Community peer support groups nationwide will be helping Britain get moving for their mental health this weekend as part of the nationwide Big Walk, including a walk on Southampton Common.
Joining up with dozens of walks across the UK, MHM Southampton will be heading out at 11am on Saturday, September 23, morning to remind all of those in the local community of the power of movement and connection, to help us feel better.
Mental Health Mates is a UK-wide peer support network offering free-of-charge, community-based walks that allow people to meet and speak without fear of judgement.
With the cost-of-living crisis exacerbating people’s feelings of anxiety and isolation, Mental Health Mates is hoping that this Big Walk will help remind everybody, everywhere of the power of movement in helping how we feel.
Founder Bryony Gordon will be leading a walk from London’s Hyde Park at 11am on Saturday and virtually ‘meeting up’ with Mental Health Mates volunteer-led walks across the country throughout the morning, to celebrate the community that has been created since its inception in 2016.
In 2016, Mental Health Mates founder Bryony Gordon found herself struggling with her mental health. Unsure of where to turn, she took to Twitter to ask if anyone fancied joining her for a walk, to see if getting outdoors and connecting would help with how she and others were feeling. One cold, February morning, 20 people joined Bryony for a stroll around London’s Hyde Park, reaping the benefits of moving for their mental health and connecting in a space free of judgement.
Fast forward seven years, and regular community-based, volunteer-led, walks happen in over 150 locations across the UK helping people take their first steps to feeling better. Led by regional volunteers, these walks provide an important opportunity to connect with others and take preventative measures to improve mental wellbeing. It is well known that walking can boost emotional wellbeing and ease chronic mental health conditions like anxiety and depression. In addition to overall health benefits, walking increases blood circulation to the brain which lifts the mood and can calm nerves by decreasing the stress response. Walking with others is widely recognised to further build on these benefits by providing positive social interactions that can stave off loneliness, boost self-esteem and improve negative mood.
Mental Health Mates hope that this weekend’s big walk will inspire people everywhere to either join a walk, join the Mental Health Mates volunteering community, or simply don their trainers and head out for some much-needed fresh air.
Meet in the car park of the Cowherds Pub at 11am for a walk around Southampton Common, to set off at the same time as hundreds of other walks across the country. Attendees are asked to register their interest via the event page on Facebook or by emailing : mhmsouthampton@gmail.com.
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