We are very pleased to be expanding the range of activities we are offering this year. Joining our existing programme of yoga, IT support and Financial Wellbeing courses, we now have many more including Art, Cooking and Walking.

These activities are all aimed at helping people to improve their wellbeing in some way. Our reason for doing this is that we recognise the wide range of issues people are facing; and that in many cases these issues are related to experiencing poverty or financial hardship.

Trussell Trust published in 2021 that nearly three quarters of people attending a foodbank reported poor mental health. This rings true for us at a local level. We recently conducted a client survey and 72% of the respondents identified mental health as something they had struggled with. Being unable to afford essentials is stressful, upsetting and isolating, and is bound to have a detrimental effect on someone’s mental wellbeing. The reverse is also frequently true. People with mental health conditions may find it difficult to work, to access support, to apply for benefits, and therefore may be more likely to experience financial difficulties in the first place. And so there is a cycle of poverty and poor mental health, which many people are trapped in.

The 5 Ways to Wellbeing is an evidence-based approach from the New Economics Foundation which states that there are 5 main things people can do to improve their own wellbeing. These are:

Connect; be active; take notice; keep learning; give and are at the heart of the activities we are offering. All of our activities offer the chance to meet new people and learn or develop a new skill, in a supportive and nurturing environment.

Our social wellbeing activities are all free and open to anyone in the community. Why not give them a go!

Take a look at our full programme of activities and how to book.