Funded from 1st October 2017 for 12 months with a 6 month extension granted until 31st March 2019.
This project aimed to improve mental and physical health by using sport and physical activity. A wider approach to wellbeing was taken, by incorporating healthy lifestyle sessions and addressing alcohol consumption and smoking. All elements played part of an overall approach to encourage self-management for both mental and physical health and to create sustainable behaviour change.
Everyone accessing Active Minds received an initial risk assessment and baseline measure of their mental health from the Active Minds Project Co-ordinator.
All participants were offered support from one of 11 Volunteer Active Minds Mentors. All Mentors were DBS checked and fully trained. All had experience of living with mental health problems.
All participants and mentors registered with Tees Active and received an Active Minds card which allowed them to access any Tees Active provision, across 5 venues, for up to 6 months.
Special taster sessions were held, with dedicated support from a Tees Active Coach. The Mind Project Co-ordinator or a volunteer mentor also attended these sessions to provide additional support. This approach proved very successful in engaging people.
Monthly sessions held to encourage participants to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Mentors & the Mind Project Co-ordinator supported participants to attend healthy eating sessions, weight loss groups, smoking cessation sessions and access health check services.
Whenever a participant attended an activity, their Active Minds card was swiped to record their attendance. This enabled us to digitally monitor behaviour and activity levels, as well as identify and support those at risk of dropping out.
The Active Minds project was a collaboration between Tees Active and a number of local partner organisations. This includes Tees Active, NHS Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees Clinical Commissioning Group, Middlesbrough and Stockton Mind and Catalyst.
Tees Active
NHS Clinical Commissioning Group
Middlesbrough & Stockton Mind
Catalyst
113 people recruited onto the project with 73 having, or being at serious risk of developing long term health conditions
11 volunteering opportunities were created for people with mental health problems
5,000 individual activities were completed by Active Minds participants during the lifetime of the project
of those surveyed reported an improvement in their mental wellbeing and an improvement in their physical health
Although funding has ceased Active Mind sessions in Tees Active continue to run delivered by Mind volunteers and Tees Active have facilitated a heavily discount price for these sessions. Several ex Active Minds service users are now accessing Tees Actives provision, this is a key determinant of adopting long term lifestyle change.
The partnership between Tees Active & Middlesbrough and Stockton Mind has been developed and reinforced. Middlesbrough and Stockton Mind successfully secured 2 years’ worth of Sport England funding deliver a 2 year project called Energise which works with women across the boroughs of Stockton and Middlesbrough and Tees Active are a key partner in this work.
Find out more about how Tees Active are working with partners to drive positive change in the community.
