Big Brush Club is now fully mobilized across five regions – Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Bristol and Gloucester.
The Big Brush Club is gaining momentum, with huge numbers of uptake in schools across the Southwest.
- Devon: 90% of eligible schools are now brushing!
- Somerset: 68% of eligible schools are signed up, with stock arriving for the children to begin brushing from February half term onwards.
- Dorset: 71% of eligible schools are signed up and children wills start brushing when stock arrives after February half term.
- Bristol: 66% of schools are enrolled in the scheme
- Gloucestershire: 50% mobilisation
The team is aiming to achieve 67% uptake across Bristol and Gloucestershire by the end of the month. Once this has been achieved we will take the exciting step of launching our last phase which includes Cornwall and BNSSG.
We are receiving great support from all the Local Authorities, which is brilliant.
Follow us on social media!
If you aren’t already, do follow the Big Brush Club on Instagram and Facebook, where you’ll see updates of how the team are getting on and some great photos from training days and visits to schools.
New Project Facilitators
We’re pleased to welcome Sarah Thrush to the Big Brush Club team on January 15th. We have two further Facilitators scheduled to join us in the upcoming weeks, Jermaine Badman based in Malmesbury who will be starting on 29th January and Chantelle Cole in Bristol who will be starting in February.
Great feedback on training
Our Facilitators have been visiting lots of schools and carrying out webinars to offer oral health training. We’ve had fantastic feedback from the schools we’ve visited. Here are a few comments from teachers who have attended the training:
“The training was clear and answered my questions.”
“It was very useful and supportive. Thank you.”
“Enjoyed the course and at the same time was shocked by the findings of tooth decay in very young children”
Resettlement facility visit
On January 17th, a team of Big Brush Club facilitators visited a resettlement facility where they had the opportunity to give much needed oral health advice. At Home Dental kindly donated home packs containing a toothbrush and toothpaste to children living in the facility and offered advice and tips to children and parents alike.
It was an early start for our team but a hugely rewarding experience. The children loved colouring, being given stickers and practicing brushing teeth on our large tooth model.
There were various other healthcare teams also operating in the facility on the same day, which was organised by Wiltshire County Council. Different stations were set up in different rooms including a dental clinic who were carrying out assessments. Our team were able to refer patients over to be seen on the day.
It was a challenge to communicate with few English speakers present, but a translator was kept busy rushing between various stations.
Overall we feel that the day was a huge success and are pleased to have been involved in such a worthwhile and valuable event.