World Mental Health Day – “Be kind to your mind ”
Healthy Minds Program app – Change Your Mind Today
Lift someone out of Loneliness
Feeling lonely is something that all of us can experience at any point and it can have a huge impact on our wellbeing. It’s important to remember that these feelings can pass and that there are lots of ways we can help each other too.
By carrying out small acts of kindness to help someone who may be feeling lonely, knowing that this is likely to help them feel less lonely too. Fancy a cuppa? Fancy a walk? Sometimes reaching out to each other with as little as three words can make a big difference.
For more information have a look at the Every Mind Matters loneliness webpage.
Anti-Bullying Week 15th -19th November
Kindness is more important today than it has ever been. The isolation of the last year has underlined how little acts of consideration can break down barriers and brighten the lives of the people around us. This is one of the reasons, that ‘One Kind Word’ has been chosen as the theme of Anti-Bullying Week taking place from 15 to 19 of November 2021.
Quit smoking this Stoptober
1-31st October 2021
Stopping smoking is one of the best things you’ll ever do for your health.
When you stop, you give your lungs the chance to repair and you’ll be able to breathe easier. There are lots of other benefits too – and they start almost immediately.
It’s never too late to quit, so join in this Stoptober. Let’s do this!
Stopping smoking is one of the best things you’ll ever do for your health.
When you stop, you give your lungs the chance to repair and you’ll be able to breathe easier. There are lots of other benefits too – and they start almost immediately.
It’s never too late to quit, so join in this Stoptober. Let’s do this!
For more information follow the link www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking
Sarcoma Awareness Month – July 2021
Phoebe, pictured below, was diagnosed in November 2020 with osteosarcoma, at just 12 years old. Bone Cancer Research Trust are keen to raise awareness about sarcoma, and this July, Phoebe will front their 2021 #SarcomaAwareness month campaign. You can read more about her story here. The CCG will be promoting this campaign throughout July to raise awareness of primary bone cancer.
Breastfeeding Celebration Week
21st June-27th June 2021
Follow the link to find out more information http://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/
Cervical Screening Awareness Week
14-21st June 2021
Bowel Cancer Awareness Month
April 2021
Have a look at the following video for more information on how to do a test.
No Smoking Day 2021
10th March 2021
No Smoking Day 2021
It might not feel like a good time to quit smoking – but it is. Last year, during lockdown, one million people quit. New research confirms that now those ex-smokers will now be feeling happier and more positive than if they were still smoking.
We don’t often talk about the benefits of quitting to mental health, but just as it improves your physical health, stopping smoking also improves your sense of wellbeing. Withdrawal can be tough, but with help, smokers can come out the other side feeling happier, healthier and wealthier too.
Catch up with our No Smoking Day 2021 webinar below:
Children’s Mental Health Week – Express Yourself
1-7th February 2021
Expressing yourself is about finding ways to share feelings, thoughts, or ideas, through creativity. This could be through art, music, writing and poetry, dance and drama, photography and film, and doing activities that make you feel good.
It’s important to remember that being able to express yourself is not about being the best at something or putting on a performance for others. It is about finding a way to show who you are, and how you see the world, that can help you feel good about yourself.
For Children’s Mental Health Week 2021 we will be encouraging children (and adults) to explore the different ways we can express ourselves, and the creative ways that we can share our feelings, our thoughts and our ideas.
Around three children in every primary school class has a mental health problem, and many more struggle with challenges from bullying to bereavement. Whether you’re someone who works with children, a parent or carer, passionate about spreading the word, or keen to raise vital funds for Place2Be, you can help us reach as many people as possible.
Covid 19 Vaccine – Important Information
Following extensive trials, the first safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine has been approved in the UK and is now available to priority groups.
Vaccinations are being delivered according to priority groups identified by the Joint Committee of Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The vaccinations may not take place at your GP practice, but rather a local vaccination service (led by GPs, practice nurses and community pharmacists) who are responsible for delivering the vaccine to people in your community.
When it is the right time for you to receive your vaccination, you will receive an invitation to come forward. This may be via the phone, or through a letter either from your GP or the national booking system.
We know lots of people will be eager to get protected but we are asking people not to contact us to get an appointment as you will not be able to get one until you are contacted.
Public Health England (PHE) has created a number of leaflets for patients which can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/covid-19-vaccination-programme
A recent national survey of children and young people showed that one in ten 11 to 22 year olds reported often or always feeling lonely.
New to our schools programme, NHS approved Every Mind Matters Building connections resources aim to encourage young people in Year 6, KS3 and KS4 to discuss loneliness and provide them with self-care techniques they can use when they’re feeling lonely.
To support teachers on mental health, the Every Mind Matters tool is available on the School Zone to provide support on simple, practical advice for a healthier mind.
Alcohol Awareness Week 2020
16-22 November 2020
We’re taking part in #AlcoholAwarenessWeek which is all about the link between alcohol and mental health. It’s all too easy for our drinking to creep up, particularly at times like this.
Find ways to drink more healthily and look after your mental health: https://alcoholchange.org.uk/get-involved/campaigns/alcohol-awareness-week-1
When things get tough, alcohol is often the first thing we turn to try to handle stress, anxiety and depression. But over time drinking in this way can leave us feeling worse.
Find out why: https://alcoholchange.org.uk/alcohol-facts/fact-sheets/alcohol-and-mental-health
Mental Health and Suicide Prevention – Movember
November 2020
“What’s happening now is impacting us all in different ways. Sometimes it’s hard to know what to do, where to start or what to say. As we push through this together, we hope we can empower people to connect with others who are struggling and find the help they need now.
Going it alone this fireworks night?
November 5th
Celebrations without the risk
- Bring back some of the foodie delights from your childhood – toffee apples, honeycomb, Parkin cake to name but a few. You could dip breadsticks in melted chocolate and sprinkles for your own edible fireworks. Get the BBQ out for hot dogs and marshmallows, rinsed down with hot chocolate. And don’t forget the jacket potatoes in tin foil!
- Why not go old school with apple bobbing. One of the oldest Bonfire Night traditions and it couldn’t be simpler to do. Just fill a basin with water and throw in some apples. Then grab an apple out with just your teeth (spoiler alert: leave the stalks on to make it a bit easier for the littlies). Get the kids to ask grandparents what games they used to play and bring them back to life with your family.
- Put the Guy back into Guy Fawkes Night – you might not be burning him on a massive bonfire, but you can have fun with the kids making your own Guy with old clothes and stuffing him with paper. Tell them the Guy Fawkes story as you stuff!
- Get creative with the littlies – splashes of paint on black paper make a beautiful fireworks display. Or paint toilet roll tubes and use orange or yellow tissue paper for the rocket.
- If sparklers are part of your staple, it’s best to wear gloves and have a bucket of water handy for spent sparklers, so no-one is tempted to pick up a used one. Children under five are too young to handle sparklers themselves.
- When everyone gets too cold or too tired, cuddle up on the sofa, turn off the lights and watch fireworks displays on TV – you can find loads on YouTube.
- Find out more:https://www.capt.org.uk/news/pandemic-fireworks
Principle – COVID-19 Trials
COVID-19 has affected the lives of everybody within the UK and the rest of the world. Finding safe and effective treatments has been the drive of researchers at the University of Oxford and right now, you have an opportunity to help. PRINCIPLE is a national priority trial to find treatments for COVID-19. We are looking for volunteers aged 65 or over, OR aged between 50 and 64 with an underlying health condition.
To be eligible to take part, you must be unwell with Covid-19 symptoms, and have had them for less than 14 days. No face to face visits are needed.
Please help us fight COVID-19 by visiting our website www.principletrial.org
Quit smoking this Stoptober
1-31st October 2020
Stopping smoking is one of the best things you’ll ever do for your health.
When you stop, you give your lungs the chance to repair and you’ll be able to breathe easier. There are lots of other benefits too – and they start almost immediately.
It’s never too late to quit, so join in this Stoptober. Let’s do this!
Stopping smoking is one of the best things you’ll ever do for your health.
When you stop, you give your lungs the chance to repair and you’ll be able to breathe easier. There are lots of other benefits too – and they start almost immediately.
It’s never too late to quit, so join in this Stoptober. Let’s do this!
For more information follow the link www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking
Hypoglycaemia Awareness Week
5th-11th October 2020
Hypos can be common in people living with insulin- or sulfonylurea-treated diabetes.
They are a nuisance at best, but are often unpleasant or frightening to experience and can even be dangerous, if left untreated.
For more information visit hypoawarenessweek.com/
MS Awareness Week
23rd-27th April
Multiple sclerosis, often abbreviated to MS, is a neurological condition that affects the central nervous system (the nerves in the brain and spinal cord). The first signs of multiple sclerosis are different for each person and correspond to the area(s) of their brain and/or spinal cord which have been affected.
There is a wide range of possible symptoms but most people experience only a small number around the time of diagnosis and won’t go on to experience them all. Some of the most common first symptoms are fatigue (a kind of exhaustion which is out of all proportion to the task undertaken), stumbling more than before, unusual feelings in the skin (such as pins and needles or numbness), slowed thinking or problems with eyesight. There are other symptoms of MS but these are less commonly experienced early in the course of the condition.
All of these early symptoms can also be symptoms of other conditions. If you are worried that you may have warning signs of MS, it is important to consult a health professional so that you can get the correct diagnosis.
Bowel Cancer Awareness Month
1-30th April
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK and the second biggest cancer killer. Every year over 41,000 people are diagnosed with the disease. However, it is treatable and curable, especially if diagnosed early.
Bowel cancer screening
If you are aged 60-74 and registered with your GP you will receive an NHS screening test in the post every two years. Screening can detect tiny amounts of blood in poo, which can’t normally be seen. Bowel cancer screening could save your life. For more information call the bowel screening helpline: 0800 707 6060
You are more at risk of getting bowel cancer if you have one or more of the following risk factors:
- Are 50 or over – the risk of bowel cancer increases with age, but it can affect people of any age
- A strong family history of bowel cancer
- A history of non-cancerous growths (polyps) in your bowel
- Longstanding inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis
- Type 2 diabetes
- An unhealthy lifestyle – your diet, drinking alcohol, smoking and not being physically active can all increase your risk
Having risk factors doesn’t mean that you will definitely get bowel cancer. Equally, if you don’t have any risk factors, it doesn’t mean you won’t get bowel cancer.
Symptoms to look out for:
- Bleeding from your bottom and/or blood in your poo
- A change in your bowel habit lasting three weeks or more
- Extreme tiredness for no obvious reason
- A pain or lump in your tummy
- Unexplained weight loss
Most people with these symptoms don’t have bowel cancer. Other health problems can cause similar symptoms. But if you have one or more of these, or if things just don’t feel right, visit your GP.
Find out more at www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk
Nutrition & Hydration Week
12-18th March
https://videopress.com/embed/Wkv45QTi
World Salt Awareness Week
12-18th March
Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH) is a group concerned with salt and its effects on health. The 19th National Salt Awareness Week will take place Monday 12th – Sunday 18th March and this year will be focusing on families!
Many people are aware that eating too much salt is bad for their health, but think that it’s only a cause for concern in our later years. This isn’t true, as eating too much salt during childhood increases blood pressure which then tracks into adulthood and later life, increasing the risk of strokes and heart attacks. That’s why it’s so important to reduce salt intake across all ages.
By doing so we can reduce our risk of heart disease and avoid the unnecessary and extortionate healthcare costs associated with treatment. Over the course of the week CASH will be reminding people about the harmful effects of eating too much salt and highlighting how the salt present in everyday foods can really add up.
In the UK we currently eat more salt than is recommended, and a big part of that is due to the high amounts hidden in the food we buy. That’s why CASH are calling for more action from the food industry and out of home sector to reduce the amount they add, and to provide us with healthier choices lower in salt. They also encourage the public to play their part and make simple changes to their eating and purchasing habits.
Through this collaborative effort CASH hope to improve the nation’s diet, and in doing so save many more lives and millions of pounds in health care costs.
Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
1st – 31st March
Every year 7,300 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The risk of developing ovarian cancer in the course of their lifetime for the general population of women is two per cent. However, some women have an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer. All women should be aware of the risk factors and of the symptoms of ovarian cancer.
Some symptoms of ovarian cancer are particularly significant:
- persistent bloating
- pain in the pelvis or abdomen
- difficulty eating, or feeling full quickly
- needing to wee more urgently or often than usual
For more information please visit https://www.targetovariancancer.org.uk/ovarian-cancer-information-and-support
National Eating Disorders Awareness Week
Saturday 24th February 2018 – Friday 1st March 2018
Eating disorder sufferers face an average wait of three and a half years for specialist treatment. During that time, by far the longest gap came between symptoms first emerging and people recognising these as an eating disorder. Almost as much time went by between this realisation and people taking the step to ask for help from their GP. By raising awareness of the early signs, and showing that sufferers need and deserve help, you can make a real difference.
Dig out your brightest, boldest socks this Eating Disorders Awareness Week and help Beat provide support, tackle barriers to desperately needed treatment, and challenge the stigma. By wearing your socks at your workplace, school, or university and donating to Beat, you play a vital role in ending pain and suffering. It’s that simple.
Visit https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/sock-it-to-eating-di… for more information.