A new campaign is being launched to encourage people across Gloucestershire to ‘Be Well’ and access support for their mental health and wellbeing.
Now NHS and care organisations are launching Be Well Gloucestershire – a year-long local campaign to help when stress, anxiety, isolation and other challenges become hard to deal with.
The campaign will be launched on 18 January – a date previously known as ‘Blue Monday’ however, in the spirit of national campaigns such as the Samaritan’s ‘Brew Monday’, we are making the date more positive by renaming it #BeWellMonday. We want to encourage anyone who is having a hard time in Gloucestershire at the moment to look ahead to the coming year and access the support that is available.
The www.bewellglos.org.uk website is the start of what will be a central hub for anyone who needs help or support for themselves or a loved one. Working alongside local organisations, charities and communities, we will develop resources to enable more people to access mental health and wellbeing support for those who live in the county.
Dr Mala Ubhi is the Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group lead GP for mental health:
“To help people know where to turn when things feel difficult, health and care organisations across Gloucestershire are working together this year as part of the ‘Be Well Gloucestershire’ campaign to highlight the support that is available. I would encourage anyone who has found that daily anxieties have become more pronounced over the last few months to ask for help if they need it; because help is available. Visit the new Be Well Gloucestershire website for more information. We are developing this website, so if you can’t find what you are looking for, please get in touch to let us know what mental health support information would be useful to you at this time”.
Alex Burrage is a consultant psychological therapist and clinical lead for the county’s Let’s Talk service:
“At times we can all feel overwhelmed by the things that are going on in our lives, which may include concerns about our physical or emotional health or finances. What we know is that when we feel like this it’s important to access help as soon as possible. What’s really exciting about the Be Well Gloucestershire campaign is that we’re working together to bring a wide range of services and information to help local residents to easily find the help and support that’s available. For example, if you are worried about your health and wellbeing, services like Let’s Talk, which is a Gloucestershire-based talking therapy service, may be able to help you.”
Cllr Tim Harman, cabinet member for public health and communities at Gloucestershire County Council, added: “It can be hard to know where to turn when we’re struggling with our mental health, but the Be Well Gloucestershire website is a fantastic new resource that pulls together the support available throughout the county in one place, from NHS and council-commissioned services to local and national charities. Many services are free, confidential, and you can access them yourself without a referral from a professional. The past year has been a particularly challenging time for everyone but whatever you’re worried about, please reach out for support – help is available.”
