The service wanted to support a charity which helps those who may not be able to be as active as they would like due to disabilities and other challenges they may face. Service users were each given the opportunity to choose which charity they would like to support and the majority chose Rays of Sunshine, a national charity that aims to brighten the lives of seriously ill young people by granting wishes and providing ongoing support in hospital and within the community.
The team have started with a walk at the nearby Witton Country Park (pictured), which is just a few minutes away from Cygnet Fountains. They are looking forward to exploring more of the local area with a walk planned at Entwistle Reservoir at the end of the month.
Annie Coar, Assistant Psychologist, said, “We are hoping this challenge will raise awareness of the importance of getting active to improve both physical and mental well-being for both service-users and staff, as well as the wider community. We will be aiming to increase our typical levels of activity and logging our miles over a number of weeks, finishing off with a final group walk together in May to achieve our final target!
“We are currently following the Action for Happiness campaign within our service, which aims to help people take action for a happier and kinder world. The campaign promotes a range of ‘Keys to Happiness’ with different themes each month.
“April’s theme was Active April, which highlights the importance of exercise and getting active for societies health and wellbeing. Therefore the team decided they wanted to complete a sponsored walking challenge, not only to promote the importance of exercise, but also to take this opportunity to raise money for others in need.”
For anyone who would like to support the service users and staff to reach their target, and to raise money for this wonderful charity, please visit the link below.
Cygnet Fountains is an inpatient rehabilitation service in Blackburn for men with severe and enduring mental health difficulties.