World Mental Health Day 2022 was this week.. After following last year’s theme of ‘Isolation’ this year the mental health foundation has announced the theme for this year is ‘Make mental health and wellbeing for all a global priority’
We at Relate Cross Pennine aim to bring awareness throughout the week, shedding a light on present statistics on the groups and individuals that aren’t highlighted as often in mental health literature, e.g. single parents, step-parents, young adults without friends or a solid family dynamic.
Life almost seems like it has gone back to normal but for some the aftermath of Covid has left individuals and groups vulnerable and lonely. Whether this has stemmed from loved ones passing or vital relationships that have been lost over the pandemic, it can leave people with nowhere to turn to. We can relate and, with social media being prevalent and a powerful tool in today’s society, it can only take a post or a link to a counsellors page or a local social group, that may help pull someone out of a dark space.
Here are links to projects and activities in your local area which can help you re-build personal relationships and connections. We have identified 3 ways:
Connecting to nature
In 2013 the RSPB “Connecting with Nature” explained only a fifth of children were thought to demonstrate a reasonable connection to nature. With social media being so present today, many children are glued to devices, which leaves little time for them to get out and enjoy the outside areas around them. Getting fresh air is vital for adolescents and taking time away from electronics can give space for the brain to unwind and the body to breathe and be in the moment. Witton Country Park is stunning in all of its 480-acres of land, with mixed woodland and parkland to enjoy the open-air in. The estate was once owned by the Fielden family, who built and lived in Witton House (1800-1946) and created the park at the same time, ‘From approximately 1900, the house was empty for long periods and during both world wars the house and estate were used by the army.’ With various trails
and open space, it’s a great place to go for a dog walk, a leisurely stroll as an individual or with your family. For young children, there’s not only a sports turf to play with friends on but soccer fields and a pavilion café to get snack and a refreshing drink afterwards.
Lancashire walks is a step-by-step route navigation with photos inserted, so you can find the best walks simply by clear instructions mapped out by expert walkers. You can discover the best walks in Lancashire, with a location-based search and clear categories from easily accessible routes to harder walks with more challenging terrain. For dog friendly green spaces there many listed on the website ‘Roddlesworth Reservoir and Woodland Walk’ is the perfect place in the Blackburn area. ‘Constructed in the 1850s by Thomas Hawksley for Liverpool Corporation Waterworks, and together with Rake Brook, was designed to hold compensation water to maintain flows in the rivers, whereas the reservoirs at Lower Rivington, Upper Rivington and Anglezarke held water for the public water
supply.’ With stunning scenery, it’s a beautiful place to walk your dog, hang out by walking with friends or spending time with your family. And with a local pub in the village nearby as you pass through the country roads, there’s an opportunity to grab a drink and a bite to eat after a long leisurely walk.
Activity and hobby days
It’s healthy to have days out and kept yourself busy with activities to look forward to. However, it can be hard to pick somewhere when your indecisive on what where you wish to go and for people with families or travelling friends it can take some time and research to find a place that peeks everyone’s interest. ‘inspirock’ is a website enabling users to ‘quickly and easily explore a destination’s offerings and create personalized sightseeing itineraries by utilizing local expertise and cutting-edge artificial intelligence. Drawing from a database of over 80,000 destinations Inspirock makes trip planning easy, intuitive, and enjoyable for over 25 million travellers a year.’ With a detailed planning engine, you can see all the points of interest and activities in your area with the click of a button. They also optimize your itinerary and planning time by recommending the best dates and times for a perfect day out. For Blackburn there is a whole section dedicated to the town within Lancashire, with ratings and recommendations on the type of areas and facilities each location provides, so you can make sure there’s something for everybody.
Just 25 minutes out from Blackburn is ‘Thomas and Friends, Day out with Thomas’ for smaller
children and fans of Thomas the Tank engine this day out may perfect. Based at the East Lancashire Railway, join a day of family fun and ride with Thomas and his famous friends. While for younger children, it’s a great place for parents to get involved with a chance to enjoy scenic train rides whilst making memories with your children. Enjoy a day of not only train rides but singalongs and performances from Rusty and Dusty, fun fair rides, face painting, magic shows, and a chance to win a lucky giveaway. With special discounted rates for family and children under two going free, you can keep the cost down too. You will need to book tickets in advance to secure your day out, with such a stream of visitors daily and you can find that information down on these links below.
Volunteering
Communities can flourish when volunteers work together to give back to the local area. Now more than ever the public sector need volunteers and for young adults it can be a great opportunity to strengthen public skills and work experience. And there is no need to worry about previous experience because it is not needed and no matter what background you come from there’s a role for you. Lancashire Volunteer Partnership was established in 2016 between public services who wanted to provide one gateway into public service volunteering. They aim ‘to make volunteering for public services rewarding and to provide opportunities for people to make a real difference in their local communities.’ You can filter opportunities though their detailed search engine, with tabs such as ‘areas of interest’ which can narrow down certain passions and skills that you may be looking for within a certain job role. With a click of the search button, you can find volunteering opportunities around you and help give back to your community today.
If you find your relationships need more support or if you want to work on your own behaviours and concerns in the way you interact with others, contact us for more information. Relate Cross Pennine is a registered charity servicing relationship counselling, individual counselling, marriage counselling, children's and young people’s counselling, family counselling and sex therapy around the West Yorkshire and Lancashire area.
To find out more or to contact us today, you can find us here