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Looking after your mental health and wellbeing during the covid-19 pandemic

    Mental health awareness week - Connecting with Nature competition

Did you know that bringing nature into your everyday life can really make a difference to your mental health?

That’s why, as part of mental health awareness week (10-16th May 2021) Wokingham Council is hosting a ‘connecting with nature’ competition.

Entering the competition is simple:

You just need to be a resident of Wokingham, and you need to submit one of the following creative pieces:

  • Either a drawing (this can be a sketch, painting or drawing) of anything in nature
  • Or a short poem about your experiences in nature.

Use this creative exercise to recognise and grow your connection with nature; reflecting on how it has supported your mental health. This could be as simple as tending to a house plant, listening to or watching birds through a window, smelling flowers or spending time in your favourite nature spot.

The competition will be split into the following categories:

  • Age 4 – 11
  • Age 12- 16
  • 17+ - Adult

The closing date for the competition is 4th June 2021.

Winning entries will be printed and displayed at Dinton Pastures and posted onto Wokingham Borough Council’s Social Media Platforms.

Please send your artwork or poem to public.health@wokingham.gov.uk or post to Nicola Owens, Public Health Team, Wokingham Borough Council, Shute End, Wokingham RG40 1BN. Giving your name, age and contact e-mail address or telephone number.

Terms and conditions

  • The competition is open to residents of Wokingham Borough.
  • The closing date is midnight on Friday 4th June 2021.
  • Please send your artwork or poem to public.health@wokingham.gov.uk or post to Nicola Owens, Public Health Team, Wokingham Borough Council, Shute End, Wokingham RG40 1BN. Giving your name, age and contact e-mail address or telephone number.
  • The winning design will be printed and displayed at Dinton Pastures.
  • By entering this competition, you agree to your or your child’s design being displayed at Dinton Pastures and shared on Wokingham Borough Council’s social media and other platforms.

    Looking after your mental health

NHS websites

The NHS Every Mind matters website has advice and practical tips to help you look after your mental health and wellbeing:

  • Advice for staying at home
  • Worried about coronavirus

The NHS UK website has mental wellbeing audio guides to help you through feelings such as anxiety or a low mood.

Visit the Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust website for information and advice on how you can manage your stress and mental well being during this difficult time.

Helpful websites

Useful websites offering advice and comfort to support your good mental health:

Further information can be found on our coping during coronavirus web page.

The importance of nature and mental health

Did you know that bringing nature into your daily life can really make a difference to your mental health?

Read the thriving with nature booklet for suggestions of seasonal activities to help you engage with nature. Each activity will have different components that research suggests can be helpful for supporting your wellbeing (such as staying active, connecting with others, or spending time in green spaces). If any of these activities feel like a stretch for you right now, try and notice little bits of nature around you that you may not have noticed before – a houseplant, a painting of scenery or flowers, anything that lifts your mood!

The original publication and the full version of the guide can be found by visiting the Mental Health Foundation website.

    Stay active - Signposts to on-line exercise resources and exercise apps

Please seek medical advice if you have existing health conditions or Covid-19 symptoms

NHS UK website:

Stay active at home

The following websites have ideas for staying active at home:

Getting out to a group or activity

Find a local activities or social group

Further information can be found on our coping during coronavirus web page.

    Sign posts to apps and podcasts

Apps

Headspace (App)

An app which guides you through meditation.

Calm (App)

An app which provides guided meditation and helps with sleep.

Sleepio (App)

An online sleep improvement programme.  

Free for all NHS patients living and working in Berkshire.

Podcasts apps

    Helplines for those who are struggling with isolation

Silver line helpline

Provides information, friendship and advice for older people.

Samaritans of Wokingham, Bracknell, Ascot and Districts 

Offers a safe place to talk any time day or night for anyone who is emotionally distressed.

  • Phone: 116 123 or 0300 094 5717
  • Website

Rethink Mental Illness advice line

Offers advice and information on a wide range of topics.

Phone: 0300 5000 927

Email: info@rethink.org

Website: Rethink Mental Illness advice line

MIND

Offers an advice, information and signpost service.

Phone: 0300 123 3393

Website: Mind

SANEline

Provides emotional support, guidance and information to anyone affected by mental illness, including families, friends and carers.

Email: support@sane.org.uk

Website: SANEline

Online help:

Elefriends

Elefriends website is a supportive online community run by Mind where you can be yourself.

Joy

Joy is a web tool helping to connect vulnerable residents (including those with mental illness) with quality care.

    Please give me space’ social distancing cards or badges

If you have concerns about social distancing you can go to the UK Government website and download a badge or card that lets others around you know that they need to pay attention and give you space.

    Helpful resources for people with additional needs

Visit our useful information and resources web pages for local and national services who are providing support for people with learning disabilities and their carers during the coronavirus pandemic.

    Urgent mental health support

If someone is having thoughts of suicide, thinking of harming themselves or are harming themselves go to the urgent support page on the Every Mind Matters website for contact details of organisations who can help. 

The Rethink Mental Illness website has information and advice on getting help in a crisis and supporting someone with mental illness.

    Mental Health Services in Wokingham

Samaritans of Wokingham, Bracknell, Ascot and Districts

Registered charity of dedicated volunteers who work tirelessly to support the Samaritans mission to offer a safe place to talk any time day or night for anyone who is emotionally distressed.

Anyone who is feeling troubled can call into our branch during our opening hours or contact us.

Phone: 116 123 or 0300 094 5717

Website:  Samaritans Bracknell branch 

 

Cranstoun Wokingham

Registered charity providing practical help and mental health support for residents who are struggling with drug and alcohol use.

This service provides.

  • One-to-one support for issues you are facing with drugs and alcohol
  • Educational, interactive and fun group activities
  • Counselling
  • A young persons service
  • Substitute prescribing for opiate addiction                                  
  • A needle exchange for safer drug use

Website: Cranstoun Wokingham

Email: wokinghamreferrals@cranstoun.org.uk 

NHS Talking Therapies

This NHS service offers help and support to people in Berkshire suffering with depression or anxiety based problems. The team is made up of Therapists, Counsellors and an administrative support team.

Website: Talking therapies

Email: talkingtherapies@berkshire.nhs.uk

Phone: 0300 365 2000

 

Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)

This service works with young people who are experiencing significant, severe and complex difficulties with their mental health. These difficulties range from feeling low a lot of the time and worrying about lots of things to finding and fitting in with friends, hearing voices, having significant difficulties around eating, self-harming and even considering killing themselves.

Website: CAMHS

Email: ourservice@berkshire.nhs.uk 

For referral, call: 0300 365 1234

Wokingham Community Mental Health Team

This service is for adults with severe and enduring mental health needs.

All referrals come to us from one place; the Common Point of Entry (CPE) - Tel No 0300 365 0300. After an initial screening assessment CPE will direct you to the most appropriate service to meet your needs, one of which may be the Wokingham Adults Community Mental Health Team (CMHT) 

The team is made up of psychiatrists, community psychiatric nurses, clinical psychologists, medical staff, social care practitioners, therapists and support workers.  

Email: CMHT@wokingham.gov.uk

Phone: 0300 365 0300

Mental Wellbeing - Sport and Physical Activities

This is a free service provided by Wokingham Borough Council in collaboration with Sport in Mind.

This service is designed to promote and encourage positive mental wellbeing using sport and exercise as a tool.

How to join in with the sessions:

  • GP referral to the sessions
  • Self-referral
  • Referral through a carer/care home
  • Referral through a charity
  • Volunteer to help

Website: Mental health and wellbeing schemes

Email: sport@wokingham.gov.uk

Phone: 0118 974 3728


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Wokingham Services Directory Disclaimer

The Service Directory includes information and links to third party internet websites which are controlled and maintained by others, information is provided solely for guidance and does not constitute any endorsement. Wokingham Borough Council is not responsible for the accuracy of the information on the directories and information is not provided as a recommendation of suitability or quality of service.