Kind to Your Mind there to help lift spirits
A“KIND to Your Mind” campaign to help lift people’s spirits during the coronavirus outbreak, has been launched in Sefton.
Designed to support mental wellbeing of people living and working in Merseyside and Cheshire, Kind to Your Mind links to the new Alma wellbeing website, an online portal with a suite of mental and physical wellbeing resources.
When they visit Alma, people can access a range of online therapy courses, developed by medical professionals, to help them work on their mental wellbeing.
The site also includes a knowledge base of free health and wellbeing apps that have been evaluated by a medical professional for their clinical effectiveness.
Kind to Your Mind is directing people to a campaign microsite – kindtoyourmind.org – which will signpost to the national Every Mind Matters website and the Alma portal.
A series of podcasts will also be developed covering topics such as building resilience, mental health, nutrition, physical activity and sleep.
These will feature special interviews with experts and be promoted through targeted social media including Facebook and Instagram.
Cllr Ian Moncur, cabinet member for health and wellbeing for Sefton said: “I am very pleased to see the launch of the ‘Kind to Your Mind’ campaign and the resources it makes available for local people at this difficult time when they are having to stay home or self-isolating or are busy carrying out vital roles helping the most vulnerable in our community.”
Margaret Jones, the interim director of public health for Sefton said: “Key workers and members of the public are likely to feel stress or anxiety at this difficult time as we make major changes to how we live and work.
“It is more important than ever that we look after our mental wellbeing and encourage others to do the same.
“This will help us during the pandemic and aid our recovery.”
Fiona Taylor, chief officer for NHS South Sefton and NHS Southport and Formby Clinical Commissioning Groups, added: “The Kind to Your Mind campaign highlights the importance of mental wellbeing, something that is needed now more than ever.
“While there has been a large focus on the physical effects of both coronavirus itself and the government guidelines around it, we can’t forget the toll it takes on our mental wellbeing.
“This campaign provides all our people in Sefton with support and information to help them look after their mental wellbeing.”
And Sheena Cumiskey, chief executive of Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Lead for Mental Health in Cheshire and Merseyside said: “Taking care of your mind as well as your body is crucial.
“Complementing the launch of this wellbeing campaign are new telephone helplines for urgent mental health support, which will be available in each area of Cheshire and Merseyside.
“The helplines will operate 24/7 to enable people to receive appropriate and timely support.”
For more information, visit www. kindtoyourmind.org.uk
THE coronavirus pandemic has made us all pull together through the toughest of times.
From supermarket workers to delivery drivers, carers and members of the police force, everyone has been doing their bit to keep the country going.
But those who have the most dangerous job of all are people on the frontline in the NHS.
As Covid-19 continues to infect thousands of people across the UK, healthcare workers have been working tirelessly to keep all of us safe.
And we have been showing our appreciation, from participating in the weekly ‘NHS clap’ to local businesses donating food and other amenities to doctors and nurses on duty.
However, one retail chain in the UK has gone a step further.
James Hall & Co. Ltd., SPAR wholesaler for the north of England, has donated a huge £250,000 to transform facilities at Royal Preston Hospital into a state-of-the-art area at for staff to relax and rewind.
The scheme includes refurbished male and female showers, changing rooms, and lockers. There will even be sleep “PODS” for staff to catch up on some much-needed rest. The sleep stations will be ideal for workers who are finishing a long shift and are too tired to drive home safely as well.
Other facilities include an indoor relaxation area complete with sofas, yoga mats, tea and coffee making facilities, and a refurbished breastfeeding room.
There will also be an outdoor patio area with table and chairs so that staff can get fresh air and enjoy glimpses of the sunny weather on their breaks. Benefits will include a yoga area Commenting on the new scheme on behalf of the Hall family, Andrew Hall said: “As a longstanding local business, we wanted to make a donation which would have a positive impact on NHS staff morale and provide a legacy for the community which would reach far beyond COVID-19.”
Karen Partington, chief executive at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The overall goal of the charitable donation is to ensure the ongoing wellbeing of the hospital’s staff and to assist them in their fight against Covid-19.
“It is hoped that the investment will also encourage the recruitment and retention of the NHS workforce, which is now more vital than ever.
“We are extremely grateful that our generous donor, James Hall and Company, has agreed to back this particular project which is important to us as it was the brainchild of one of our own clinicians.
“We know that high quality facilities like these will make a huge difference to staff and help improve their physical and mental well-being, which in turn helps them to provide the best possible patient care.”
Paula Wilson, head of charities and fundraising for Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, added: “This extremely generous gesture will have a huge impact on staff morale, at what is an exceptionally challenging time.
“Being able to offer staff on-site accommodation is a real lifesaver for those who spend their working lives saving others, and we are absolutely thrilled that we can now transform this fabulous idea into reality.”
James Hall & Co. serves more than 600 SPAR stores, including a network of independent SPAR retailers and 150 company-owned SPAR stores.
To find out more about the company’s charitable projects, go to: www.jameshall.co.uk/latest-news/