Supporting physical and mental wellbeing in the community
Our charity has been able to fund a number of initiatives to support physical and mental health across our communities including badminton and table tennis
All in the game: outdoor ping pong supports adult mental health
An outdoor concrete table tennis table has been installed at Windsor House to support patients with enduring mental health issues to socialise, increase fitness levels and learn a new skill.
Simon Craske, Assistant Nurse said: “It’s a great way to focus the mind. I remember a lady who couldn’t settle. I asked her if she’d played table tennis and challenged her to a game. She could really play; she had great hand to eye coordination. We were still playing an hour later and she said she felt so much calmer.”
Simon also recalled a patient who had a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. “He’d played table tennis in the past, so I challenged him to a game. He’d been struggling with his mobility but when he played, he was amazing and was like a different person."
Brilliant badminton! Promoting an active lifestyle in the Chinese community
Community Inclusion Worker, Yan Xiao, initiated a physical health initiative that enabled her to talk to people in the Chinese community about their health conditions and encouraged them to take a first step to becoming more physically active.
Devising a dedicated six month badminton programme comprising trial sessions has provided an avenue for individuals to participate in the sport, enhancing overall wellbeing, reducing isolation and further improving their mental and physical health.
Speaking of the initiative, Yan Xiao, said:
“After six months of badminton trial sessions, the players who participated in our group have adopted this kind of activity as a part of their life and it has brought them happiness. There are more than 30 participants who take part and all of them said they have a new hobby.
Some people with health conditions have reported that participating in the activity has helped them manage their blood sugar levels and cope with stress more effectively.”
