Feel Good Suffolk support residents across the county to manage a healthy weight, become more active and stop smoking. Stopping smoking is a phenomenal challenge for any smoker, but for those in the community who are facing hardship, additional addictions and challenges it can seem an impossible feat – despite having the motivation and reasons to stop.
This became very apparent to Feel Good Suffolk advisor, Sylvia, after a patient was referred to her for support with stopping smoking following an admission to the West Suffolk Hospital. The patient was homeless and already detoxing from alcohol, and although he didn’t manage to successfully quit smoking with Sylvia, he wanted to recommend the service to many of his friends who were also facing similar challenges to him.
Typically nicotine replacement therapy is posted out to clients once they have accessed support through the Feel Good Suffolk service, however without a fixed abode this was not possible- which is when Sylvia thought creatively about her approach, knowing that she did not want to give up on the chance of making a difference to these people’s lives when faced with the first hurdle!
Through researching and networking in the area, Sylvia soon discovered the Bury Drop- in. A twice weekly session which invites those currently homeless to seek shelter, gain access to support and have a warm lunch in the heart of the town centre. After meeting with the manager of the Bury Drop-In Sabine Dornbusch, Sylvia was set up at the Drop-in each week where she could engage with the guests and invite them for support.
Sylvia said: “There is nowhere like the Bury Drop- In, it really is just an incredible place, and it has now been running for 10 years!
At the beginning, I naively thought it would be like working with my other clients but It’s not. I needed to work hard to gain the trust and respect of the clients that came along to the Bury Drop- In and that took time.
I changed the way I collected information from the clients, so it felt less clinical and overwhelming, which made it easier for them to access the support. I learnt that these clients needed more time, their lives were complex, and they were often vulnerable.”
In under a year, through consistency Sylvia has managed to support 20 of the Bury Drop- in clients to stop smoking, whilst an additional 11 people have heavily reduced and are on their way to quitting for good. This is a great achievement for the guests and for the service, which is scheduled to continue into next year.
Paul attended the Bury Drop- In and has managed to successfully stop smoking with Sylvia and the Feel Good Suffolk service.
“I’d often thought about stopping smoking, and although I wanted to quit, I didn’t know how to go about it, and I probably wouldn’t have done if it wasn’t for Sylvia being at the Drop-in.
I have smoked all my life, since I was 14 years old, so that’s 30 years of smoking 11-15 cigarettes per day and even if I had moved onto vapes in the past, I was still smoking at the same time. At times, I was so addicted and so desperate to smoke I would look for cigarette buts I could smoke on the street! Now, I don’t smoke and don’t smoke anything else either.
I already feel healthier, I am not as breathless, and I am not coughing and spluttering like I always used to!
Having my carbon monoxide reading taken whilst at the drop-in makes me feel healthier and it is great to see the change.
Managing the quit this time is thanks to Sylvia. Having her at the drop- in where I can get support, get my treatment without having to go off to the pharmacy and getting my carbon monoxide reading has been great.”
Other success stories from the Bury Drop- In include that of Sandra* who stopped smoking after months of perseverance and consistency, despite set- backs and challenges, she eventually managed to stop smoking, whilst also making changes that saw her lose 4.5 stone! Not only did this significantly improve her COPD symptoms but also her mental health.
Sylvia, our stop smoking advisor that leads the Bury Drop-In project said:
“I think many of the clients who have met me at the Bury Drop-in feel really proud to be a part of something which is offered to everyone. It isn’t a ‘special’ service or clinic just for those who are homeless – often that is the case and I think it can make these clients feel like they are an outsider, or not a part of the rest of the community, so it is nice they have access to something that everybody else can have access to. This gives them dignity, they feel human like the rest of us, and they feel listened to.
Through accessing the stop smoking support, it often also kickstarts other positive changes for them too such as taking further responsibility for their health, especially when I can help to sign post them to the right places, as the information available out there is not always accessible for those who are homeless and do not have access to the technology or information that others may have.
I always wish I had a photo of these clients at the beginning and end of their stop smoking journey because the transformation is huge. Everyone looks different physically, they have more colour in their faces, they look cleaner, better groomed – it really is amazing.
For many stopping smoking has been the stepping stone to other really positive changes such as stopping alcohol and drugs and even securing a home and getting back to work.”
Every client went on their own individual journey with Sylvia. Tony* was another successful client who managed to stop smoking, despite smoking 20 cigarettes per day for over 20 years. After reducing his intake by more than 50% in the first couple of weeks, Tony was then supported by Sylvia to use a combination of nicotine replacement therapies to stop completely. It was with that, that he noticed himself feeling more energetic and his sense of taste had even returned.
Another positive story was that of Jeremy* who had only ever managed to stop smoking for 5 consecutive days before working with Sylvia at the Bury Drop-In. After accessing support for just two weeks, he had already cut down to 1-2 cigarettes per day, instead of his usual 15. By week 4 he had managed to completely quit and remain smoke- free. His experience saw him encouraging and supporting other people in his life to do the same and he claims to have gained a newfound confidence and determination.
These stories and all the others from the Bury Drop-In project demonstrate the positive impact our stop smoking service has on people in Suffolk, but even more so when we work in partnership and collaborate to reach and support those most vulnerable within our communities.
To learn more about our stop smoking offer, head over to www.feelgoodsuffolk.co.uk/stop-smoking/
*Names have been changed for confidentiality.
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