Police off icers paid to go paddleboarding to help combat stress
SCOTLAND’S police officers are being paid to go kayaking and paddleboarding under a new ‘blue health’ plan to boost wellbeing and reduce stress.
Officers from Police Scotland enjoyed a week of ‘peer-supported water sports’ as part of a radical drive to improve mental health and resilience.
Participants said the ‘water-based sporting activity’ – undertaken as part of their duties – boosted their ‘contentment in self’ and helped them cope better with stress.
The force now plans for a pilot project in the Highlands to be rolled out across the country.
The pilot scheme was highlighted in the latest annual report by NHS Highland’s director of public health Dr Tim Allison.
It said: ‘Paddlewell is an innovative pilot to support Police Scotland Highland and Islands Division officers in their journey towards better wellbeing and managing day-to-day stresses and strains through the water-based activities of paddleboarding and kayaking.
‘It is an example of “blue health” which was based on the premise that being in or around water is good for our health and wellbeing.’
The report said the sessions were designed to ‘explore four mental health strategies including mindfulness and peer support’.
‘The sessions supported activities that use the water to support feelings of wellbeing. The activities were coordinated so that candidates had one-to-one time with a peer paddleboarding and then kayaking. There was also time built in for group paddle and focus sessions to discuss the impacts of the activity on their feelings of wellbeing.’
Those who took part reported increased ‘contentment in self’ as well as improved ability to cope with stress, better wellbeing and connection with work and peers.
The report added: ‘It was clear there was a shift in the participants’ feelings of wellbeing and resilience. The most notable change being that participants felt more able to cope with life’s stresses.
‘As a result of the positive feedback it is proposed to extend the pilot next year to more sessions across a wider area.’
Police Scotland said Paddlewell was inspired by the Devon and Cornwall Surfwell Programme, which worked with NHS Highland to link peer-supported water sports with improved mental health and wellbeing.
The force confirmed ‘ten officers were afforded the time to engage in the activity as part of their duty’.
Sessions were taken by on-duty serving officers who were also qualified paddle coaches ‘over the course of a week in July last year’.
The force said the cost of the £500 course was covered by charity Police Care UK.
Divisional Commander for the Highlands and Islands, Chief Superintendent Conrad Trickett, said many officers are exposed to high levels of trauma during their careers and this affects their mental health and resilience.
‘Ultimately I wanted to provide the time and space for officers, who have struggled with their mental health and wellbeing, to explore a unique way of dealing with those challenges,’ he said.