Turn up to week event
● Great Halton Bake Off contest, creating healthy treats with their parents of carers with a finalist from each establishment chosen to create their chosen dish at the stadium final, judged by the mayor.
Widnes Market also hosted events, and Riverside College counselling degree course organised community listening events in Runcorn and Widnes.
This involved taking chairs out into neighbourhoods and inviting members of the public to just sit and talk about anything they choose, and emphasising that listeners use empathy to just listen and sign-post to mental health services if needed.
In addition, students teamed up with a USAbased charity called Sidewalk Talk, which aims to promote positive mental health through community listening events.
The initiative followed last year’s Mental Health Awareness Week in which Halton Council launched its #maketimehalton campaign based on ‘five ways to wellbeing’ using simple acts such as going for a walk, chatting with a friend or relative or just doing something nice.
Organisers estimated that the week involved about 1,300 participants.
Cllr Philbin, said: “It was great to see so many people getting into the spirit of the event and we really hope it has had a positive effect on people’s lives, here in Halton.”
Find out more about Maketime by searching at www. haltonhealthimprovement.co.uk ●