Active Partnerships are delighted to support Mental Health Awareness week.
It is well documented that regular physical activity has a huge potential to enhance wellbeing, helping increase self-esteem, reduce stress and anxiety, reduce the risk of depression and make people feel happier through the release of feel-good hormones. Activity can help improve how people think and feel about their bodies, a focus for this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week.
Active Partnerships are therefore pleased to be working with a number of organisations to help promote the benefits of physical activity on mental wellbeing and help create the conditions for more people to be able to lead an active lifestyle.
Below are some of examples of work taking place across the country.
Creating a culture shift that removes the stigma around mental health
Active Partnerships are signed up to the Sport and Recreation Mental Health Charter for Sport and Recreation, and support its vision of helping create a culture shift in wider-society that removes the stigma around mental health.
Signing the Charter in 2017 Active Cumbria are one example of a partnership that now focuses on mental health in all the work that they do. This has including training all team members as well as running In partnership with Cumbria Youth Alliance and Streetgames, 12 Mental Health First Aid Lite courses to train coaches and youth workers. However one of their biggest achievements to date was helping to secure a £600,000 Lottery Grant in a joint bid for the Improving Emotional Resilience project.
Active Partnerships are also pleased to support the #21by21campaign, led by the Sport for Development Coalition and key partners The campaign's target is to ensure sports coaches and volunteers have the three core skills needed to protect the people they work with: first aid, safeguarding and mental health awareness. The campaign is supported by a portal which amongst other things will showcase a number of providers for mental health awareness training schemes, so organisations can upskill their coaches and volunteers.
Working in collaboration
More Positive Together is a Lancashire-wide European Social funded project which helps 2,250 people to improve their skills and employment prospects. The project is a collaboration between housing associations, local authorities and third sector organisations, thus far the relationship is proving to be highly beneficial for Lancashire residents and communities, improving their mental wellbeing and helping reconnect with society.
Supporting clubs and activity providers
The Sports Partnership Herefordshire & Worcestershire are championing the need for clubs to provide safe spaces for individuals with mental health needs and has recently launched the CALM Pledge, developed in partnership with the Worcestershire Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service 29 clubs and activity providers have already expressed an interested in the initiative in the first few weeks.
Working with Mind
Active Partnerships also support Mind on their Get Set Go programme which supports people to increase their activity levels and find an activity they enjoy. The programme is supported by Sport England and funded by the national lottery.
Active Norfolk have worked with Norwich Mind to support residents with mild to moderate mental health issues through the PACE programme, funded by Comic Relief and Sport England. The 16 week project which provided mental health support, running training and access to physios and nutrition as they worked towards a running goal.
Supporting community organisations
Tees Valley Sport have worked alongside Tees Valley Community Foundation to support Red Balloons, develop funding bids and broker links with local clubs and coaches. Red balloons is a Teesside Community Organisation that has been created to help people combine the benefits of exercise and wellbeing for their mental health.
If you would like more details on the work of an Individual Active Partnership please visit http://www.activepartnerships.org/active-partnerships
Alternatively please contact Nicki Couzens, Active Partnerships National Team on ncouzens@ActivePartnerships.org