Mental Health Awareness Week – 10-16 May 2021
This week marks the launch of Mental Health Awareness Week, the UK’s national week to raise awareness of mental health. The week hosted by the Mental Health Foundation, is in its 21st year, and runs from 10-16 May 2021.
Mental Health Awareness Week 2021
This year’s theme is ‘Nature’ and, across the country, people will be celebrating the mental health benefits of being around nature in their local community in a range of digital and creative ways. You can find out more about how you can build your own connection with nature on the Mental Health Foundation webpages here.
There’s a lot of good research to support the role nature can play in protecting and supporting our mental health.
Our countryside has been a lifeline for people right across Shropshire during the coronavirus pandemic, offering a safe, clean space to get some fresh air and exercise.
If you can, try to spend time visiting natural places – green spaces like parks, gardens or forests – or blue spaces like the beach, rivers and wetlands. This can help you reduce your risk of mental health problems, lift your mood and help you feel better about things. If it feels daunting to get outside, try going with a friend or relative, or picking somewhere familiar.
Shropshire has many special landscapes including the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Stiperstones and Corndon Hill Country crossing the border in the south west of the county and the internationally important Meres and Mosses in the north. The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal World Heritage Site also includes part of Shropshire around Chirk in the north.
There are also many promoted routes for walking, cycling and riding across the county, from The Shropshire Way to Walking with Offa.
You can find out more about Shropshire’s Great Outdoors including activities you can take part in, in our Shropshire Great Outdoors website. Do keep following the current Government guidelines, when you are out and about.
There are so many simple things we can all do to look after our mental wellbeing.
Every Mind Matters
Why not take the short Mind Plan Quiz from Every Mind Matters to get a free NHS plan, full of tailored tips and advice to help you manage stress, sleep better and boost your mood.
We also have a huge range of resources on our Mental Health webpages for both adults, children and young people, including:
- Looking after your mental health and wellbeing during coronavirus (COVID-19) booklet – a new resource contains a variety of information such as local immediate support and online resources for managing wellbeing during the Coronavirus pandemic.
- TogetherAll – a free-to-access online community for Shropshire residents – TogetherAllis an online community for any Shropshire resident aged 16 and above for people who are stressed, anxious or feeling low. The service has an active forum with round-the-clock support from trained professionals. You can talk anonymously and confidentially to other members.
- Local mental health and wellbeing support directory – a directory of local services to support your mental health and wellbeing.
- New – Sources of local mental health and wellbeing support booklet – This new resource contains lots of useful local and national contacts to support mental health and wellbeing including; Supported employment, support for people with health and social care needs, support for sexual abuse, support for family and unpaid carers and support for children and young people.
- Bereavement Support – A new service has been launched to support Shropshire residents who are experiencing and suffering from bereavement and loss during the coronavirus pandemic. The offer is open to anyone who has been bereaved by either a recent death or previous loss. The Bereavement Support Service is operated by Shropshire Council and community voluntary partners Samaritans, CRUSE, and Severn Hospice and CRANE counselling. If you or someone you know could benefit from this service, please call 0345 678 9028 for further information and access.
- Pick up the phone, you are not alone – Advice and contact information for immediate confidential and local supportif you are worried about suicidal thoughts in either yourself or someone else:
- Mental health and wellbeing – young people’s page – This webpageis for young people, and has information about where to access help and support in Shropshire.
Rachel Robinson, Shropshire Council’s director of public health, said:-
“The past year has been hard on everyone and has had a significant impact on many people’s health and wellbeing. Lockdown restrictions starting to ease will allow us to get back to the people and things we love, but some may be feeling worried about going ‘back to normal’ and how to manage these changes.
“Mental Health Awareness Week is a great time to start taking care of your mental wellbeing, especially during this period of uncertainty. This year’s theme is ‘Nature’ and during the time when so much was closed, our country parks, heritage sites and public rights of way remained open, offering many of us, a lifeline and a place to exercise, recharge and support our mental health and wellbeing.”
You can discover sites and walks across the county by visiting the Shropshire’s Great Outdoors website.
We also have host of information, advice and support on our mental health webpages and there is a wealth of advice and great tips on the Better Health every mind matters and Mental Health Week Awareness websites too.
For more information about this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week visit https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/mental-health-awareness-week or join the conversation on social media using #ConnectWithNature and #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek
Further information
Come and enjoy everything that Shropshire’s Great Outdoors has to offer
Discover the fantastic countryside, exceptional views and wonderful wildlife. Explore our Country Parks, heritage sites and play areas or get active on over 5,600 km’s of Public Rights of Way (that’s the same distance as Shrewsbury to New York… on your doorstep!).
Shropshire has many special landscapes including the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Stiperstones and Corndon Hill Country crossing the border in the south west of the county and the internationally important Meres and Mosses in the north. The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal World Heritage Site also includes part of Shropshire around Chirk in the north.
On this website you will find lots of promoted routes for walking, cycling and riding across the county, from The Shropshire Way to Walking with Offa. Plus there are details of other fantastic activities you can do in the great outdoors, from archery to paragliding!
If you are looking for inspiration about where to go or what to do, the Top Experiences pages suggest a wide range of activities for all ages that highlight the incredible wildlife and history of Shropshire… or might just be fun!
Wherever you go and whatever you decide to do, we hope you enjoy Shropshire ‘s Great Outdoors!
