We were thrilled to hear that Sevenoaks Sport and Wellbeing Magazine are finalists in the Kent Press and Broadcast Awards in the Commitment to the Community category. 2020 has been a challenging year for us all and for us, more than ever, community is a vital resource necessary for ensuring the survival of local businesses and organisations and the health and wellbeing of everyone who lives among us.
We are very proud to be part of the Sevenoaks Sport and Wellbeing community and hope that we can all continue to support each other through good times and bad.
As we have discussed many times before, the power of human connection, feeling a sense of purpose and belonging should not be underestimated.
These simple things can be hugely beneficial to both our physical and mental health. Covid-19 may have disrupted our lives beyond belief and caused no-end of social, health and financial uncertainties but what it has also shown is the strength of communities when we pull together, with numerous initiatives springing into action.
Stories of food banks, Covid community support groups, connections with neighbours previously unknown to us and a renewed sense of what is most important in life, all show the power of human connection. When times are tough, we look after those more vulnerable than ourselves and hopefully this will continue with greater emphasis when this current hardship has passed.
Relationships are one of the most important aspects of our lives and being socially connected to our friends, family and community leads to us being happier and healthier, both physically and mentally.
When we talk about communities, it is a sense of social cohesion and belonging that benefits us not only as a collective but also as individuals.
Communication and connection have taken on different mediums throughout this period of lockdown, many of which will continue into the future.
We would never have thought of successfully delivering mental health first aid training online and while daunting at first, it has allowed us to reach more people than previously possible and provided another platform through which we can raise awareness.
While video calls and WhatsApp groups have become the norm and have helped to reduce the instance of isolation, there is no real substitute for face-to-face human connection.
That being said, there is no doubt that there is room for online platforms going forward and we have adapted in a way that means we can now support people via a means that they are most comfortable with.
West Kent Mind work solely to support those who live and work within our community, be that through our vital therapeutic groups, affordable counselling, supported housing or our training and education programmes.
Every penny we raise through successful funding applications, the fundraising efforts of our local residents and businesses and from the training courses and workshops we deliver, directly support these services.
Now more than ever, those experiencing mental ill-health need our support and we thank everyone of you for the part you play in making this possible.
It takes a community to run our charity – from reading our articles and raising awareness to making donations and sharing our social media posts – we all have a part to play in ensuring that nobody need face a mental health problem alone.
For more information on our services, please visit:
• www.westkentmind.org.uk
• training@westkentmind.org.uk (for enquiries about courses for individuals or organisations)
• hello@westkentmind.org.uk (for general enquiries or support)
Upcoming Events & Training
Mental Health First Aid England (MHFA) certified courses: Our next available course starts on Friday, 6th November. This is a mix of self-led online learning at your own pace and live, instructor-led online learning sessions spread over a two week period. £185 per person. This course certifies you as a Mental Health First Aider. Please email for training@westkentmind.org.uk for more details.
Become Mental Health Aware:
Led by an approved MHFA instructor, we can now provide the Adult Half Day Mental Health Aware online learning session. Our next course will run on Tuesday, 1st December.
OTHER WORKSHOPS
Understanding Stress & Anxiety
• Thursday, 8th October 10-11.30am via Zoom. £40 per person
Understanding Depression
• Thursday, 15th October 10-11am via Zoom. £35 per person
Children and Young Person’s Suicide Awareness and Prevention Workshops: West Kent Mind are pleased to have been awarded funding to provide half-day Children and Young People Suicide Awareness and Prevention workshops. We will be offering this valuable training to hundreds of people across Kent and Medway.
The workshops are suitable for anyone interested in the mental health and well being of children and young people. This includes people who work or volunteer with children and young people, as well as individuals who want to learn more about how to support children and young people.
We will be running 17 sessions between September and December, please email us if you would be interested in attending.
