Paisley mental health charity Recovery Across Mental Health (RAMH) has set up a festival to cover the first week of September to get people moving and boost their mental health.
The Movement and Wellbeing Festival starts on Saturday, September 3 and will run through to Saturday, September 10 with each day having a different activity - or activities - to encourage residents to get up and be active.
The charity has been working alongside their partner organisations to offer a wide range of physical activities and exercise.
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Graham Cossar, RAMH Physical Activity Worker, said: “This is the first year of us doing this event - we normally have events around Suicide Prevention Day which is on September 10. We are working with the crisis team as well as the other two community teams to try and tackle the issues that affect people and maybe try and stop them from getting to that point.
“We find that if we get people out and socialising and doing physical activity, it is hugely beneficial to their mental health and wellbeing. The issues we have had the last two years with the pandemic as well, a lot of our client base might be struggling with anxiety, stress and depression and have come quite withdrawn - understandably.”
The first day of the festival will start off with RAMH Football at the Powerleague in Paisley and then each day will have either a walk, workout classes.
On Monday, September 5, there will be two activities for people to choose from which includes a workout class for women and Paradise Island Golf which will take place at Xsite, Braehead.
The hope is the festival will get those who have perhaps fallen off the wagon of getting moving the chance to find their footing again.
Graham added: “We appreciate that the young people do, for the most part, know the benefits of physical activity - they might do it at school or after school clubs. We are looking at people who have stepped away from it, who are a wee bit older. Let them know there is support and there are things for them.”
Some of the fun things to do throughout the week that are aimed who are a bit older include the walking football which will be held at St Mirren and is open to those that are 35 and over and there is the Outdoor Gym Sessions taking place at the UWS Paisley Campus and is open for those that are over the age of 16 - that will take place on Thursday, September 6.
The charity is looking to be able to get more people aware of what they are doing and allow other organisations a chance to let others see what they have on offer too.
There is the hope that the Movement and Wellbeing Festival will become an annual thing.
Graham added: “We are hoping this will become an annual event and there have been some people who have not taken the opportunity to come and become on board with the programme, but we are hoping that when they see the success of the event, they will go next year.
“The event week is completely free, there are some age restricted events, but for the most part, we would love everyone to get down. We are really wanting to make this open to everybody and that includes even without Renfrewshire too.”
Those that are interested in going can just turn up on the day of the activity. Once they arrive at the event, they will be asked to register their name and best contact information as they could be in the chance to win a £50 Decathlon voucher.
For the full programme, see: https://bit.ly/3wQcqR8
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