Meeting Highlights: Community Leaders' Network's Vaccination & Health Protection Working Group

Meeting Date: 9.30am Tuesday 5th August 2025 via Microsoft Teams

Attendees:

• Simon Blackburn, CTM UHB Director of Communications
• Ella Harding, CTM UHB Principal Health Protection Practitioner
• Frances Samuel, CTM UHB Senior Health Protection Practitioner
• Caitlin Mason, CTM UHB Health Protection Practitioner
• Huw Cook, Trivallis Communications Manager
• Natasha Evans, CTM UHB Admin and Resource Officer
• Rosie Hagland, CTM UHB Communications and Engagement Officer
• Rhianydd Davey, CTM UHB Immunisation Coordinator
• Lisa Wills, Arts Factory CEO
• Tom Powell, CTM UGB Regional Partnership
• Ashton Montague, Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council
• Jennifer Rees, Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council Housing Strategic Analyst
• Julia Burgess, Executive Manager Cwm Taf Care and Repair
• Alison Nunnick, Alzheimer's Society Cymru
• Sara Thornton, CTM UHB Health Protection Development Manager
• Tracie Sengal, Kayleigh Ellis, Senior Admin Manager All Hazards Health Protection
• Lisa Bratcher, CTM UHB Primary Care
• Kelly Parfitt, CTM UHB Primary and Community Care
• Layla Ennis, Bridgend Care and Repair

Key Updates

• £25,000 business case for a communications toolkit was approved. Procurement is underway to appoint an agency to develop materials.
• £20,000 community funding pot proposal was supported in principle and will be considered at the end of August. If approved, administration will be delegated to CVCs to allow longer-term use.
• Community Vaccination Champion training is now arranged with two face-to-face sessions and one online session in September. Booking links:

September 3rd - Community Vaccination Champions MECC Training
September 9th - Community Vaccination Champions MECC Training
September 10th - Community Vaccination Champions MECC Training

• Training will be delivered jointly by the MECC team and the Specialist Immunisation Team.
• Champions are encouraged to complete MECC Level 1 e-learning before attending: MECC // Public Health Network :: E-Learning

Communications

• The campaign will be hyperlocal and shaped by community insights.
• Accessibility is a priority: materials will consider BSL, Easy Read, and broader inclusion.
• Members of the working group will provide insights to inform messgaing. Suggestions were made to use relatable, community-driven language.
• The communication agency will be selected via a tender process ASAP.

Outreach Venues

• Outreach COVID vaccination venues confirmed in most areas except Hirwaun and Abercynon. Suggestions for venues in these areas were provided to Sara Thornton.
• Sara explained that COVID vaccinations will be delivered via outreach clinics in community venues and that flu vaccinations will be delivered exclusively by GP practices and community pharmacies. Both vaccination programmes for adults will start on 1st October.

Aligning with Other Programmes

• The group discussed aligning with the Wish project and other winter initiatives.
• Members were encouraged to share details of upcoming events to embed vaccination messaging.

Case Studies

• The group is seeking real-life stories to support campaign messaging.
• Examples include individuals with long-term conditions affected by flu, those who changed their views on vaccination or someone that has a good story about why they choose to get vaccinated (for example to protect thier loves ones/grandparents).
• Suggestions should be sent to CTM.Enquiries.HP@wales.nhs.uk

Actions

Next Meeting:

The next meeting will take place 9.30am - 10.30am on Tuesday 19th August (on Teams). The expected focus will be on communications campaign progress, training uptake and feedback, venue and outreach planning, case study development and alignment with winter programmes.