We are all becoming more aware of our mental health and wellbeing. The
increasing recognition of the importance of wellbeing for individuals and for those
around us, has fuelled far more open discussions around mental health.
We need to recognise that everyone has mental, as well as physical health, and
similarly, we can all go through good and bad periods. But how we look after our
mental health often remains unanswered for many.
The New Economics Foundation sets out five actions to improve personal
wellbeing: connect; be active; take notice; learn; and give. By implementing these
steps into our daily lives, we can help to maximise our mental wellbeing. These
values are embedded across Community Leisure Scotland members, which are
local charitable leisure trusts providing sport, leisure and cultural facilities and
services to their local communities.
Of course, even with the best of intentions, implementing these actions into our
daily lives is often easier said than done, particularly when it feels like we don’t
have any ‘me time’ and just getting through the day can be a struggle.
That is why Community Leisure Scotland are proud to be working closely with
SAMH (Scottish Association for Mental Health) and other partners, to develop
Scotland’s first Mental Health Charter for Sport and Physical Activity. The Charter
aims to encourage participation in physical activity and sport as a way to maintain
and improve mental health and wellbeing. It supports organisations at all levels to
talk about mental health and wellbeing and to recognise and be supportive of the
needs of all members of the community, and we are delighted that many of our
members across Scotland have signed up and actively support the mental health
of their local community.
Undoubtedly, having a charter is an exciting development and a positive step,
signalling positive ambition and direction for the future. However, it must go
beyond this, with the aims and ambitions being embedded into organisations
across Scotland to affect real change and slowly begin to tackle some of the
barriers to physical activity. Evidence shows that being physically active is good
for us, but by seeking to understand the barriers and tackle these, we can
collectively create a range of opportunities to support people who may find that
their mental health is a barrier for them. It is incredibly exciting that over 150
organisations have chosen to sign up to the charter, and by doing so, recognise
the role that they can play.
Being physically active is, however, just one part of the jigsaw in improving our
mental wellbeing. Being mentally active, learning and engaging are also powerful
tools in order to maintain good mental health. There is increasing awareness of
the role of other community and cultural assets in contributing to this agenda,
with innovative projects such as Books on Prescription, delivered by Fife Cultural
Trust in partnership with NHS Fife. This project provides easy access to books for
patients and their families, across a range of subjects, with experts on hand to
advise and support. Libraries in many communities have evolved from
traditionally silent reading spaces, into thriving community hubs, with bookbug
sessions, computer classes and even now co-working spaces available.
Whether we choose to be physically active, or to use our local public services,
such as libraries, connecting with others around us in some way is essential.
Loneliness and social isolation are increasingly prevalent in societies across
Scotland, and so Community Leisure Scotland welcome the Scottish Government’s
recently published strategy for a more connected Scotland.
As organisations focused on delivering public services for public benefit,
Community Leisure Scotland members are ideally positioned to support the
Scottish Government’s aims around social isolation and loneliness, and to engage
with their local communities in providing opportunities to improve their physical
and mental wellbeing. There is a great example with High Life Highland’s You Time
programme, offering activities across the Highlands for older people through
leisure, libraries and archive services, and an outreach programme connecting
rural areas.
We all have a responsibility to look after our own wellbeing, but sometimes we
just need a helping hand. Community Leisure Scotland members’ focus is on
delivering quality services, bespoke to the needs of their local communities, with
every pound generated reinvested into delivering and supporting services for
those most in need. There has never been a better time to get to know your local
trust and find out what they have to offer.
This article appeared in The Scotsman. 28th March 2019
