A Fleetwood flash mob aimed at putting a smile on the faces of local people will be the highlight of World Mental Health Day on the Fylde coast this year.
Together with Healthier Fleetwood, a community project aimed at improving local health and wellbeing, staff at Mount View GP Practice will be singing in the streets to raise awareness of mental health on Tuesday, 10 October, from 2pm to 4pm.
World Mental Health Day is held on 10 October every year with the aim of raising awareness of mental health issues and supporting work towards better mental health. According to NHS Digital, at any one time a sixth of the population in England aged 16 to 64 has a mental health problem.
This year the Day will focus on mental health in the workplace and to recognise this, Mount View Practice has also arranged a meeting on Monday 9 October bringing local employers together to discuss the promotion of positive mental health with the aim of launching a joint venture again in partnership with Healthier Fleetwood.
Dr Mark Spencer, GP at Mount View who has led the Healthier Fleetwood project, said: “Mental health is one of the biggest challenges we face in Fleetwood so this is a great way for us to promote an important message while having a bit of fun at the same time.
[/column][column]“We hope to work with some of our local employers going forward to do some work on promoting mental health in the workplace and this year’s World Mental Health Day could be a real catalyst for that.”
Also as part of the day, Blackpool Time to Change, which was set up to end mental health discrimination, has arranged a celebration event in the Spanish Hall of the Winter Gardens on Tuesday from 11am to 4pm.
The event aims to reduce mental health discrimination and stigma by highlighting positive mental health and wellbeing messages. The event will showcase the Fylde coast’s network of organisations and individuals that are passionately involved in providing mental wellbeing for all.
The Harbour mental health facility in Windmill Rise, Blackpool, will also host a special day of awareness-raising on Tuesday from 1pm to 7pm, which is open to the public.
The event, which will be opened by Mayor and Mayoress of Blackpool, Ian and Mavis Coleman, will feature information and activities including mindfulness, carer awareness sessions and the health and wellbeing resilience roadshow.
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