people to manage their own health, and creating resilient communities and supportive environments for a healthy city. The work of the Cork Food Policy Council has supported this work. In addition, the establishment of an Age-friendly Alliance, chaired by the Chief Executive of Cork City Council has supported a lifelong  approach with an Age-friendly Seminar attracting participation from 500 older people. An Age-friendly Strategy will be in operation in 2016.

The Healthy City initiative is giving active support to initiatives to develop Cork as an enterprising Learning City. This includes support for the implementation of Neighbourhood Education Networks in two neighbourhoods of Cork and further EcCoWell Open Networking seminars. Cork continues to develop as an innovative Learning City with a case study on Cork to be presented at the Second International Conference on Learning Cities in Mexico City later in September.