Welcome to One Oswestry’s Health & Well-Being page. We are living in unprecedented and challenging times with COVID-19 having a variety of impacts on personal, and family life, bringing stresses and strains that were difficult to imagine not too long ago. So, in response, we have brought together a range of useful resources and services that provide you with options, ideas, support and help, in handling the present situation and coming through it as best as we can.
* This page will updated as new resources become available.
Tip No. 1: Check this excellent guide on support, resources, and helpful ideas around well-being during this time.
Looking after your mental health during COVID-19 is a PDF guide published by Shropshire Council which provides practical guidance on a range of important and relevant topics, such as:
- Local Immediate Support
- Online Resources for managing wellbeing during the Coronavirus pandemic
- Resources for Parents, Carers and Services working with young people
- Resources aimed at Children & Young People to keep mentally well
- Physical Health and mobility
- Additional helpful documents providing Advice & Tips
- Money Worries
Check out Togetherall, a free-to-access online community for any Shropshire residents aged 16 and above for people who are stressed, anxious or feeling low. The service has an active forum with round-the-clock support from trained professionals. You can talk anonymously and confidentially to other members.
Free Bereavement Support for Shropshire Residents. Families and individuals in Shropshire who have lost loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic or from any previous loss are being offered FREE bereavement counselling. Shropshire residents can access the free service by calling the Shropshire Council COVID-19 Helpline number on 0345 678 9028. Run by Shropshire Council with support from Samaritans, Severn Hospice, Cruse Bereavement Care and Crane Quality Counselling, the Bereavement Support Service offers one to one personalised counselling for people across the county.
24/7 Urgent NHS Mental Health Telephone Support. If you live in Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin call: 0808 196 4501.
Pick up the Phone you are Not Alone. Suicide affects all types of people and communities and is linked to a wide variety of factors including depression, alcohol and drug misuse, unemployment, family and relationship problems, social isolation and loneliness.
The digital Suicide Prevention Zcard designed by the Shropshire and Telford Suicide Prevention Network.
Tip No. 2: Read the national guidance on mental health, well-being & staying active
Below are some excellent national organisations and resources to help you with working from home, with worry and anxiety, with looking after children and young people through this period, to more generally, how to approach and manage our mental health.
- Every Mind Matters: https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/
- GOV.UK: Guidance for the public – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-the-public-on-mental-health-and-wellbeing
- GOV.UK: Guidance for parents and carers on supporting Children and Young People’s mental health – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-supporting-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-and-wellbeing/guidance-for-parents-and-carers-on-supporting-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-and-wellbeing-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak
- Mind: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/coronavirus-and-your-wellbeing/
- Also, Midlands Partnership Foundation Trust who provide our Mental Health Services have set up a 24/7 phoneline for telephone support, advice and triage for people of all ages needing help. That number is 0300 124 0365. The Call handlers will put you in touch with the most appropriate people, whether that be Crisis Team, Physician or Ambulance, whichever is the priority of the individual calls they receive.
- The Blurt Foundation have some great tips, suggestions and resources on The Coronavirus Helpful Hub. Here’s a great little post to start with about CORONAVIRUS AND YOUR MENTAL HEALTH.
- Mental Health at Work: have collated a toolkit of resources designed to help support you and your employees/colleagues whilst in isolation or working from home. The toolkit covers the following: Coronavirus and Your Wellbeing , Working Well From Home Under Self-Quarantine for Coronavirus, Supporting Your Mental Health While Working From Home, Remote Working: a Practical Safety Guide for Businesses, Supporting Colleagues to Stay Mentally Healthy in Unusual Working Conditions, Guides to Wellness Action Plans
Tip No.3: Stay Active and Healthy at Home.
Staying physically active during this time is important not just for your physical healthy but your mental well-being as well. Official advice is to stay at home, and to only go outside for one form of exercise a day, to shop for basic necessities, if there’s a medical reason and travelling to and from essential work. This means that that we need to find different ways to keep moving……
- Mind: Staying Active at home guide https://www.mind.org.uk/about-us/our-policy-work/sport-physical-activity-and-mental-health/get-active-feel-good/staying-active-at-home/
- Energize: free resources to help children stay healthy and active whilst at home – https://www.energizestw.org.uk/energize-resources
- Sport England: Stay in, work Out https://www.sportengland.org/stayinworkout
- University of Reading, FREE online course: COVID-19: Helping Young People Manage Low Mood and Depression.
Tip No. 4: Local inspiration for keeping active & creative.
– Local dance and fitness group, OPEN SPACE STUDIOS CIC, based by Oswestry Library, are doing some wonderful online classes for all the family from Movement Pilates to Dance Fitness, you can enjoy and take part online – pop over to https://www.cedc.co.uk/ to find out more.
– QUBE have some wonderful ideas for creative arty fun with children, and writing competitions too. Follow Qube’s Facebook page to learn more.
– The JOLT SHOP on Cross Street, part of Designs in Mind, have also been running some online Drawing Challenges to keep the creative juices flowing. Visit Jolt’s Facebook page to take part in the Drawing Challenge with a whole host of puzzling prompts.
– The delightful OSWESTRY LIBRARY have kept busy too providing a links and ideas for learning and playing on their lively Facebook page. They shared this great video features music teachers from some of our local schools and around the UK singing ‘One Day Like This’ by Elbow.
– Also, if you need herbal remedies or guidance from a qualified herbalist, get in touch with Louise at Oswestry Herbarium.
