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
Surrounding yourself in the outside air not only has its health benefits but gives you a chance to take a breather from the hectic moments in life. ‘Canal River Trust ‘is a charity website providing accessible blue and green spaces on people’s doorstep. They care for ‘2,000-mile-long network canals, rivers, reservoirs and docks because we believe that life is better by water’ For Burnley, 200 year ago Gannow Tunnel was dug through the hill so that boats could travel in and out of Burnley, it would have been busy with narrowboats laden with coal and cotton, with many cotton mills in the surrounding areas. With a three-mile distance, now the canal is home to a historical trail along the Leeds and Liverpool canal from Gannow Tunnel to Bank Hall Colliery. This location is the perfect place to go with family or as an individual for the day to surround yourself around nature and take in the beautiful scenery in and around the canal trail.
Walking is the best way to get your steps in and when paired with a beautiful landscape it can be freeing and relaxing. A study from Harvard, School of Public Health says ‘Walking is a type of cardiovascular physical activity, which increases your heart rate. This improves blood flow and can lower blood pressure. It helps to boost energy levels by releasing certain hormones like endorphins and delivering oxygen throughout the body.’ With beautiful locations in and around Yorkshire, Burnley is not shy to its scenic landscapes and nature reserves. ‘Pendle Hill Landscape Partnership Scheme’ is an ambitious four-year programme of activity based around the heritage and landscape of Pendle Hill, led by the Forest of Bowland AONB and supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.’ With aims to reconnect people through the landscape and the environment, there is a number of opportunities to join walking and outdoor activities out in the fresh air. With a Monday
walk session between 3-4 miles, there’s a chance to meet new people and enjoy the passion of walking. There is also projects running throughout the year that you can find on the website, with a chance to attend workshops and activities tying in with nature in your area. Linked below is information on sessions throughout the months and an introduction YouTube video on what the partnership scheme is about.
Activity and hobby days
Exploring your local area is a terrific way to find new and exciting places you might have not visited before and a chance to make lasting memories that you will never forget. The tricky thing is where can I go when I’m indecisive and unsure on what to do for a day out, well ‘VisitRevisit’ could be a great resource for you. VisitRevisit is an internet search engine that gives you the chance to find activities and places in your area to help you plan the perfect day out. With latest listing displayed throughout your location, each are specific with details on facilities, if they are indoor, outdoor, suitable for young children or adults. Creating a free account can allow you to also favourite your favourite places so you can plan future days out and not have to worry about stressing on deciding where to go. And when the fun is complete leaving feedback can help others to know where to go next! So have a look in your area today and find your perfect day out!
Days out can be costly and when it comes to families it is pricy. Finding a day out that keeps the children entertained and having fun whilst keeping the cost down can be hard, so where do you look as a parent that is on a budget. ‘Visit Lancashire’ is a website dedicated to highlighting the best of the Lancashire area, whether it be delicious restaurants in the area, event guides to days out, you can find the best places across the city for tourists or residents. One tab that stands out from the rest of the others on the website is their ‘Free days out’ page. With the aim to facilitate places to visit without worries of money, there’s options to free walks to picnic spots and great tourist attractions, there’s something for everyone! And with a trip advisor partnership, each location recommended has been rated by others just like you that were looking for an enjoyable day out. You can narrow down your search engine for a suitable walking distance if you are unable to travel and if you do drive you can set it for somewhere that may be a bit further away and enhance the experience of having a day but within a different environment. With more information on their website, you can scroll for yourself and find a next adventure near you.
Volunteering
Shelter England states as of December 2021 after a detailed analysis of official rough-sleeping and temporary accommodation figures that ‘one in every 206 people in England are currently without a home. Of these, 2,700 people are sleeping rough on any given night, 15,000 single people in direct access hostels and nearly 250,000 people are living in temporary accommodation – most of whom are families.’ With the colder months approaching, life for people without a permanent home is scary and they rely on the public volunteers to help when they are in need. Food Cycle a registered charity dedicated to ‘make food poverty, loneliness and food waste a thing of the past for every community.’ They work with thousands of volunteers and surplus food to help everyone who needs
us. They offer welcoming space for people of all walks of life to meet and have conversations, with weekly telephones chats and check ins for people’s mental wellbeing. And with the homelessness crisis there is a constant need for volunteers, and you can join the Food Cycle Family today! With job opportunities ranging from hosting to cooking and check up chat volunteers you can strengthen your communication and public skills whilst giving back to the people who need it the most. Down below you will two links, one to their website where you can find more information and the other a form to sign up to a suitable role within your area.
For nature lovers, volunteering does not have to be in a local charity shop, there are plenty of chances to be in and around nature. On the Burnley Gov website, there’s a chance to apply to be a volunteer in and around local woods and parks with partnerships between local park friend groups and the council that helps transform facilities, local parks and organising events around the community. With the aims to ‘increase the opportunities for people to contribute to improving Burnley's parks and green spaces. To protect Burnley's heritage parks into the future, creating greater biodiversity and community engagement through adopting sustainable land management. There are four key areas for volunteers, this includes: Horticulture, woodland management, beekeeping and park ranging. With a straightforward application via a volunteer form, you have an opportunity to make friends with like-minded people and strengthen your relationship within yourself and around nature.
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