Mental health awareness throughout the UK is becoming more and more prominent, evidenced by the success of this year’s mental health awareness week. Hosted by the Mental Health Foundation, this year’s theme surrounded body image and how people feel about their bodies. This is a huge issue when it comes to mental health, with things such as body dysmorphia leading to severe eating disorders and worse – and can affect all of us at any age.
Northern Healthcare provides UK-based, bespoke, forward-thinking supported-living tenancies which provide personalised recovery-focused mental health programmes with 24-hour clinical support. Established in 2013 with our first facility in Cumbria, Northern Healthcare have since opened 8 sites throughout the country, with many more in planning stages. Within each facility, we ensure that all our residents are aware of the different effects of mental health, and what we can do to help and rehabilitate ourselves and others around us. So, being proud supporters of mental health awareness, we obviously got up to many activities throughout mental health awareness week!
The first service to go ahead with their awareness activities was Glen Garth House, located in Barrow-in-Furness. A home of 17, this traditional Edwardian architecture creates a calming environment for all who reside here. A trip to the local Buddhist temple was the first activity on the week’s agenda, where residents were taught about meditation, and enjoyed their own personal meditation session – followed by readings of motivational poetry and the art group painting their own ‘positivity pebbles’. Their week was finished with ‘farm animal Friday’, where lambs and rabbits were brought into Glen Garth House and were used in a session of animal therapy.
The next to join in with the awareness was our Montgomery House, which is located in Radcliffe, Bury. During the week, residents planted their own flowers and vegetables, inspired by similar activities which took place at Hyde Park during the recent Stress Awareness Month. The residents here also assisted with creating their own mental health awareness notice board, where they printed off relevant images and quotes and arranged them for everyone to see.
Like Montgomery House, Helena’s House residents also made use of displays to promote awareness. Helena’s House is located in Merseyside and supports up to 25 residents. Here, the residents were asked to describe the methods they use when looking after their own mental health, as well as those around them. Once discussed, these were written down and added to their board, creating a personal motivational display and educating everyone on new support ideas. Well done guys!
For more information on how Northern Healthcare supported mental health awareness during the week, or if you would like to make an enquiry about finding a placement for somebody click here, or call us on 01619747210.
