Nottinghamshire mental health charity receive funding for sports scheme

Mental health charity Mind has received funding to help people across Nottinghamshire try new sports and activities, in a bid to improve their mental and physical health.
Nottinghamshire mental health charity receive funding for sports schemeNottinghamshire mental health charity receive funding for sports scheme
Nottinghamshire mental health charity receive funding for sports scheme

The central Notts Mind network, based on John Street, Mansfield, will support people experiencing mental health problems build their confidence to join sports clubs, go to the gym or take up a new sport such as pilates, football, walking, cycling, jogging or swimming.

The funding, from Sports England and National Lottery will be used to continue the 'Get Set to Go' programme.

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People who took part in an earlier pilot phase of the Get Set to Go programme said that it helped them feel more resilient and better able to cope with challenging life events.

A spokesman for Mind said: “We know that physical activity can play a vital role in the lives of people with mental health problems, reducing the risk of depression by up to 30 percent. "Unfortunately we also know that many people who do want to participate in sport are being held back by their mental health, whether that’s feelings of low self-confidence, exhaustion or fear of crowded spaces."

The charity now hopes that people across Bassetlaw, Mansfield, Ashfield, Newark and Sherwood will benefit from this new phase of Get Set to Go.

The Get Set to Go programme, launched in 2015, and has helped more than 3,500 people with mental health problems so far.

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In this new phase of the programme, the charity aims to support over 120,000 people with mental health problems across the country to be more active through its work in communities and partners in the sport sector.

The Mind spokesman added: “The findings of the first phase of the Get Set to Go programme shows us that it works as a model, improving participants’ resilience and building their support networks.

"We are therefore delighted to have received funding from Sport England and the National Lottery to build on this and support even more people with mental health problems to become more physically active.”

A spokesman for Sport England said: “We are delighted to partner with Mind and invest National Lottery funding to enable Minds in communities across the country to bring the benefits of sport and activity to people with mental health problems.

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"We urge everyone working in the sport and physical activity sector to learn from Get Set to Go and make their own services more accessible, supportive and welcoming to all.”

Mind will now work with partners such as Notts FA, Everyone Health, District Council and local leisure centers to deliver community sessions and to create a more inclusive and welcoming environment within local sport and leisure facilities.

As part of this work, they will be offering free mental health awareness for sport and physical activity training to sport sector staff.

They will train peer volunteers, who understand how mental health problems can be a barrier to getting more active, to support participants to attend Get Set to Go sessions and try out different activities in their community.

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Mind will be running a number of taster sessions over the coming months where you can try out different activities and see what suits you.

Mind are also planning on running a series of 12-week programmes, so if you’re interested in taking part then contact Dale Jubbie on 07843 597877 or [email protected]