BIG TOUR TRUCK COMING TO BRIGG MARKET PLACE

Throughout Mental Health Awareness Week, 12 to 18 May, North Lincolnshire Council will be supporting the national campaign by touring the district to raise awareness of mental health - focusing on this year’s theme, Anxiety.

The council’s big tour truck will be visiting a number of locations during the week to provide information on anxiety – how to prevent it, manage it and where you can get help.

There will also be the opportunity for people to have their health checked and find out information on keeping fit and healthy. The health and sports development teams will be on-hand to offer advice and support.

The tour truck will visit:

• Glanford Park football ground car park, Scunthorpe, on Monday 12 May from 11am to 3pm
• Tata Steel on Tuesday 13 May -  noon to 2pm
• Brigg Market Place on Thursday 14 May - 11am to 2.30pm
• Ropewalkd in Barton on Friday 15 May - 11am to 3pm  

The council says your mental health and how you feel affects every part of your life, including your family, relationships, physical health and work and leisure time. Therefore it is important that people are made aware of all the things you can do to improve your mental health and emotional wellbeing.

Keeping fit and healthy can help improve your mental health. There are a range of activities and sessions that you can get involved in to keep active, including:

• Sky Ride bike rides – local bike rides across North Lincolnshire starting on 18 May. Everyone can take part, no matter what your ability is.
• Parkrun – a weekly five kilometre run that takes place in Central Park, Scunthorpe, every Saturday at 9am.
• Active Ageing – aims to get older people and adults with a disability more active more often. It can offer your community a range of services to help improve active recreation opportunities in your local area.
• Back2Sport – innovative project that delivers accessible sport and physical activity opportunities across North Lincolnshire, in the heart of communities.

To find out more about these activities, visit the leisure pages on the council’s website: www.northlincs.gov.uk/leisure/sports-play-and-community-development/community-sports-adults-16/.

Other ways of improving your mental health include:

• Asking for help
• Eating healthily
• Socialising with friends and family
• Learning new skills
• Talking to people about it

There is a lot of support and help available, for more details visit: www.northlincs.gov.uk/people-health-and-care/health-and-healthy-lifestyle/improving-mental-health/.

Latest figures from the Mental Health Foundation* show that:

• One in four people will experience a mental health problem at some point in their lives.
• Around one in 10 children experience mental health problems.
• Depression affects around one in 12 of the whole population.
• 450m people worldwide have a mental health problem.

For more information about Mental Health Awareness Week or if you would like to download a support kit visit http://mentalhealth.org.uk/our-work/mentalhealthawarenessweek/get-involved/?view=Standard.


Frances Cunning, Director of Public Health, said: “We are joining in the national Mental Health Awareness Week campaign here in North Lincolnshire to try and make a difference. Mental health is something many people don’t want to talk about as there is often a stigma attached to it. But the reality is, mental health is a common illness and affects thousands of people across the country.

“Through this campaign we want to raise awareness of mental health and increase peoples’ understanding of it. This year it is focusing on anxiety and we will speak to people about how to prevent and manage anxiety, as well as signposting people to advice services. If you have any questions about mental health or want to know more go along to one of the sessions.”

North Lincolnshire Council will be taking the Time to Change pledge. Time to Change is an organisation lead by mental health charities Mind and Rethink mental illness. The pledge is a public statement that the organisation wants to tackle mental health stigma and discrimination. Taking the pledge is part of the work the council is doing to promote a mentally healthy workplace.

* Mental Health Foundation. 2014. Stigma and Discrimination. Available at: www.mentalhealth.org.uk/help-information/mental-health-a-z/S/stigma-discrimination/.