Acts of kindness as BID hosts free events for Mental Health Awareness Week

As the countrywide lockdown continues to impact on the population’s mental wellbeing, Colmore BID has announced a programme of free online events for Mental Health Awareness Week, 18-24 May, 2020.

While tens of thousands of people continue to be affected by the physical symptoms of Coronavirus, the pandemic is also having a significant impact on the population’s psychological wellbeing, with a rise in the number of cases of stress and anxiety reported. Prior to the lockdown, approximately 1 in 4 people in the UK are said to have experienced a mental health problem according to mental health charity, Mind. In England, 1 in 6 people report experiencing a common mental health problem, such as anxiety or depression in any given week. These numbers are set to rise dramatically during the Covid-19 pandemic, putting charities and support groups under continued pressure due to a lack of resources.

To aid in improving the city’s mental health during lockdown, Colmore BID has teamed up with a variety of physical and mental health practitioners to aid participants identify the triggers of anxiety, while providing techniques to help manage them.

The week will feature high intensity interval training (HIIT) and nutrition advice from Urban Training, meditation classes with health and wellbeing centre Jung Shim, a webinar on mindfulness and mental health with Mindspace, yoga with Katy Insley and much more.

Michele Wilby, CEO of Colmore BID, said: “When planning the BIDs working from home policy, the mental wellbeing of our staff was at the forefront of our mind. As human beings, we need interaction with others and in these uncertain times, the inability to pop for a coffee with friends and family can actually be detrimental to a person’s wellbeing.

“We started running weekly online yoga classes in April with resounding success, so decided to put on a week of taster events to help promote better mental health within the community. Should people enjoy the sessions they can then go on to do more in their own time.”

Mental Health Awareness Week is organised by the Mental Health Foundation, which drives change towards a mentally healthy society for all, while supporting communities, families and individuals to live mentally healthier lives. Since launching in 2001, the week has raised awareness on topics such as body image, stress and relationships, with 2020 following the theme of kindness.

For more information about the full programme of events organised by Colmore BID for Mental Health Awareness Week, visit www.colmorebusinessdistrict.com/events