Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale Mind launch new Get Active project

One in four people experience mental health difficulties every year. Physical Activity has been proven to positively affect symptoms of mental health, reducing anxiety and stress and helping to alleviate low mood.

The aim of the Get Active Project is to support individuals at risk of, or who are already experiencing, mental health difficulties to participate in physical activity in order to improve negative psychological and emotional symptoms.

SWR Mind aims to do this by promoting existing activity, providing taster sessions for a range of different activities including yoga and clubbercise, creating regular activity programmes such as a dog walking group, and providing 1:1 support for individuals who need a little extra help to get moving.

1:1 support may include accompaniment to facilities such as gyms, group sessions organised by SWR Mind, or it may include giving advice around being active in the home.

Hayley Doubtfire, the Get Active Connector Lead says “Physical Activity is such an important part of keeping healthy, not just physically, but mentally too.

“We understand it can be challenging for some people to take the step to being active and hope that throughout this project we can better understand these barriers and how we can help people overcome them.

“We’re looking forward to creating some exciting activities for our community to get involved in that we hope will benefit their mental health throughout the project and beyond.”

Volunteers will play a significant role in the Get Active project ensuring the delivery of activities at full strength and ensuring participants feel fully supported.

There are several opportunities to volunteer with SWR Mind as part of the Get Active project, including: 1:1 peer support workers, group activity support workers and research assistants.

All volunteers will receive full training adapted to their role, gain valuable experience supporting people with their mental health and be able to try out a range of activities reaping the benefits for themselves.

If you’re interested in volunteering for the project, or would like to find out more about the project as whole, visit www.swrmind.org.uk, email the Get Active Connector Lead at [email protected] or phone the office on 01723 339838.