Mindful Bodies project puts mental wellbeing at the centre of community

Radius Housing provides 12-week health & wellbeing programme in Woodvale & Shankill area

Release - 13 February 2022

21 Radius Housing tenants and members of the Woodvale and Greater Shankill community have completed a 12-week health and wellbeing programme, which aimed to support mental health and emotional needs. The Mindful Bodies programme was celebrated in a virtual event this week, which commended participants for their achievements, as well as presenting them with wellbeing packs and Safetalk certificates.

The aim of the Mindful Bodies programme was to provide individuals with the awareness, skills and knowledge to take control of their own health and better manage mental health & emotional wellness, as well as providing training on suicide awareness. The programme was funded by the Public Health Agency through the Clear Project and has helped to equip local people with skills and strategies to cope with the daily stresses of life and manage their wellbeing to improve their quality of life.

Over the 12 weeks, participants attended awareness workshops on the benefits of alternative therapies, mindfulness & healthy & unhealthy ways of coping including drug and alcohol use/misuse. The workshops were attended by Act and Twaddle Women’s Group and women from the wider community across Woodvale and Shankill areas and supported by Julie Davison, Women’s Coordinator for Act Initiative. Facilitators included Extern Connections Belfast Drug and Alcohol Coordination Team (BDACT) and The Centre of Health & Wellbeing, as well as delivery of Safetalk Suicide Awareness Training through Lifeworks. The workshops helped participants to enhance their capacity in emotional resilience, manage their wellbeing and provide them with the tools and awareness to signpost others to relevant services.

Radius Housing is a leading social housing provider, managing more than 13,000 homes in 80 towns across Northern Ireland, as well as providing a range of care and support services to thousands.

Speaking about the programme, Sharon Traynor, Communities Officer at Radius Housing said “Mental wellbeing is one of the most difficult issues people face at the moment, and we see how it can impact on individuals and their families on a daily basis. The Mindful Bodies project has helped local people learn techniques that can help them cope with stress and mental health issues, as well as looking at addiction and suicide. It has helped local people improve their quality of life, and also support those around them, which will have positive transformative impact on the entire local community.”

“At Radius we want to help build strong communities and we are delighted to be involved in programmes like these that keep people informed and allow them to take a healthy approach to their wellbeing.”

Clare Flynn, Advanced Health Development Practitioner (Mental Health) BHSCT, added “Supporting people to understand their mental health and take positive steps to promote their own well-being is a vital part of our efforts to address the issue of mental health in our communities. While services and therapies have an important role to play in addressing poor mental health, giving people the skills to improve their own well-being can make all the difference in helping them recover and stay well.”

ENDS

Further information:

Brendan Scott

MW Advocate

07834422923

brendan.scott@mwadvocate.com